Seminar: "Modeling of ultrashort pulse laser-matter
interactions" by J. P. Palastro
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
CREOL Room 103
CREOL Room 103
Celebrating the International Year of Light 2015
J. P. Palastro
Icarus Research, Naval Research Laboratory Contractor
Washington, DC 20375
Abstract:
An intense femtosecond laser pulse propagating through
matter induces a dynamic, nonlinear dielectric response. Through the dielectric
response, the matter modifies propagation of the pulse. This feedback—the laser
matter interaction—results in a number of fascinating phenomena: collimated
pulse propagation over 100’s of meters in atmosphere, the formation of plasma
wakefields, pulse compression and amplification, induced birefringence, and
frequency conversion. Consequently, these pulses are of potential interest to
the DoD for applications including, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), laser
induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), directed energy beacon beams, remote
radiation generation, and lightning initiation. Here I will discuss a variety
of topics in ultrashort pulse laser-matter interactions from a theoretical and
computational standpoint. Primarily, I will demonstrate that the multi-pulse
excitation of molecular rotations in atmosphere can provide an effective
travelling lens that can collimate and compress laser pulses. Additional topics
such as nonlinear birefringence and turbulence in atmosphere, laser-material
interactions, plasma-based particle acceleration, and mid-infrared and x-ray
generation in plasmas will be discussed briefly.
Biography:
Dr. John Patrick Palastro is a theoretical and computational
physicist. His primary focus is in applied electromagnetics with emphasis on
nonlinear laser pulse propagation in a variety of media, plasma physics,
advanced accelerators, and radiation generation. John received his B.S. degree,
Summa Cum Laude, in Applied Mathematics in 2002 from Clemson University and his
Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland College Park in 2007. The
title of his thesis was “Interaction of Lasers with Atomic Clusters and
Structured Plasmas”. He served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory from 2007 until 2009 where he investigated nonlinear laser
plasma processes relevant to inertial confinement fusion. From 2009-2014, John
was a research scientist in the Institute for Research in Electronic and
Applied Physics at the University of Maryland where his primary focus was the
propagation of high power lasers through atmosphere. He then joined the Naval
Research Laboratory as a contractor in 2014 where he began investigating
laser-material interactions and laser-plasma based X-ray sources.
For additional information:
Dr. Martin C. Richardson
Pegasus Professor and University Trustee Chair, Northrop G
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