Laser Matter Interactions

拟议的研究计划应用理论和数值方法来研究激光与物质的相互作用，在广泛的激光强度和激光脉冲持续时间范围内，应用于各种物理问题，从惯性约束聚变和相对论等离子体到生物医学在细胞术和强子治疗中的应用。该计划涉及强驱动非线性波和等离子体动力学理论的基础物理，并解决与聚变能，新的医疗诊断和治疗方法相关的许多应用。以下主题领域提供了建议的研究重点：惯性约束聚变和实验室天体物理学。大型激光设备，如国家点火装置（NIF）已经产生了具有独特参数范围的等离子体。我们将致力于与核聚变相关的两个关键研究领域，主要是非局部电子传递和非线性散射不稳定性理论。大型等离子体也被用于研究与天体物理学相关的过程，如无碰撞冲击、反流等离子体不稳定性、磁场产生和磁场重联。激光电子加速器和电子驱动辐射源。该项目将通过粒子池（PIC）模拟推进桌面电子加速器的设计，使用高强度激光脉冲将激光能量有效地耦合到相对论性电子中，最高可达多gev。这是通过在短激光脉冲通过低密度等离子体传播的“尾迹”中产生振幅较大的相对论性等离子体波来实现的。该项目的核心将是与萨斯卡通的加拿大光源合作开发新的基于波动器的可调谐硬相干x射线源。激光质子和离子加速。我们将探索激光产生的高能（多兆电子伏）质子和离子束的各种应用。离子束的激光等离子体源具有产生高能质子束的潜力，这些质子束可以在空间和能量上进行操纵，从而在以下方面产生新的技术和科学应用：离子快速点火惯性约束聚变、核物理学、离子放射照相、强子治疗、中子源、深离子注入和用于医疗应用的短寿命放射性同位素生产。我们提出质子加速治疗癌症的综合方案。利用三维PIC代码设计最佳激光等离子体靶，并将质子束集成到输送系统和患者治疗中。高能密度物理。本研究计划将聚焦于利用千瓦级激光脉冲产生高密度（压缩固体密度）相对论性等离子体。该研究将对激光脉冲的吸收、谐波的产生、输运和相对论电子的不稳定性提供新的认识。与SLAC的直线加速器相干光源合作，我们将为详细的泵浦探针研究的发展做出贡献，这些研究将采用第一性原理x射线散射技术来测量和揭示决定超强激光束与物质相互作用的潜在物理机制。激光散射法在生物细胞鉴定与分选中的应用。在这个涉及医学、工程和我们小组的跨学科研究项目中，我们建议使用激光散射来表征和区分血细胞。借助使用麦克斯韦方程求解器以太的数值模拟，我们将展示血细胞的区分，并继续开发用于细胞分选的光学/微流体技术。

The proposed research program applies theoretical and numerical methods to studies of laser interactions with matter over broad range of laser intensities and laser pulse durations with applications to diverse physics problems from the inertial confinement fusion and relativistic plasmas to biomedical applications in cytometry and hadron therapy. This program deals with fundamental physics of strongly driven nonlinear waves and plasma kinetic theory and addresses many applications related to fusion energy, new medical diagnostics and treatment methods. The following subject areas provide the focus for the proposed studies: Inertial Confinement Fusion and Laboratory Astrophysics. The large scale laser facility, such as National Ignition Facility (NIF) has created plasmas characterized by unique range of parameters. We will contribute to two key areas of research related to fusion, mainly nonlocal electron transport and nonlinear theory of scattering instabilities. Large scale plasmas have been also used to study processes of the relevance to astrophysics such as collisionless shocks, counter-streaming plasma instabilities, magnetic field generation and magnetic field reconnection. Laser Electron Accelerators and Electron Driven Radiation Sources. This project will advance through Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations a design of the tabletop electron accelerators using high intensity laser pulses to efficiently couple laser energy into relativistic, up to multi-GeV, electrons. This is done via the generation of large amplitude relativistic plasma waves in the “wake” of a short laser pulse propagating through a low density plasma. Central to this project will be development of the new undulator based tunable source of hard coherent x-rays in collaboration with the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon. Laser Proton and Ion Acceleration. We will explore various applications of laser generated energetic (multi MeV) proton and ion beams. Laser plasma sources of ion beams hold the potential of producing energetic proton beams that can be manipulated in space and energy to yield new technological and scientific applications in: inertial confinement fusion by ion fast ignition, nuclear physics, ion radiography, hadron therapy, neutron sources, deep ion implantation and short lived radioactive isotopes production for medical applications. We propose comprehensive program on proton acceleration for cancer therapy. Optimal laser plasma target design by 3D PIC codes and integration of the proton beams into the delivery system and patient treatment will be studied. High-Energy Density Physics. This research program will be focused on generation of high density (compressed solid density) relativistic plasmas by the petawatt scale laser pulses. This research will provide new understanding of laser pulse absorption, harmonic generation, transport and instabilities of the relativistic electrons. In collaboration with the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC we will contribute to the development of detailed pump-probe studies that will employ first-principles x-ray scattering techniques to measure and uncover the underlying physics mechanism that determine the interaction of ultra intense laser beams with matter. Development of Laser Light Scattering Method for the Identification and Sorting of Biological Cells. In this interdisciplinary research program involving medical, engineering and our group we propose to use laser light scattering for the characterization and discrimination of blood cells. With help of numerical simulations using Maxwell equation solver Aether we will demonstrate the discrimination of blood cells and and continue development of the optical/microfluidic technology for the sorting of cells.