Molecular Dynamics in Ultrastrong Laser Fields.

高强度激光科学的前沿研究是这项工作的基础。一个能够产生万亿瓦峰值功率的高强度激光实验室，以及一个对激光与物质相互作用的动力学进行建模的理论工作，都将用这笔资金进行。原子和分子构成了物质的基石；到目前为止，分子几乎构成了我们日常使用的每一种材料。由于分子的广泛存在，这项研究将特别侧重于了解高强度激光与分子形式的物质的相互作用。人们希望了解高能分子状态，以及与激光相互作用时原子和分子之间的联系。这项工作包括为本科生、研究生和研究生的STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)学科提供强化的动手培训和资金。培训将涉及到高技能、全球劳动力领域的可转移能力，包括：激光和光学、电气和机械工程、计算机建模、实验室研究和研究小组管理。这项工作将量化强激光如何激发分子，远远超出传统的1PW/cm^2的强度。实验和理论研究将延伸到10000 PW/cm^2的超强场和超强强度。离子碎片的电荷态超出了参与分子键的电子，深入到原子结构。这些相互作用产生的电子能量从10,000 eV扩展到1,000,000 eV。这个广泛的科学问题涉及超强激光如何与分子相互作用。这项工作在单个原子的物理学和等离子体和凝聚态物质中的多体集体效应之间架起了一座重要的桥梁。这项研究将把分子与激光的相互作用扩展到超强场。在这个新的体系中，力和能量比目前的分子研究要大几千倍。高电荷态的形成机制和分子碎片的能量学将从实验上量化，并从理论上建模。从国防承包到医学物理，再到激光材料加工行业，该集团的学生已经在科技领域获得了重要职位。这笔赠款将用于资助一个研究生培训职位，该职位旨在帮助培训应届毕业生，特别是未被充分代表的人口统计学人员，以应对科学工作场所可能发生的挑战。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Frontier research in high intensity laser science is the basis of this work. Both a high intensity laser laboratory capable of creating trillion-watt peak powers and a theory effort to model the dynamics of the laser-matter interaction will be conducted with the funding. Atoms and molecules form the building blocks of matter; molecules by far comprise nearly every material we use on a daily basis. Due to the extensive presence of molecules, this research will specifically focus on understanding the interactions of high intensity lasers with matter in the molecular form. An understanding of highly energetic molecular states is expected as well as the connection between atoms and molecules when interacting with lasers. The work involves intensive, hands-on training and funding for the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate level. Training will involve transferable abilities into highly skilled, global workforce areas including: lasers and optics, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer modeling, laboratory research, and management of research groups. The work will quantify how the molecules are excited by intense lasers well beyond traditional intensities of 1 PW/cm^2. The experimental and theory studies will extend up to the ultrastrong fields and intensities of 10,000 PW/cm^2. The ion fragments have charge states extending beyond the electrons involved in molecular bonding, deep into the atomic structure. The energies of the electrons from these interactions extend from 10,000 eV to 1,000,000 eV. The broad scientific question involves how ultrastrong laser fields interact with molecules. The work bridges an important gap between the physics of individual atoms and the many body collective effects in plasmas and condensed matter. This proposed research will extend the molecule – laser interaction into ultrastrong fields. In this new regime forces and energies are thousands of times greater than for current molecular studies. The mechanisms for the formation of high charge states and the energetics of the molecular fragments will be quantified experimentally and modeled theoretically. Students from the group have secured employment into significant positions across science and technology disciplines from national defense contracting to medical physics to laser materials processing industry. The grant will fund a post-graduate training position specifically designed to help train recent graduates, especially underrepresented demographics, for challenges that can occur in the scientific workplace.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.