Dynamics of Ultracold Neutral Plasmas in the First 100 NS

Brigham Young University, Provo UT

Investigators

Abstract

The experiments to be done in this work will push the frontier of strongly coupled neutral systems. Ultracold neutral plasmas provide an idealized system in which to probe the effects of many-body interactions and particle correlations. These correlations are predicted to change the collective behavior of dense energetic plasmas. They are also predicted to alter fundamental atomic processes in plasmas such as ion thermalization, three-body recombination, and collisional ionization. Ultra-cold neutral plasmas occupy a unique place in phase space, at the confluence of atomic, plasma, and condensed matter physics. We create these plasmas by exciting laser-cooled atoms to states near the ionization limit. The initial density, ion temperature, and electron temperature are independently controlled with high precision. High-resolution spectroscopic tools are used to diagnose the plasma state. These studies of ultracold neutral plasmas directly contribute to our understanding other strongly coupled systems. The broader impacts of this work are the training of undergraduate and graduate students in atomic physics. The PI has a strong track record of mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, helping them present their own reseach national meetings, and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications with them. This work also improves science education outside of BYU. This project will continue to recruit high school teachers as summertime research assistants and to interact with BYU's REU/RET program. Some of the laser facilities will continue to be used in a graduate course in Laser Physics. The PI also hosts occasional elementary school tours, demonstrating some of the beautiful and exciting properties of lasers to young and budding scientists. The research will be important to a number of areas in science and technology. Strong coupling occurs in some astrophysical environments, high energy density plasmas, quark-gluon plasmas, the BEC/BCS crossover, the Mott-insulator transition, non-neutral and dusty plasmas, and other systems. Calculations in these systems are difficult because of the wide range of important time scales. These benchmark measurements can be used to guide simulations in these systems.