Laser-Driven Ultra-Relativistic Plasmas - Nuclear Fusion in Coulomb Shock Waves, Rouge Waves, and Background Matter
Abstract
In this grant period this PI developed new research directions and made progress in his fundamental and application research done previously for AFOSR. This PI predicted a new optical effect whereby a media with slow spatial gradient of its characteristics is found to exhibit a universal wave pattern ('gradient marker') in a vicinity of the maxima/minima of the gradient; it is common for optics, acoustics, and quantum mechanics. Among potential applications of this effect is contour-detection and tracing of large moving submerged objects in the ocean. In his recent review [2], this PI has continued his research in the extreme ultra-short pulses beyond attosecond domain, which he pioneered in his research for AFOSR long ago by proposing the way to generate so called 'zepto-second' pulses. In his paper [3], this PI predicted that an overdense plasma layer irradiated by intense light should exhibit dramatic nonlinear-optical effects due to a relativistic mass-effect of free electrons: highly-multiple hysteresises of reflection and transition,and emergence of immobile waves of large amplitude. Those are trapped quasi-solitons in the layer sustained by a weak pumping having a tiny fraction of their peak intensity once they have been excited first by higher power pumping. The phenomenon persists even in the layers with 'soft' boundaries, as well as in a semi-infinite plasma with low absorption. These effects could be used for laser fusion to deposit laser power much deeper into the fusion pallets; or for heating the ionosphere layers by a powerful radiation. This PI also continued his study of laser-excited atomic nano-structures, which were predicted by him earlier in collaboration with his post-doc Volkov in the research under AFOSR grant.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 05, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA624009
Entities
People
- Alexander F.H. Kaplan
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University