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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120700
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260916T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260916T161000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | Xcimer’s Approach to Inertial Fusion Energy
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nXcimer Energy Corporation is developing a new generation of large‑scale\, high‑efficiency excimer laser systems designed to enable practical inertial fusion energy. This talk will outline the physics and engineering foundations of high‑energy KrF laser architectures and their advantages for coupling energy to direct‑drive fusion targets. This presentation will describe Xcimer’s integrated roadmap for de‑risking and scaling the technology. These strategies include the Phoenix program to demonstrate and validate gas optics performance\; Anvil\, Xcimer’s first dedicated target‑shooter facility to derisk two beam implosion\; and Vulcan\, a 4‑MJ‑class laser system intended to demonstrate fusion breakeven. The seminar will also introduce Athena\, a conceptual fusion pilot plant featuring a liquid first wall designed for a 40‑year lifetime and compatible with high‑repetition‑rate operation. Together\, these developments form a coherent pathway towards high‑gain direct‑drive targets and commercially relevant fusion energy systems. The talk will highlight the system‑level considerations that motivate excimer technology\, the target‑design implications of higher available laser energy\, and the engineering concessions required for a viable fusion power plant.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nAlison Christopherson is the Head of Target Design at Xcimer Energy Corp. where she leads the development of high‑gain direct‑drive targets for next‑generation excimer‑laser–driven inertial fusion energy systems. She earned her B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester\, specializing in direct‑drive inertial confinement fusion. Her doctoral work advanced understanding of alpha particle heating and ignition\, earning her the Rosenbluth Award for excellence in plasma physics. She went on to serve as a staff scientist in the Inertial Confinement Fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory during the period when ignition was first achieved. Her experience at LLNL reinforced a key conclusion: solid‑state laser architectures face fundamental scaling limits for the energy levels required to produce robust\, high‑gain targets and to accommodate the engineering concessions of a fusion power plant. Motivated by the promise of gas‑optics–based excimer technology\, she joined Xcimer to lead its target design program and shape the physics basis for the company’s fusion roadmap.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150199-21908386@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150199
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Michigan Engineering,Plasma,Research,seminar,Lecture
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120729
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260923T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260923T161000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | Laboratory Experiments of Astrophysical Processes in Magnetized Turbulence
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nMagnetized turbulence in the interstellar and intergalactic mediums is a key agent affecting or governing the phenomenology observed in such astrophysical environments. In this seminar\, I present fundamental science research in magnetized astrophysical plasmas that is accomplished through the concerted application of simulation codes and laboratory plasma astrophysics experiments. I discuss studies in fluctuation dynamo\, a ubiquitous astrophysical process thought to be responsible for the present-day magnetization of numerous celestial objects\; charged particle diffusive transport and acceleration\, in the context of extragalactic and ultra-high energy cosmic rays\; and the transport of heat in galaxy clusters. The experiments leverage world-class laser facilities like the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics\, the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory\, and the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt. We detail these experiments\, as well as the FLASH simulation campaigns that we executed for their design and interpretation\, providing us with new way to validate or falsify our theoretical understanding. The work reflects the efforts of the TDYNO (Turbulent Dynamo) collaboration.\n\nWe acknowledge support by the U.S. DOE NNSA\; the U.S. DOE Office of Science\; and the U. S. National Science Foundation. We also acknowledge support from UK Research and Innovation.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nPetros Tzeferacos is the Director of Flash Center for Computational Science\, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy\, and a Senior Scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics of the University of Rochester. He works on plasma physics and astrophysics\, combining MHD theory\, numerical modeling\, and laser-driven laboratory experiments\, to study fundamental astrophysical plasma processes with a focus on magnetized turbulence\, dynamo\, and charged particle acceleration. He is also working on several fundamental topics in inertial fusion energy and high energy density physics. He holds a visiting scientist position with the University of Oxford and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is a guest scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He received the APS John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research in 2019\, an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science in 2021\, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2025.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150200-21908388@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150200
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Astrophysics,Michigan Engineering,Physics,Plasma,Research,seminar
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120800
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261007T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261007T161000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | Material Properties Inside Stars and Fusion Plasmas
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nAccurate simulations of fusion experiments or astrophysical objects like stars need material data such as equation of state\, opacity and particle transport coefficients of matter under extreme conditions. This means we need to understand how matter behaves when it is very hot (10\,000 to 100\,000\,000 K) and at high density (1 to 1\,000\,000 g/cm3). In this regime\, atoms are partially ionized and significantly overlap\, meaning that the usual low-density plasma physics methods are inaccurate. In our research group at Los Alamos National Laboratory\, we have developed methods to accurately model these plasmas. In this talk I will review the progress we have made and some of the major outstanding challenges in this rapidly developing field.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nDr. Charles Starrett received his PhD from the Queen’s University of Belfast in 2007\, where he worked on positronium collisions with matter. He went from there to a postdoctoral position at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)\, where he began to study the structure of matter in warm and hot dense plasmas. In 2010 he joined Los Alamos National Laboratory to continue this work and still works in this field today. He has developed models to predict material properties such as equation of state\, particle transport and opacity for applications ranging from fusion to astrophysics.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150201-21908389@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150201
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:seminar,Research,Plasma,Physics,Lecture,Fusion,Astrophysics,Michigan Engineering
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120829
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261028T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261028T161000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | Multiscale Analysis of the Energetics of a Sonoluminescing Plasma Blackbody: What Are the Limits of Energy Density Concentration that Can Be Achieved with Collapsing Bubbles?
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nA gas bubble in a fluid can concentrate the energy density of a sound wave by 12 orders of magnitude to create picosecond flashes of light that originate in a dense strongly coupled plasma. An abiding question is: what are the limits of energy focusing that can be realized with sonoluminescence? Our attempt at an answer involves a multiscale simulation of an imploding bubble. The fluid must be described by compressible fluid mechanics as the velocity of implosion exceeds Mach 1. The gas containing fluid cavity is described by molecular dynamics as the gradients of temperature and velocity can be very steep. The available energy per atom matches the measured emissivity and temperature\, provided the ionization energy is much lower than current theories. Application of compressed ultrafast photography to laser breakdown of dense gases reveals a consistent requirement on the large reduction of the ionization potential in these plasmas. Our multiscale analysis allows predictions for regions of parameter space where energy density concentration is substantially larger.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nSeth Putterman is a Professor of Physics at UCLA\, and President of the Julian Schwinger Foundation for Physics Research. He received a BS from Caltech and a PhD from Rockefeller University with George E. Uhlenbeck. Putterman’s thesis on the macroscopic theory of superfluids was expanded into a monograph. His theoretical research in nonlinear fluid mechanics and acoustics motivated him to set up an experimental lab which probed energy-focusing phenomena such as sonoluminescence\, X-ray emission from triboelectrification\, and crystal-generated nuclear fusion. Putterman [with Porrati] developed the foundational theory of sequential quantum jumps in a driven system such as intermittency in the fluorescence of a single trapped ion. He has served on the Defense Sciences Research Council. His work on sonoluminescence was featured on BBC2 Horizon\, “An Experiment to Save the World”. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and the American Physical Society and recipient of a Sloan Fellowship. Putterman was named the UCLA 2010–2011 Faculty Research Lecturer. Currently he is PI on a phase 2 clinical trial at UCLA hospital aimed at curing chronic wounds. Nature profiled his out of the mainstream approach to science in their October 2005 issue.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150202-21908390@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150202
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Michigan Engineering,Physics,Plasma,Research,seminar
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120622
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261118T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261118T160000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | The Psyche Mission and Advances in Electric Propulsion at JPL
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nThe Psyche spacecraft was launched on October 23\, 2023 from Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon Heavy Rocket. The launch began the spacecraft’s 2.2 billion mile journey to the asteroid 16 Psyche in the outer part of the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The Psyche asteroid\, composed of over 50% metal by weight is possibly the metal core of a planetesimal whose formation was interrupted early in the solar system by collisions with other bodies that created the asteroid belt. The Psyche spacecraft is a hybrid. Maxar/Intuitive-Machines\, now known for taking photographs from space over Ukraine\, fabricated the spacecraft bus based on heritage hardware\, and JPL installed scientific payload\, avionics and autonomous flight software for deep space operation. This $900M NASA mission is the first spacecraft to use Hall thrusters in deep space to rendezvous and orbit the asteroid\, and recently completed a Mars Gravity Assist on the way to rendezvous in 2029. A 2-year science program will determine the asteroid’s composition and remnant magnetic field to determine if this unique object really is a planetary core…and what that actually looks like. The talk will describe the Psyche mission and provides updates on electric propulsion at JPL.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nDr. Dan M. Goebel received a B.S. in physics in 1977\, an M.S. in EE in 1978\, and a Ph.D. in applied plasma physics in 1981 from UCLA. He is a Fellow and Senior Research Scientist at JPL and an Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Engineering at UCLA. At JPL he is the Chief Engineer of the Psyche Mission and responsible for the development of advanced spacecraft technologies. Dr. Goebel is a member of the National Academy of Engineering\, the National Academy of Inventors\, and Fellow of the AIAA\, IEEE\, and APS. He is the author of over 300 technical and conference papers\, two textbooks on Electric Propulsion\, and holds 60 patents.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150203-21908391@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150203
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Physics,seminar,Research,Plasma,Michigan Engineering,Lecture
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260818T120539
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261209T151000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261209T161000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:MIPSE Seminar | Laser-Plasma Accelerator Research at the BELLA Center
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nThis talk summarizes the current activities of the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center on laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) research and applications. The BELLA PW laser is described\, including the second beamline (2BL) and the interaction point two (IP2) beamline and target chamber. 2BL provides a second beamline to the interaction point one chamber\, along with the first beamline\, where experiments are done on LPAs. The primary objectives are experiments on laser-generated plasma channels to yield electron energies near 10 GeV and the high efficiency staging of LPA modules at the multi-GeV level. IP2 provides a new short focal length capability to provide ultrahigh laser intensity for experiments on ion acceleration and high energy density science. The BELLA Center also houses two independent 100 TW lasers that are used for a wide variety of studies\, including x-ray generation by Thomson scattering and LPA-driven free electron laser (FEL) research. Recent experiments have demonstrated the stable operation of an LPA-FEL in the XUV regime. Also discussed will be the development of fiber lasers that use coherent combining in both space and time to enable high average power at kHz repetition rates and beyond. Work supported by Dept. of Energy Office of Science\, High Energy Physics and Fusion Energy Sciences\, and LaserNetUS.\n\nAbout the Speaker: \nDr. Eric Esarey is the Senior Science Advisor to the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He received the Ph.D. in plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986 and the B.S. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan (UM) in 1981. He worked at the Naval Research Laboratory from 1986 -98 and joined LBNL in 1998. He was a cofounder of the BELLA Center and served as director from 2019-25. Dr. Esarey has published over 275 journal articles on intense laser interactions with electron beams and plasmas\, advanced acceleration concepts and novel radiation sources. He is a recipient of the APS 2010 John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research\, 2018 Advanced Accelerator Concept Prize\, 2023 Alumni Merit Award from the UM College of Engineering\, 2019 and 2025 Directors Awards for Exceptional Achievement from LBNL\, 2025 US Particle Accelerator School Prize for Achievement in Accelerator Science and Technology\, and 2025 UM Prize for Excellence in Plasma Science and Engineering. Dr. Esarey was elected a Fellow of the APS in 1996. Recent research highlights include production of high-quality electron bunches at 10 GeV from a laser-plasma accelerator using plasma channel driven by the BELLA PW laser and demonstration of a stable operation of a FEL in the XUV driven by a laser-plasma accelerator.\n\nThe seminar will be conducted in person\, with livestream on Zoom. For more information\, please check the MIPSE website: https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2627.php#fall2026
UID:150204-21908392@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150204
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:In Person,Laser,Lecture,Michigan Engineering,Plasma,Research,seminar
LOCATION:Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building - 1003
CONTACT:
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