In the Plasma Laboratory, we study processes in plasmas subjected to high energy deposition. We examine the interaction of nonequilibrium plasmas with strong electric and magnetic fields, the propagation of ionization fronts, the production of fast particle beams, generation of magnetic shocks, development of collective fluctuating fields, and plasma-surface interactions. Implication of the development of plasma switches, intense X-ray sources, generation of electron and ion beams, and industrial applications based on plasma-surface interaction are studied. The use of the hot and dense plasmas for X-ray lasers and the use of intense X-ray sources for high-resolution microscopy of living biological cells are considered as well.

The diagnostic methods are based on fast high-resolution plasma spectroscopy of spontaneous emission in the region from visible to X-rays and spectroscopy of laser absorption and laser-stimulated emission. Theoretical analysis of the experimental data is based on detailed modeling of atomic physics processes that govern the atomic/ionic spectral line broadening, atomic level splitting under electric and magnetic fields, field ionization, multiple ionizations and time-dependent collisional-radiative calculations. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations are used to account for the nonequilibrium kinetic and transport processes in the plasmas. The research in the laboratory is relevant to applications of various plasma systems and analysis of astrophysical data.

Ways of Magnetic Field in Plasma

Current-carrying plasmas - Plasma Opening Switches;
Collapse of cylindrical plasma under azimuthal magnetic field - Z-pinches;
Plasmas under strong electric fields - Ion Diodes

Plasma Opening Switches (POS)

• Planar POS
• Coaxial POS

Z-Pinch

• Physics and Applications
• Spectroscopic Diagnostics

Ion Diodes

• Emission Spectroscopy
• Laser Spectroscopy

Theoretical Plasma Spectroscopy

• Collisional-Radiative Modeling
• Line Broadening
• Hydrodynamic Calculations

Group members

Main publications

Abstracts of recent Ph.D theses

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