Qualifier

Scott V. Luedtke, UT-Austin

"Simulating High-Intensity Laser-Matter Interactions Including QED"

10:00am, RLM 11.204

Abstract: Lasers at the forefront of laser-matter interaction research, such as the Texas Petawatt, are rapidly advancing, and computer simulations need to keep pace. Experiments on the Petawatt are reaching intensity regimes where new physics -- quantum electrodynamics (QED) corrections to otherwise classical plasma dynamics -- becomes important. We survey predictions from two particle-in-cell (PIC) codes with different QED models. We review the relevant physics and the PIC implementations and discuss experimental results from the Texas Petawatt laser. We outline possible improvements to the QED models and cover experiments that may provide the first ever experimental validation of these models.