  Electron trapping in a finite amplitude Langmuir wave (LW) leads to a
frequency shift, \Delta\omega_{TP} < 0, and reduced Landau damping. These may
lead to modulational instability. Its growth rate and damping threshold, due to
escape of trapped electrons at rate \nu, are calculated for the first time in
the short wavelength regime. If the background plasma is in thermal
equilibrium, it is shown that this trapped particle modulational instability
(TPMI) is not possible when k \lambda_D > 0.46, while for 0.33 < k \lambda_D <
0.46, TPMI requires that the fluctuation wavevector have a component
perpendicular to k, the LW wavevector, with \lambda_D the electron Debye
length. Its nonlinear evolution leads to self-focusing. Comparison is made with
a re-evaluated LW ion acoustic decay instability (LDI): compared to classical
estimates, the new LDI threshold is lowered by primary LW \Delta\omega_{TP}
since frequency matching leads to wavenumber and hence damping reduction of the
daughter LW. For parameters estimates relevant to a recent stimulated Raman
scatter experiment (Kline et al., submitted to PRL), the LDI and TPMI
thresholds cross in the range 0.28 < k \lambda_D < 0.34, consistent with the
observed LDI regime change. However, if \nu exceeds a critical value, estimated
to be order 1% of the electron plasma frequency, then TPMI is not possible at
any wavenumber.
