How can we experimentally verify processes that happen at thousands of degrees and millions of atmospheres of pressure? The field of High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) seeks to create and measure interactions of extremely dense (and often hot) matter in the laboratory. At these conditions, inter-atomic interactions become important, and the matter has characteristics found in plasma physics, condensed matter physics, and nuclear physics. One facility that can create such conditions is the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in Rochester, NY. This laser is 70 meters long and produces 30,000 joules of energy in 1 billionth of a second. Experiments investigate conditions and materials relevant to planetary cores, industrial applications, and nuclear fusion. Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) involves using lasers to compress a capsule filled with liquid fuel. When the fuel is hot and dense enough, the atoms will overcome repulsion and create a fusion reaction. This talk will give an overview of my experience in the fields of HEDP and ICF.
Join us on Friday, Oct. 4, for this exciting presentation from Margaret Huff, postdoctoral associate at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!