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Dr I. Kourakis
Applications accepted all year round
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Modern day lasers are well capable of producing pulses of ultra-high intensity and very-short duration. As a consequence, the plasma response to these ultra-intense pulses is highly nonlinear. The formation of coherent nonlinear electromagnetic solitary waves during such high intensity laser plasma interactions has been a topic of fundamental interest and has attracted many theoretical [1-5] as well as experimental [6,7] investigations in recent years.
The proposed research will focus on the dynamical characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) pulses modelled as solitary waves in plasmas permeated by an ultra-high-intensity laser beam. A synergetic approach involving analytical and computational studies will be adopted, based on a plasma fluid + Maxwell model, in account of ponderomotive and relativistic nonlinearities. Physical effects to be investigated, within the framework of ultra-high intensity laser-beam interaction with plasmas, include (but are not limited to): interactions between co- and counter-propagating pulses, standing solitons, modulational instability of EM wavepackets and pulse-coupling effects on it, extreme events (rogue waves), two-dimensional structures (dromions), background non-thermality effect, possible role of positrons on pulse propagation (inspired by experiments on positron creation by laser-plasma interactions). The role of the magnetic field strength and geometry will be focussed upon, in particular. Our ambition is to contribute to modelling and interpretation of observations in laser-plasma interaction experiments at CPP and elsewhere .
Extensive use of cutting edge plasma research techniques will be made, both analytically and numerically. Knowledge of nonlinear analytical techniques and prior experience in numerical modelling (e.g. Matlab) and symbolic computation is thus highly desirable.
Skills: Skills to be gained by the student involved in this project include (but are not limited to): advanced techniques of nonlinear analysis for physical systems off-equilibrium; multiscale (perturbation) methods and nonlinear pseudopotential approaches for nonlinear dynamical systems; computational techniques, both symbolic (e.g. Mathematica) and numerical (e.g. Matlab).
Further details – Dr Ioannis Kourakis, [Email Address Removed].
The proposed research will focus on the dynamical characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) pulses modelled as solitary waves in plasmas permeated by an ultra-high-intensity laser beam. A synergetic approach involving analytical and computational studies will be adopted, based on a plasma fluid + Maxwell model, in account of ponderomotive and relativistic nonlinearities. Physical effects to be investigated, within the framework of ultra-high intensity laser-beam interaction with plasmas, include (but are not limited to): interactions between co- and counter-propagating pulses, standing solitons, modulational instability of EM wavepackets and pulse-coupling effects on it, extreme events (rogue waves), two-dimensional structures (dromions), background non-thermality effect, possible role of positrons on pulse propagation (inspired by experiments on positron creation by laser-plasma interactions). The role of the magnetic field strength and geometry will be focussed upon, in particular. Our ambition is to contribute to modelling and interpretation of observations in laser-plasma interaction experiments at CPP and elsewhere .
Extensive use of cutting edge plasma research techniques will be made, both analytically and numerically. Knowledge of nonlinear analytical techniques and prior experience in numerical modelling (e.g. Matlab) and symbolic computation is thus highly desirable.
Skills: Skills to be gained by the student involved in this project include (but are not limited to): advanced techniques of nonlinear analysis for physical systems off-equilibrium; multiscale (perturbation) methods and nonlinear pseudopotential approaches for nonlinear dynamical systems; computational techniques, both symbolic (e.g. Mathematica) and numerical (e.g. Matlab).
Further details – Dr Ioannis Kourakis, [Email Address Removed].
Funding Notes
A full 3 years studentship (current value ~ £13590 per year stipend + fees) is available to UK and EU qualified students - according to DEL rules EU citizens are eligible for a full studentships only if they have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years. EU applicants who are not UK residents are eligible for fee only studentships.
References
1. P. Kaw et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 68, 3172 (1992).
2. S.V. Bulanov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3440 (1999).
3. T. Esirkepov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 275002 (2001).
4. V. Saxena et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 032309 (2006).
5. J. Borhanian et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 093108 (2008).
6. M. Borghesi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 135002 (2002).
7. L. Romagnani et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 175002 (2010).
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