Laser-plasma interaction physics for the development of plasma accelerators and radiation sources

高功率激光已经成为产生高能粒子和辐射的超亮脉冲的诱人的驱动力。强激光脉冲与等离子体的相互作用产生了具有独特性质的辐射束：多GeV电子束，具有数十到数百个pC电荷，Ka峰值电流，飞秒持续时间和小能量扩散；宽带质子束，能量高达100 MeV，持续时间皮秒脉冲和超低发射度；高亮度爆发，可调太赫兹，真空紫外光和X射线辐射。该项目专注于强激光-等离子体相互作用中粒子加速和辐射产生的基本物理。它包括使用苏格兰等离子体加速器应用中心(SCAPA)的350TW激光进行的实验研究，以及牛津郡中央激光设施和几个国际实验室的外部高功率激光设施。该项目还包括使用Archie-West对强激光-等离子体相互作用现象进行数值模拟，以帮助指导对实验结果的解释。该项目的目标是：1.为发展等离子体加速器和辐射源研究激光-等离子体相互作用物理。探索优化和控制等离子体加速器的新方案学生将为使用Scapa 350 TW激光器的实验的计划和实施做出贡献。学生还将在必要时旅行，利用外部大型国内和国际激光设备进行研究。该项目还包括进行数值模拟，以协助规划实验和解释实验数据，并对基础物理进行数值研究。

High power lasers have emerged as an attractive driver for the generation of ultrabright pulses of high energy particles and radiation. The interaction of intense laser pulses with plasma results in beams of radiation with distinctive properties: multi-GeV electron beams, with tens to hundreds of pC charge, kA peak current, femtosecond duration and small energy spread; broadband proton beams with energy up to 100 MeV, picosecond duration bursts and ultralow emittance; high brightness bursts of tuneable THz, VUV and X-ray radiation.The project focuses on the fundamental physics of particle acceleration and radiation generation in intense laser-plasma interactions. It includes experimental investigations using the 350TW laser at the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma Accelerators (SCAPA) in the Physics department and external high power laser facilities at the Central Laser Facility in Oxfordshire and at several international laboratories. The project also involves numerical simulation of intense laser-plasma interaction phenomena, using ARCHIE-WeSt, to help guide the interpretation of experiment results.The objectives of the project are to:1. Investigate laser-plasma interaction physics for the development of plasma accelerators and radiation sources2. Explore new schemes for the optimisation and control of plasma-based acceleratorsThe student will contribute to the planning and delivery of experiments using the SCAPA 350 TW laser. The student will also travel when necessary to perform research using external large scale national and international laser facilities. The project also involves performing numerical simulations to assist in planning experiments and in the interpretation of experimental data and to numerically investigate the underpinning physics.