High Energy Density Plasmas
at the Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Delaware
The Bose group studies high energy density physics (HEDP) with applications in
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and
Laboratory astrophysics
using both numerical simulations and experiments.
HEDP is the study of matter at extreme conditions with energy density (or pressure) typically greater than 1 megabar (Mbar). For estimates, the pressure at the center of the Earth is approximately 3.64 Mbar, the pressure at the Sun's core is 265 gigabar (1 Gbar = 1000 Mbar), and the pressure in ICF implosions range from 50 - 500 Gbar. As can be seen from the temperature vs density plot to the right, at such conditions matter is ionized, i.e. the atoms are stripped of the electrons, forming a plasma - i.e. a soup of charged particles (electrons and ions).
The Goal of our research is
to understand and unravel intricate astrophysics phenomenon that occur in distant space using scaled laboratory experiments on earth using high power laser systems and/or pulsed power machines
to contribute to fusion energy research using the inertial confinement fusion approach. ICF experiments are conducted at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, at the OMEGA laser facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester and at the Z pulsed power facility at Sandia National Laboratory.
Our approach uses high power lasers and/or strong magnetic fields to create a HED plasma. We design/model and analyze the experiments using state of the art magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulation tools. We conduct experiments at the OMEGA laser facility to understand intricate astrophysics phenomenon such as collimation of magnetized jets, magnetic reconnection and turbulence, and fluid/MHD instabilities occurring in various astrophysics objects like in the solar corona and the earth's magnetosphere.
Learn more about the PI and research here: