Wednesday Colloquia

Chasing Fast Electrons down Dense, Hot Alleys

by Prof. G. Ravindra Kumar (Department of Nuclear & Atomic Physics, T.I.F.R.)

Wednesday, September 5, 2012 from to (Asia/Kolkata)
at Colaba Campus ( Lecture Theatre, AG-66 )
Description
ABSTRACT:   

Gigantic current pulses triggered by ultrahigh intensity, femtosecond laser pulses push matter to such an extreme that we can simulate astrophysical phenomena on a table top, trigger laser fusion, create ‘ultra-hot solids’ and do many other unusual things.

And they are crucial for next generation technologies.

1.	How are these giant current pulses created?
2.	What do they tell us about the extreme state of excitation in the interaction?
3.	How do these currents move through matter?
4.	Can we tame such giant currents? Can we harness them? 

This colloquium will put forward some answers provided by work at TIFR.