Laserlab-Europe Talks: “Extreme plasma physics with lasers and in astro” on 22 February 2023, 4pm CET

Laserlab Europe is pleased to announce the next Laserlab Talk:
Luís O. Silva (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal) will present “Extreme plasma physics with lasers and in astro”.

Many extreme astrophysical scenarios share common underlying microphysics with laboratory scenarios with relativistic particle beams and ultra-intense lasers. In these conditions, collective plasma effects driven by relativistic flows, ultra-high field intensities, and quantum electrodynamics effects are intertwined. In many scenarios, these relativistic and quantum effects can have direct consequences on the collective plasma dynamics.

The underlying first principle mechanisms are highly nonlinear, and occur at scales far from the plasma or the object scales, making these processes intrinsically multi-scale, and thus requiring a combination of theory and large-scale numerical simulations for a detailed analysis. The conditions under which extreme plasma physics can be relevant will be discussed, along with the recent progress (from large-scale simulations of compact objects to multi-dimensional ultra-intense laser-plasma interactions), illustrating how ultra-intense electromagnetic fields approaching the critical Schwinger field impact the collective plasma dynamics. This interplay will be emphasized, and the main challenges and open questions will be presented.

Work partially supported by the European Research Council (AdG InPairs).

 

Topic: Extreme plasma physics with lasers and in astro
Speaker: Luís O. Silva (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal)
Date: Wednesday, 22 February 2023, 4pm CET

Watch the recording on the Laserlab-Europe YouTube channel>>

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The Laserlab-Europe Talks consist of a series of online seminars and panel discussions proposed and organised by our community on specific topics (thematic or research-specific) and provide a platform for regular information exchange and knowledge sharing.

The talks take place on a Wednesday afternoon at 16h00 CET each month and are open to all interested parties, from PhD students to experts in the field and industrial and medical partners as appropriate.