Publications

September 2023: "UCLA joins consortium of nation's high-power laser facilities," UCLA news.

April 2022: "Earth's Magnetosphere Replicated in Miniature using Lasers and Magnets," New Scientist.

April 2022: "Modeling Earth's Magnetosphere in the Laborartory," API News.

September 2021: "PPPL scientists win highly competitive awards to bring cosmic processes to Earth," PPPL news.

October 2020: "Bringing Cosmic Shockwaves Down to Earth," Interview for MiPlasma.

June 2020: "New research deepens understanding of Earth's interaction with the solar wind," PPPL news.

August 2019: "Researchers Reproduce Processes Behind Astrophysical Shocks," AGU EOS news.

July 2019: "A shock to behold: Earthbound scientists complement space missions by reproducing the dynamics behind astronomical shocks," PPPL news.

July 2017: "Physicists send supersonic shock waves rippling through a lab," The Register.

July 2017: "Scientists create first laboratory generation of high-energy shock waves that accelerate astrophysical particles," PPPL news.

P. Pongkitiwanichakul, D.B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, D. Ruffolo, J. Donaghy, and K. Germaschewski. "Kinetic simulations comparing quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular piston-driven collisionless shock dynamics in magnetized laboratory plasmas," Physics of Plasmas 31, 012901 (2024).

D.B. Schaeffer, A.F.A Bott, M. Borghesi, K.A. Flippo, W. Fox, J. Fuchs, C.K. Li, F.H. Seguin, H.-S. Park, P. Tzeferacos, and L. Willingale. "Proton imaging of high-energy-density laboratory plasmas," Reviews of Modern Physics 95, 045007 (2023). 

B. Foo, D.B. Schaeffer, P.V. Heuer. "Recovering non-Maxwellian particle velocity distribution functions from collective Thomson-scattered spectra," AIP Advances 13, 115328 (2023). 

H. Zhang, J.J. Pilgram, C.G. Constantin, L. Rovige, P.V. Heuer, S. Ghazaryan, M. Kaloyan, R.S. Dorst, D.B. Schaeffer, C. Niemann. “Two-dimensional Thomson scattering in Laser-Produced Plasmas,” Instruments 7, 25 (2023).

F.D. Cruz, D.B. Schaeffer, F. Cruz, and L.O. Silva. “Strong collisionless coupling between an unmagnetized driver plasma and a magnetized background plasma,” Physics of Plasmas 30, 052901 (2023).

R.S. Dorst, C.G. Constantin, D.B. Schaeffer, J.J. Pilgram, and C. Niemann. "Planar laser induced fluorescence mapping of a carbon laser produced plasma," Review of Scientific Instruments 93, 103518 (2022).

R. S. Dorst, D. B. Schaeffer, A. Le, J. J. Pilgram, C. G. Constantin, S. Vincena, S. K. P. Tripathi, D. Winske, D. Larson, M. Cowee, and C. Niemann. "High repetition rate mapping of the interaction between a laser plasma and magnetized background plasma via laser induced fluorescence," Physics of Plasmas 29, 082113 (2022).

D. B. Schaeffer, F. D. Cruz, R. S. Dorst, F. Cruz, P.V. Heuer, C. G. Constantin, P. Pribyl, C. Niemann, L. O. Silva, and A. Bhattacharjee. "Laser-driven, ion-scale magetnospheres in laboratory plasmas. I. Experimental platform and first results," Physics of Plasmas 29, 042901 (2022). [Featured Article]

F. D. Cruz, D. B. Schaeffer, F. Cruz, and L. O. Silva. "Laser-driven, ion-scale magetnospheres in laboratory plasmas. II. Particle-in-cell simulations," Physics of Plasmas 29, 032902 (2022). [Editor's Pick]

J. J. Pilgram, M. B. P. Adams, C. G. Constantin, P. V. Heuer, S. Ghazaryan, M. Kaloyan, R. S. Dorst, D. B. Schaeffer, P. Tzeferacos, and C. Niemann. "High repetition rate exploration of the Biermann battery effect in laser produced plasmas over large spatial regions," High Power Laser & Engineering 10, e13 (2022).

S. Malko, C. Johnson, D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, and G. Fiksel. "Design of proton radiography with in situ x-ray fiducial for magnetized high-energy-density systems," Applied Optics 61, C133 (2022).

C. Johnson, S. Malko, W. Fox, D. B. Schaeffer, G. Fiksel, P. J. Adrien, G. Sutcliffe, and A. Birkel. "Proton deflectometry with in situ x-ray reference for absolute measurement of electromagntic fields in high-energy-density plasmas," Review of Scientific Instruments 93, 023502 (2022).

D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, H.-S. Park, M. Rosenberg, G. Fiksel, and D. Kalantar. "Measurements of electron temperature in high-energy-density plasmas using gated x-ray pinhole imaging," Review of Scientific Instruments 92, 043524 (2021).

K. V. Lezhnin, W. Fox, D. B. Schaeffer, J. Matteucci, A. Bhattacharjee, A. Spitkovsky, and K. Germaschewski. "Kinetic Simulations of Electron Pre-energization by Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in Expanding Laboratory Plasmas," The Astrophysical Journal Letters 908, L52 (2021).

G. Fiksel, W. Fox, M. J. Rosenberg, D. B. Schaeffer, J. Matteucci, and A. Bhattacharjee. "Electron energization during merging of self-magnetized, high-beta, laser-produced plasmas," Journal of Plasma Physics 87, 905870411 (2021).

M. Kaloyan, S. Ghazaryan, C.G. Constantin, R.S. Dorst, P.V. Heuer, J.J. Pilgram, D.B. Schaeffer, C. Niemann. "Raster Thomson scattering in large-scale laser plasmas produced at high repetition rate," Review of Scientific instruments 92, 093102 (2021).

D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, J. Matteucci, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski. "Kinetic Simulations of Piston-Driven Collisionless Shock Formation in Magnetized Laboratory Plasmas," Physics of Plasmas 27, 042901 (2020).

R. S. Dorst, P. V. Heuer, D. B. Schaeffer, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Measurements of ion velocity distributions in a large scale laser-produced plasma," Review of Scientific Instruments 91, 103103 (2020).

P. V. Heuer, M. S. Weidl, R. S. Dorst, D. B. Schaeffer, S. K. P. Tripathi, S. Vincena, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Laboratory Observations of Ultra-low-frequency Analog Waves Driven by the Right-hand Resonant Ion Beam Instability," The Astrophysical Journal Letters 891, L11 (2020).

P. V. Heuer, M. S. Weidl, R. S. Dorst, D. B. Schaeffer, S. K. P. Tripathi, S. Vincena, C. G. Constantin, C. Niemann, and D. Winske. "Laser-produced plasmas as drivers of laboratory collisionless quasi-parallel shocks," Physics of Plasmas 27, 042103 (2020).

D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, R. Follett, G. Fiksel, C.K. Li, J. Matteucci, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski. "Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas," Physical Review Letters 122, 245001 (2019).

D. B. Schaeffer, L. R. Hofer, E. N. Knall, P. V. Heuer, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "A platform for high-repetition-rate laser experiments on the Large Plasma Device," High Power Laser Science and Engineering 6, e17 (2018).

J. Matteucci, W. Fox, A. Bhattacharjee, D. B. Schaeffer, C. Moissard, K. Germaschewski, G. Fiksel, and S. X. Hu. "Biermann-Battery-Mediated Magnetic Reconnection in 3D Colliding Plasmas," Physical Review Letters 121, 095001 (2018).

W. Fox, J. Matteucci, C. Moissard, D. B. Schaeffer, A. Bhattacharjee, K. Germaschewski, and S. X. Hu. "Kinetic simulation of magnetic field generation and collisionless shock formation in expanding laboratory plasmas," Physics of Plasmas 25, 102106 (2018).

K. V. Lezhnin, W. Fox, J. Matteucci, D. B. Schaeffer, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski. "Regimes of magnetic reconnection in colliding laser-produced magnetized plasma bubbles," Physics of Plasmas 25, 093105 (2018).

P. V. Heuer, M. S. Weidl, R. Dorst, D. B. Schaeffer, A. S. Bondarenko, S. Tripathi, B. Van Compernolle, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Observations of a Field-Aligned Ion/Ion-Beam Instability in a Magnetized Laboratory Plasma," Physics of Plasmas 25, 032104 (2018). [Featured Article]

D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, D. Haberberger, G. Fiksel, A. Bhattacharjee, D. H. Barnak, S. X. Hu, K. Germaschewski, and R. K. Follett. "High-Mach number, laser-driven magnetized collisionless shocks (Invited)," Physics of Plasmas 24, 122702 (2017). [Editor's Pick]

D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, D. Haberberger, G. Fiksel, A. Bhattacharjee, D. H. Barnak, S. X. Hu, and K. Germaschewski. "Generation and Evolution of High-Mach-Number Laser-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in the Laboratory," Physical Review Letters 119, 025001 (2017).

D. B. Schaeffer, D. Winske, D. J. Larson, M. M. Cowee, C. G. Constantin, A. S. Bondarenko, S. E. Clark, and C. Niemann. "On the generation of magnetized collisionless shocks in the Large Plasma Device," Physics of Plasmas 24, 041405 (2017). [High-Performing Paper for 2017-2018]

A. S. Bondarenko, D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, S. E. Clark, B. R. Lee, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Collisionless momentum transfer in space and astrophysical explosions,"  Nature Physics 13, 573 (2017).

M. S. Weidl, P. Heuer, D. Schaeffer, R. Dorst, D. Winske, C. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Towards a parallel collisionless shock in LAPD," Journal of Physics: Conference Series 900, 012020 (2017).

A. S. Bondarenko, D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, S. E. Clark, B. R. Lee, C. G. Constantin, S. T. Vincena, B. Van Compernolle, S. K. P. Tripathi, D. Winske, and C. Niemann. "Laboratory study of collisionless coupling between explosive debris plasma and magnetized ambient plasma," Physics of Plasmas 24, 082110 (2017).

P. V. Heuer, D. B. Schaeffer, E. N. Knall, C. G. Constantin, L. R. Hofer, S. Vincena, S. Tripathi, and C. Niemann. "Fast gated imaging of the collisionless interaction of a laser-produced and magnetized ambient plasma,"  High Energy Density Physics 22, 17 (2017).

D. B. Schaeffer, A. S. Bondarenko, E. T. Everson, S. E. Clark, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Characterization of Laser-Produced Carbon Plasmas Relevant to Laboratory Astrophysics," Journal of Applied Physics 120, 043301 (2016).

D. B. Schaeffer, C. G. Constantin, A. S. Bondarenko, E. T. Everson, and C. Niemann. "Spatially resolved Thomson scattering measurements of the transition from the collective to the non-collective regime in a laser-produced plasma," Review of Scientific Instruments 87, 11E701 (2016).

L. Hofer, D.B. Schaeffer, C. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Bias Voltage Control in Pulsed Applications for Mach-Zehnder Electro-Optic Intensity Modulators," IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology 25, 1890 (2016).

D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, A. S. Bondarenko, S. E. Clark, C. G. Constantin, D. Winske, W. Gekelman, and C. Niemann. "Experimental Study of Subcritical Laboratory Magnetized Collisionless Shocks Using a Laser-Driven Magnetic Piston," Physics of Plasmas 22, 113101 (2015).

D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, A. S. Bondarenko, S. E. Clark, C. G. Constantin, S. Vincena, B. Van Compernolle, S. K. P. Tripathi, D. Winske, W. Gekelman, and C. Niemann. "Laser-driven, magnetized quasi-perpendicular collisionless shocks on the Large Plasma Device (Invited)," Physics of Plasmas 21, 056312 (2014).

A. S. Bondarenko, D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, S. E. Clark, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Spectroscopic measurement of high-frequency electric fields in the interaction of explosive debris plasma with magnetized background plasma," Physics of Plasmas 21, 122112 (2014).

C. Niemann, W. Gekelman, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, D. B. Schaeffer, A. S. Bondarenko, S. E. Clark, D. Winske, S. Vincena, B. Van Compernolle, and P. Pribyl. "Observation of collisionless shocks in a large current-free laboratory plasma," Geophysical Research Letters 14, 7413 (2014).

S. E. Clark, E. T.  Everson, D. B. Schaeffer, A. S. Bondarenko, C. G. Constantin, C. Niemann, and D. Winske. "Enhanced collisionless shock formation in a magnetized plasma containing a density gradient," Physical Review E 90, 041101 (2014).

S. E. Clark, D. Winske, D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, A. S. Bondarenko, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Hybrid simulation of shock formation for super-Alfvenic expansion of laser ablated debris through an ambient, magnetized plasma," Physics of Plasma 20, 082129 (2013).

C. Niemann, W. Gekelman, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, D. B. Schaeffer, S. E. Clark, D. Winske, A. B. Zylstra, P. Pribyl, S. K. P. Tripathi, D. Larson, S. H. Glenzer, and A. S. Bondarenko. "Dynamics of exploding plasmas in a large magnetized plasma," Physics of Plasmas 20, 012108 (2013).

D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, D. Winske, C. G. Constantin, A. S. Bondarenko, L. A. Morton, K. A. Flippo, D. S. Montgomery, S. A. Gaillard, and C. Niemann. "Generation of magnetized collisionless shocks by a novel, laser-driven magnetic piston," Physics of Plasmas 19, 070702 (2012).

D. B. Schaeffer, D. S. Montgomery, A. S. Bondarenko, L. A. Morton, R. P. Johnson, T. Shimada, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, S. A. Letzring, S. A. Gaillard, K. A. Flippo, S. H. Glenzer, and C. Niemann. "Thomson Scattering Measurements of Temperature and Density in a Low-Density, Laser-Driven Magnetized Plasma," Journal of Instrumentation 7, P02002 (2012).

A. S. Bondarenko, D. B. Schaeffer, E. T. Everson, C. G. Constantin, S. E. Clark, and C. Niemann. "Feasibility of characterizing laser-ablated carbon plasmas via planar laser induced fluorescence," Review of Scientific Instruments 83, 10E515 (2012).

S. E. Clark, D. B. Schaeffer, A. S. Bondarenko, E. T. Everson, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Magnetic field measurements in low density plasmas using paramagnetic Faraday rotator glass," Review of Scientific Instruments 83, 10D503 (2012).

C. Niemann, C. G. Constantin, D. B. Schaeffer, A. Tauschwitz, T. Weiland, Z. Lucky, W. Gekelman, E. T. Everson, and D. Winske. "High-energy Nd:glass laser facility for collisionless laboratory astrophysics," Journal of Instrumentation 7, P03010 (2012).

N. L. Kugland, B. Aurand, C. G. Brown, C.G. Constantin, E. T. Everson,  S. H. Glenzer, D. B. Schaeffer, A. Tauschwitz, and  C. Niemann. "Demonstration of a low electromagnetic pulse laser-driven argon gas jet x-ray source," Applied Physics Letters 101, 024102 (2012).

C. Niemann, A. S. Bondarenko, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, K. A. Flippo, S. A. Gaillard, R. P. Johnson, S. A. Letzring, D. S. Montgomery, L. A. Morton, D. B. Schaeffer, T. Shimada, and D. Winske. "Collisionless Shocks in a Large Magnetized Laser-Plasma Plume," IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 39, 2406 (2011).

D. B. Schaeffer, N. L. Kugland, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, B. Van Compernolle, C. A. Ebbers, S. H. Glenzer, and C. Niemann. "A scalable multipass laser cavity based on injection by frequency conversion for noncollective Thomson scattering," Review of Scientific Instruments 81, 10D518 (2010).

N . L. Kugland, T. Doppner, A. Kemp, D. B. Schaeffer, S. H.  Glenzer, and C. Niemann. "Mapping the ionization state of laser-irradiated Ar gas jets with multiwavelength monochromatic x-ray imaging," Review of Scientific Instruments 81, 10E526 (2010).

A. B. Zylstra, C. G. Constantin, E. T. Everson, D. B. Schaeffer, N. L. Kugland, P. Pribyl, and C. Niemann. "Ion velocity distribution measurements in a magnetized laser plasma expansion," Journal of Instrumentation 5, P06004 (2010).

C. G. Constantin, W. Gekelman, P. Pribyl, E. T. Everson, D. B. Schaeffer, N. L. Kugland, R. Presura, S. Neff, C. Plechaty, S. Vincena, A. Collette, S. Tripathi, M. Muniz, and C. Niemann. "Collisionless interaction of an energetic laser produced plasma with a large magnetoplasma," Astrophysics and Space Science 322, 155 (2009).

E. T. Everson, P. Pribyl, C. G. Constantin, A. Zylstra, D. B. Schaeffer, N. L. Kugland, and C. Niemann. "Design, construction, and calibration of a three-axis, high-frequency magnetic probe (B-dot probe) as a diagnostic for exploding plasmas," Review of Scientific Instruments 80, 113505 (2009).

J. F. Bell, M. J. Wolff, M. C. Malin, W. M. Calvin, B. A. Cantor, M. A. Caplinger, R. T. Clancy, K. S. Edgett, L. J. Edwards, J. Fahle, F. Ghaemi, R. M. Haberle, A. Hale, P. B. James, S. W. Lee, T. McConnochie, E. Noe Dobrea, M. A. Ravine, D. Schaeffer, K. D. Supulver, P. C. Thomas. "Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Color Imager (MARCI): Instrument description, calibration, and performance," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets} 114, E08S92 (2009).

B. Foo, D. B. Schaeffer, P. Heuer, and W. Fox. "Analyzing Thomson-Scattered Spectra from non-Maxwellian Velocity Distribution Functions in Multi-Flow Plasmas,"  USRP Preprint, 2021.

J. Molina, D. B. Schaeffer, and W. Fox. "Measurement of Electron Temperature in High Energy Density Magnetic Reconnection Experiments,"  SULI Preprint, 2021.

E. Knall, D. B. Schaeffer, and C. Niemann. "Flute-Like Instabilities in Laser Produced Plasmas Expanding into Ambient Plasmas," UCLA Senior Thesis, 2015.

N. McDonough, D. B. Schaeffer, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Properties of Laser Plasma Instabilities Relevant to Hypersonic Aircraft," REU Preprint, 2014.

H. Ruiz, D. B. Schaeffer, C. G. Constantin, and C. Niemann. "Laboratory Simulations of Collisionless Shocks with a High Power Laser," REU Preprint, 2012.

L. A. Morton, E. T. Everson, C. G. Constantin, D. B. Schaeffer, P. Pribyl, and C. Niemann. "Calibration of a Magnetic Field Probe as a Diagnostic for Laser-Produced Plasma," REU Preprint, 2009.