Virtual Webinar: 22 April 2023. 0830-1200 (UTC+8)

Participating in this webinar is free of charge, but registration is required.

This webinar will be conducted in English.

Cambridge University Press, together with its two journals, High Power Laser Science and Engineering and Journal of Plasma Physics, will jointly hold a symposium on April 22 in collaboration with the China Laser Press and Laboratory of Laser Plasma Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, aiming to better promote the continuous progress and development of laser plasma research and related applications.

 

Agenda

Time (UTC+8)	Session	Speaker
08:30-08:40	Opening
08:40-09:10	Exploring plasma kinetics with intense lasers	Luís O. Silva, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
09:10-09:40	Enhancing theoretical and computational models of intense laser-plasma interactions using machine learning	Paulo Alves, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
09:40-10:20	Introduction of HPLSE and JPP; Panel Discussion	Xiaoyan Liang, Editorial Board Member of High Power Laser Science and Engineering Troy Carter, Associate Editor of Journal of Plasma Physics
10:20-10:50	Ultrahigh charge electron acceleration and nuclear applications	Liming Chen, Laboratory of Laser Plasma Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
10:50-11:20	Femtosecond-laser driven high-yield hard X-ray sources based on carbon nanotube plasma	Wenjun Ma, Peking University
11:20-11:50	SULF laser-driven proton acceleration	Hui Zhang, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS
11:50-12:00	Closing

 

Invited Speakers

Luís O. Silva 

Email: luis.silva@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Affiliation: Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Presentation Title: Exploring plasma kinetics with intense lasers

Abstract: Recent experimental results have identified how trigger and to study plasma kinetic instabilities in unmagnetized plasmas via anisotropic distribution functions driven by laser-ionized gases. I will discuss how to generalize these studies to magnetized scenarios, with state-of-the-art laser technology, via a careful combination of laser parameters (intensity and polarization), plasma density, and external magnetic fields. I will also connect these plasma conditions with radiation reaction-driven anisotropic distribution functions, conjectured to the present in extreme astrophysical and laboratory conditions.

Biography: Luís O. Silva is Professor of Physics at Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon, and President of the School Council of IST. He obtained his degrees (Lic. 1992, PhD 1997 and Habilitation 2005) from IST, and was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California Los Angeles from 1997 to 2001. His scientific contributions are focused on the in silico exploration of the interaction of intense beams of particles and lasers with plasmas, combining theoretical physics with massively parallel numerical simulations, in the laboratory and in astrophysical scenarios. He has been awarded two ERC Advanced grants, among other international and national awards. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the European Physical Society, the European Academy of Sciences, and Corresponding Member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.

Paulo Alves

Email: epalves@physics.ucla.edu

Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Presentation Title: Enhancing theoretical and computational models of intense laser-plasma interactions using machine learning

Abstract: Understanding and controlling the physics of intense laser-plasma interactions is essential to many scientific and technological applications, from producing compact particle accelerators to harnessing inertial confinement fusion. However, the large separation in spatial and temporal scales between the microscopic plasma processes that govern how intense laser radiation couples to plasma and the resulting  acceleration of charged particles or the slow hydrodynamic motions of an inertial fusion capsule makes these problems very challenging from both theoretical and computational perspectives. First-principles kinetic simulations accurately capture the microscopic processes involved but are too computationally intensive to model the full range of scales necessary. Coarse fluid-based models, on the other hand, are computationally efficient but do not accurately capture the necessary physics. The development of reduced models that optimally balance physics accuracy with computational complexity is essential to addressing the multi-scale modeling challenges of these problems. In this talk, we will discuss how techniques from machine learning (ML) are offering new tools for the development of such reduced models. In particular, I will discuss how ML techniques can be used to develop reduced plasma physics models in the form of interpretable partial differential equations directly from the data of first-principles kinetic simulations. I will argue that these ML tools offer a promising route to accelerate the development of reduced theoretical models of intense laser-plasma interactions and to design computationally efficient algorithms for their simulation. 

Biography: Paulo Alves is an Assistant Professor in the UCLA Physics and Astronomy Department. He obtained his PhD in Plasma Physics at the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2015. Following his PhD, he joined the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as a Research Associate, and joined the UCLA faculty in 2020. His research aims to understand the plasma physics underpinning extreme astrophysical environments and in high-energy-density laboratory experiments. His interests span a broad range of topics, from understanding how the most energetic particles in the Universe are accelerated, to harnessing plasmas to control and amplify ultra intense lasers. His research combines analytic theory and state-of-the-art numerical simulations to understand the nonlinear and multi-scale dynamics of plasmas in these systems from first-principles. His research also explores how modern techniques from the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can be combined with traditional theoretical and computational techniques from Plasma Physics to develop advanced computational algorithms for multi-scale modeling of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas

Liming Chen

Email: lmchen@sjtu.edu.cn

Affiliation: Laboratory of Laser Plasma Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Presentation Title: Ultrahigh charge electron acceleration and nuclear applications

Abstract:

The laser plasma acceleration is not only suitable for advance accelerator, but also possess great potential for plasma exciter or collider. The laser plasma accelerator also has extremely high electron charge which will produce high brightness gamma ray source and intense neutron source, resulting in powerful tool for nuclear physics research.

Recently, our team has carried out systematic studies on electron acceleration with large charge. Based on new results of electron acceleration obtained, we have carried out the research of "laser-plasma exciter". Firstly, a high brightness neutron source is obtained by driving a solid target with an electron beam. Then, using the nonlinear resonance of Kr clusters excited by intense laser, the 83Kr isomeric state is achieved experimentally with peak efficiency 2x10^15 p/s. And also, with optimized high charge electron beam driven (γ,n) reaction, the peak flux of neutron source reaches to 10^21 n/cm^2/s, which is comparable to Supernova.

In order to carry out the experimental verification of laser "plasma exciter" and extremely strong field QED, we are constructing the "laboratory astrophysics research platform" (LAP) in TsungDao Lee Institute, for the nuclear astrophysics research in relativistic.

Biography:

Chen Liming, professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, received his doctorate from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2000, and worked long term in the National Institute of Quebec, and the Japanese Atomic Research Agency. In 2008, he was selected to the talent program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2019, he was transferred to Shanghai Jiao Tong University as a distinguished professor, and served as a member of the International X-ray Laser Society. It has developed a series of ultra-strong and ultra-short X-ray sources and new imaging methods with important applications. Published more than 160 articles. He won Rao Yutai Physics Award of the Chinese Physical Society and the QiuSi Collective Award for Outstanding Scientific and Technological. The main research results have been applied to the "Huairou Comprehensive Extreme Conditions Device", "TsungDao Lee Institute Basic Research Device" and other major national scientific and technological infrastructure.

 

Wenjun Ma

Email: wenjun.ma@pku.edu.cn

Affiliation: Peking University, China

Presentation Title: Femtosecond-laser driven high-yield hard X-ray sources based on carbon nanotube plasma

Abstract:

Ultra-intense femtosecond lasers pave new ways of generating brilliant ultrashort x-rays flashes by exploiting laser plasma wakefield accelerated electrons. The energy conversion efficiency from laser to hard x-rays is, however, limited to 10^-7-10^-5, which seriously undermines the competitiveness of laser-driven x-ray/γ-ray sources against conventional light sources. Recently, we boost the laser-to-x-ray conversion efficiency to an unprecedented level of 10^-3 by exploiting carbon nanotube plasma instead of widely used gas plasma. Hard x-ray yield exceeding 10^10 photons/J was measured for the first time in the petawatt laser facility of CoReLS. Such a breakthrough is owning to the unique sub-wavelength architectures of the targets. The electron acceleration and x-ray generation mechanism in such CNT plasma is entirely different from the prevailing laser wake field acceleration scheme. In this presentation, I will report our relevant studies.

Biography:

Wenjun Ma, BoYa Distinguished Professor in Peking University. His current research areas are laser-driven particle and radiation sources, laser proton accelerators, applications of ultrashort energy-carrying beams. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers on academic journals including Nature Photonics, Physical Review letters, Physical Review X, which have been cited by more than 2900 times. He currently serves as the vice president of heavy ion institute in Peking University, the vice dean of Beijing laser acceleration innovation center, and granted by "National Grand Instrument Project of China", and the "The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars".

 

Hui Zhang

Email: zhanghui1989@siom.ac.cn

Affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS, China

Presentation Title: SULF laser-driven proton acceleration

Abstract:

Based on the chirped pulse amplification technology invented by Nobel laureate Mourou, the output power of ultra-intense lasers has reached the 10 PW class, providing a new experimental means for many frontier research in high field laser physics. Laser-driven ion acceleration is attracting widespread interest because of the prospects of realizing compact and desktop ultrafast ion sources, which has potential applications in many fields, such as cancer therapy, fusion energy resource. This report will introduce the recent progress on laser-driven proton acceleration carried out on the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF).

Biography:

Hui Zhang is a researcher of the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM), and member of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2015, he received the doctor's degree from SIOM. His main research field is the ultra-intense laser-plasma interaction, especially laser-driven ion acceleration and its applications. As the system or subject manager, he participated in projects including the  Station of Extreme Light (SHINE-SEL), Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

 

Guests for Panel Discussion

• Xiaoyan Liang (Editorial Board Member of High Power Laser Science and Engineering)

Affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS, China

Email: liangxy@siom.ac.cn

Biography:

Xiaoyan Liang received her Master degree from Department of Physics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China, in 1993, and her Ph.D, degree of optics and lasers from Institute of Physics, Beijing, China in 2001. She is currently a professor of Shanghai Institute of Optics and fine Mechanics, Shanghai, China. Her research areas contain ultra-intense and ultra-fast lasers, and nonlinear optics. As the deputy chief engineer, she joined the construction of Shanghai Ultra-intense and Ultra-short Laser Facility.

 

• Troy Carter (Associate Editor of Journal of Plasma Physics)

Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Email: tcarter@physics.ucla.edu   

Biography: Troy Carter is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prof. Carter is the Director of the Basic Plasma Science Facility (BaPSF), a national user facility for plasma science supported by DOE and NSF. He is also the Director of the Plasma Science and Technology Institute (PSTI) at UCLA. His research into waves, instabilities, turbulence and transport in magnetically confined plasmas is motivated by the desire to understand processes in space and astrophysical plasmas as well as by the need to develop carbon-free electricity generation via nuclear fusion. Prof. Carter led the US DOE FESAC Long Range Planning process that resulted in the 2021 report “Powering the Future: Fusion and Plasmas.” He is a Fellow of the APS and is a recipient of the APS DPP John Dawson Excellence in Plasma Physics Research Award and of the Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award. Prof. Carter received BS degrees in Physics and Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1995 and a PhD in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University in 2001.

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