http://www.ile.osaka-u.ac.jp/research/thr/

Research Interests: Theory of High Energy Density Physics using Intense Laser Light

1.

Computational plasma physics, simulation with a particle-in-cell code with atomic processes

2.

Ultra-intense laser-matter interaction, plasma formation, particle acceleration

3.

Radiation physics in non-thermal high energy dense plasmas produced by laser light

4.

High intensity x-ray laser (XFEL) matter interaction, x-ray absorption and plasma formation

5.

QED physics, gamma-ray emission, pair creation, in high field science by laser light

6.

Hydrodynamical instabilities and turbulence in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas

7.

Laser plasma interactions in extreme conditions

8.

Modeling of physics of laser fusion

9.

Computational magnetohydrodynamics and plasma particle simulations

The sun gives enormous energy on the earth. Inside the sun charged particles and photons interact each others and form the complex states of matter. The physics in such extreme states of matter is called the high energy density physics (HEDP). The HEDP is considerable interest due to their relevance to inertial confinement fusion as well as astrophysical plasmas found in the stellar interiors, the cores of the giant planets, galactic nuclei and x-ray binaries. Due to the recent technological advances, lasers with sub-picosecond duration with petawatt power, which is a few order of magnitudes higher than the total electric consumption power on the globe, are now available. Such strong laser light is capable of producing a solid-state high temperature plasmas, which is equivalent to the states of matter inside the sun. So the powerful laser allows us study the physics inside the stars on the earth, namely, in laboratory, i.e Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University.

Although the intense short pulse can create the extreme states of matter, the physics in such states is actually very complicated because the plasma is non-thermal and no-equilibrated. It is also difficult to diagnose the high temperature plasmas with the fine spatiotemporal resolution since the experimental diagnostics are limited at this moment. So that it is not easy to see what is going on inside the plasma only with the experimental data. Numerical simulations on large computer system are used these days in many science researches since they are powerful tools to understand the physics behind. In the proposed work, a simulation code will be developed, which is capable to simulate the critical details of formation of extreme states of matter in the laser-matter interaction, including various atomic processes, such as collisions, ionizations, and radiations. The code will be used to explore the HEDP in various parameter regimes and also to optimize the fusion processes in the laser-produced plasmas.

In our group, we explore the science in HEDP with a help of computational simulations to understand the physics in laser produced plasmas, which are equivalent to the matter in astrophysical objects, particle acceleration, energy transport, radiation physics, plasma instabilities, and high field sciences such as γ-ray emissions & pair creations.

Magnetic filaments growing inside laser-heated plasmas (3D plasma particle simulations).

Unstable growth of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in magnetized plasmas (2D magnetohydrodynamical simulations).