D. G. Hicks
A5036934463- Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
- Laser Design and Applications
- Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies
- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Combustion and Detonation Processes
- Energetic Materials and Combustion
- Neural Networks and Reservoir Computing
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Photonic and Optical Devices
- Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
- Cold Fusion and Nuclear Reactions
- Ion-surface interactions and analysis
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
Swinburne University of Technology
2015-2025
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
2011-2024
Age UK
2024
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
2023
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
2018-2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1998-2017
Fusion Academy
1995-2017
University of Rochester
2005-2017
Fusion (United States)
1995-2017
General Atomics (United States)
2012-2017
A line-imaging velocity interferometer has been implemented at the OMEGA laser facility of Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University Rochester. This instrument is primary diagnostic a variety experiments involving laser-driven shock-wave propagation, including high-pressure equation state experiments, materials characterization shock Rayleigh–Taylor and timing inertial confinement fusion research. Using probe beam to illuminate target, measures breakout times temporal resolutions as low 20...
Abstract Optical artificial neural networks (ONNs)—analog computing hardware tailored for machine learning—have significant potential achieving ultra‐high speed and energy efficiency. A new approach to architectures ONNs based on integrated Kerr microcomb sources that is programmable, highly scalable, capable of reaching speeds proposed here. The building block the ONN—a single neuron perceptron—is experimentally demonstrated reaches a high single‐unit throughput 11.9 Giga‐FLOPS at 8 bits...
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory includes a precision laser system now capable of delivering 1.8 MJ 500 TW 0.35-μm light to target. NIF has been operational since March 2009. A variety experiments have completed in support NIF's mission areas: national security, fundamental science, and inertial fusion energy. capabilities infrastructure are place its missions with nearly 60 X-ray, optical, nuclear diagnostic systems. primary goal the Campaign (NIC) on...
Deuterium-tritium inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments on the National Ignition Facility have demonstrated yields ranging from 0.8 to 7×10(14), and record fuel areal densities of 0.7 1.3 g/cm2. These implosions use hohlraums irradiated with shaped laser pulses 1.5-1.9 MJ energy. The peak power duration at were varied, as capsule ablator dopant concentrations shell thicknesses. We quantify level hydrodynamic instability mix into hot spot measured elevated absolute x-ray emission...
A study of the properties multi-MeV proton emission from thin foils following ultraintense laser irradiation has been carried out. It shown that protons are emitted, in a quasilaminar fashion, region transverse size order 100-200 microm. The imaging source equivalent to those much smaller located several hundred microm front foil. This finding obtained by analyzing radiographs periodically structured test objects, and is corroborated observations laser-heated thick targets.
High-resolution spectrometry of charged particles from inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) experiments has become an important method studying plasma conditions in laser-compressed capsules. In at the 60-beam OMEGA laser facility [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)], utilizing capsules with D2, D3He, DT, or DTH fuel a shell plastic, glass, D2 ice, we now routinely make spectral measurements primary fusion products (p, D, T, He3, α), secondary (p), “knock-on” T) elastically...
Liquid silica at high pressure and temperature is shown to undergo significant structural modifications profound changes in its electronic properties. Temperature measurements on shock waves 70-1,000 GPa indicate that the specific heat of liquid rises SiO(2) well above Dulong-Petit limit, exhibiting a broad peak with attributable growing disorder caused by bond breaking melt. The simultaneous sharp rise optical reflectivity indicates such dissociation causes electrical therefore thermal...
Magnesium oxide (MgO) is representative of the rocky materials comprising mantles terrestrial planets, such that its properties at high temperatures and pressures reflect nature planetary interiors. Shock-compression experiments on MgO to 1.4 terapascals (TPa) reveal a sequence two phase transformations: from B1 (sodium chloride) B2 (cesium crystal structures above 0.36 TPa, electrically insulating solid metallic liquid 0.60 TPa. The transitions exhibit large latent heats are likely affect...
A new compression technique, which enables the study of solids into TPa regime, is described and used to ramp (or quasi-isentropically) compress diamond a peak pressure 1400 GPa. Diamond stress versus density data are reported 800 GPa suggest that phase stable has significant material strength up at least this level. Data presented here highest pressures by more than factor 5 highest-pressure solid equation-of-state ever reported.
The temperature of laser-driven shock waves is interest to inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics. We report on a streaked optical pyrometer that measures the self-emission shocks simultaneously with velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR). Together these diagnostics are used obtain temporally spatially resolved temperatures approximately megabar driven by OMEGA laser. provide brief description diagnostic how it VISAR. Key spectral calibration results...
Protons accelerated by a picosecond laser pulse have been used to radiograph 500 microm diameter capsule, imploded with 300 J of light in 6 symmetrically incident beams wavelength 1.054 and length 1 ns. Point projection proton backlighting was characterize the density gradients at discrete times through implosion. Asymmetries were diagnosed both during early stagnation stages Comparison analytic scattering theory simple Monte Carlo simulations consistent 3+/-1 g/cm3 core 85+/-10 microm....
Dynamic compression by multiple shocks is used to compress iron up 560 GPa (5.6 Mbar), the highest solid-state pressure yet attained for in laboratory. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy offers simultaneous density, temperature, and local-structure measurements compressed iron. The data show that close-packed of stable GPa, temperature at peak significantly higher than expected from pure compressive work, dynamic strength many times greater static based on lower...
The compression $(\ensuremath{\eta})$ of liquid deuterium between 45 and 220 GPa under laser-driven shock loading has been measured using impedance matching to an aluminum (Al) standard. An Al impedance-match model derived from a best fit absolute Hugoniot data used quantify minimize the systematic errors caused by uncertainties in high-pressure equation state. In below 100 results show that $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\simeq}4.2$, agreement with previous magnetically driven flyer...
Capsule performance optimization campaigns will be conducted at the National Ignition Facility [G. H. Miller, E. I. Moses, and C. R. Wuest, Nucl. Fusion 44, 228 (2004)] to substantially increase probability of ignition. The experimentally correct for residual uncertainties in implosion hohlraum physics used our radiation-hydrodynamic computational models using a variety ignition capsule surrogates before proceeding cryogenic-layered implosions experiments. quantitative goals technique...
Mixing of plastic ablator material, doped with Cu and Ge dopants, deep into the hot spot ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion implosions by hydrodynamic instabilities is diagnosed x-ray spectroscopy on National Ignition Facility. The amount hot-spot mix mass determined from absolute brightness emergent K-shell emission. dopants placed at different radial locations in show ablation-front instability primarily responsible for mix. Low neutron yields between 34(-13,+50) ng 4000(-2970,+17...
The equation of state (EOS) polystyrene and polypropylene were measured using laser-driven shock waves with pressures from 1 to 10 Mbar. Precision data resulting the use α-quartz as an impedance-matching (IM) standard tightly constrains EOS these hydrocarbons, even inclusion systematic errors inherent IM. temperature at high was measured, which, combined kinematic measurements, provide a complete EOS. Both hydrocarbons observed reach similar compressions temperatures function pressure....
Measurements have been made of the in-flight dynamics imploding capsules indirectly driven by laser energies 1–1.7 MJ at National Ignition Facility [Miller et al., Nucl. Fusion 44, 228 (2004)]. These experiments were part Campaign [Landen Phys. Plasmas 18, 051002 (2011)] to iteratively optimize inputs required achieve thermonuclear ignition in laboratory. Using gated or streaked hard x-ray radiography, a suite ablator performance parameters, including time-resolved radius, velocity, mass,...
Capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 339 (2004)] are underway with goal of compressing deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel to a sufficiently high areal density (ρR) sustain self-propagating burn wave required for fusion power gain greater than unity. These driven carefully tailored sequence four shock waves that must be timed very precision in order keep DT low adiabat. Initial experiments measure strength and relative timing these shocks have...
Ignition of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target depends on the formation a central hot spot with sufficient temperature and areal density. Radiative conductive losses from can be enhanced by hydrodynamic instabilities. The concentric spherical layers current National Facility (NIF) ignition targets consist plastic ablator surrounding thin shell cryogenic thermonuclear fuel (i.e., hydrogen isotopes), vapor filling interior volume [S. W. Haan et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 051001 (2011)]....
A detailed simulation-based model of the June 2011 National Ignition Campaign cryogenic DT experiments is presented. The based on integrated hohlraum-capsule simulations that utilize best available models for hohlraum wall, ablator, and equations state opacities. calculated radiation drive was adjusted by changing input laser power to match experimentally measured shock speeds, merger times, peak implosion velocity, bangtime. crossbeam energy transfer tuned time-dependent symmetry. Mid-mode...
For planets other than Earth, interpretation of the composition and structure depends largely on comparing mass radius with expected given their distance from parent star. The implies a mass-radius relation which relies heavily equations state calculated electronic theory measured experimentally Earth. We lay out method for deriving testing state, deduce mass-pressure relations key materials whose equation is reasonably well established, differentiated Fe/rock. find that variations in such...
Abstract The advent of hard x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has opened up a variety scientific opportunities in areas as diverse atomic physics, plasma nonlinear optics the range and protein crystallography. In this article, we access new field science by measuring quantitatively local bulk properties dynamics matter under extreme conditions, case using short XFEL pulse to image an elastic compression wave diamond. was initiated intense optical laser imaged at different delay times after...