Colloquium : Mathieu Bailly-Grandvaux
On Thursday, January 30, from 16:00 to 17:00 (by zoom), Mathieu Bailly-Grandvaux (Center for Energy Research, Univ. California San Diego, USA) will present a Colloquium as invitee of the scientific area of Plasmas Physics, Lasers and Nuclear Fusion.
Magnetized Implosions and Fast Particle Heating for ICF and Laboratory Astrophysics
My research focuses on the study of matter under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, and magnetic fields, with key applications in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and laboratory astrophysics. The recent achievement of nuclear fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) represents a historic milestone in the pursuit of inertial fusion energy (IFE). However, significant challenges remain, including enhancing the energy gain of fusion targets and developing engineering solutions to establish IFE as a viable power generation technology. Throughout my work in High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP), I have cultivated a strong interest in the laser acceleration, transport, and energy deposition of fast electrons and protons, as well as in the pivotal role of external magnetic fields in enhancing energy coupling and confinement.
My pioneering experiments as principal investigator (PI) on magnetized cylindrical implosions and fast-particle heating of warm dense matter (WDM) and magnetized hot dense plasmas have positioned me at the forefront of this research area. This presentation will focus on magnetized implosions as a promising approach to improve confinement and guide fast particle beams to the core – both of which are appealing strategies for relaxing ignition constraints and enhancing energy gains in IFE. I will first present experimental results from the OMEGA laser facility, which identify the conditions for stable guiding of fast electrons to an imploded core, emphasizing the critical role of resistivity and interplay between compressed and self-generated magnetic fields. This work also revealed key challenges in measuring compressed magnetic fields and their impact on core conditions, which inspired a U.S. Department of Energy-funded project and experimental campaigns on OMEGA and NIF to address this gap using novel dopant spectroscopic techniques. On OMEGA, we obtained distinctive and highly reproducible emission dopant spectra in unmagnetized and magnetized implosions. Through validation of 2D extended-magnetohydrodynamic simulations with measurements, we demonstrate the role of ∼10 kT compressed magnetic field in suppressing radial heat conduction that led to a record 50% increase in core temperature.
Additionally, I will present recent OMEGA-EP experiments that introduced high temporal and spectral resolution spectroscopy to precisely characterize ion-heated WDM samples. I will also highlight an ongoing integrated campaign on OMEGA aimed at assessing the robustness of proton fast ignition within the harsh environment of an implosion. As a faculty candidate in the Department of Physics at IST Lisbon, I will outline my research agenda, teaching and mentoring strategies, and opportunities for collaboration with department members and my international network.
Link to zoom: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/93919014665?pwd=TKBTAXUjPnCqzDnj5SUgmKjvDIE57V.1
All are invited to attend