Experimental Plasma Physics
Studies of plasmas driven by high-energy lasers
Research Highlights
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First laboratory observation of collisionless shocks of cosmic relevance
In 2014 we reported the first measurements of the formation and structure of a magnetized collisionless shock by a laser-driven magnetic piston in a current-free laboratory plasma. …
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First experimental demonstration of Larmor coupling mechanism
Larmor coupling is a collisionless momentum exchange mechanism believed to occur in various astrophysical and space-plasma environments, as well as in cosmic magnetized collisionless shock formation. It has received extensive theoretical attention over the past few decades, but it has never before been observed in a laboratory setting. …
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First lab generation of ultra-low frequency waves driven by right-hand instability
Novel volumetric measurements using a high-repetition rate laser reveal the spatial structure of these waves, including evidence of current filaments. High-energy laser experiments and spacecraft observations contain similar waves, and the frequencies of both are quantitatively well matched by corresponding 2D hybrid simulations. These results show that ULF-analog waves can be successfully produced in the laboratory by the same mechanism that creates ULF waves in space. …
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First 2D LIF ion velocity distribution measurements in a laser-produced plasma
Laser-produced plasma velocity distributions are an important, but difficult quantity to measure. We developed a non-invasive spectrally and temporally-resolved technique for measuring individual charge state velocity distributions of laser-produced plasmas. The technique had the ability to detect particles up to 7 m from their inception, significantly larger than most lab-astro plasma experiments, which take place at or below the millimeter scale. …
