Developing a new experimental technique in laboratory astrophysics and planetary physics

PhD STUDENTSHIP:
Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen’s University Belfast

Title:
Developing a new experimental technique in laboratory astrophysics and planetary physics

Funding is available on a competitive basis for a project relating to two areas of plasma physics. The first is in so called Warm Dense Matter (WDM), the second in Photo-ionised plasmas. The student will work on experiments relevant to both.
WDM
Dense, strongly coupled plasmas occur in a variety of important situations. These include, in particular, the interior of stars and of large planets such as Jupiter and the hundreds of recently discovered giant planets, orbiting nearby stars. This type of matter has become known as "warm dense matter" or WDM. This is because the theoretical description eludes both classical plasma physics and condensed matter physics. This, in turn, is because neither Coulombic interaction between charged particles nor thermal motion dominates and also the temperature is of the order of the Fermi level. The study of such strongly interacting quantum systems remains one of the grand challenges of contemporary physics.
Photo-ionised plasmas
High resolution spectroscopy is of major importance in many areas of plasma physics. In particular, X-ray spectra can provide important information, such as temperature, density, opacity and chemical composition, on a diverse range of high temperature plasmas, including magnetically-confined tokamaks and laser-produced plasmas as well as astrophysical plasmas.
Over the last few years there have been several attempts to create a well-diagnosed, near steady- state photo-ionisation-dominated plasma in the laboratory, which could in turn be employed to benchmark the modelling codes used for the analysis of laser-plasma and other plasma experiments.
In this proposed programme of research we will employ and develop an experimental technique using an intense L-shell line-group radiation source. This technique has allowed allow us to generate suitable plasmas in the laboratory, allowing us to investigate plasma kinetic processes in a hard X-ray regime that has proved elusive, and can lead to benchmarking plasma modelling codes used in the analysis of laser-produced plasmas.
Skills : The experimental program will involve the student gaining a knowledge of plasma diagnostics, X-ray spectroscopy and CCD detectors as well as vacuum and laser technology. In addition, dense plasma physics is an important area related to astrophysics and some theoretical knowledge will naturally be acquired.

Entry Requirements
Candidates should hold at least a 2.1 BSc (or equivalent) in Physics or relevant subject.

Further details of the research group can be found on the CPP website at http://www.qub.ac.uk/mp/cpp/ or by direct contact with [Email Address Removed].

Application process
To apply: Use the online application form available at:

https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php

Please ensure you provide all the information requested.


Closing date: 5:00 Friday 24 February 2017