Filamentation Workshop

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

International Workshop on: MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND MODELS IN LASER FILAMENTATION Location: Montreal, Canada Dates. December 9-13th 2013, from Monday AM to Friday Noon. Web Address: http://www.crm.umontreal.ca/cal/en/liste.shtml#2008-2009-autres The proposed international workshop on "Mathematical Methods and Models in Laser Filamentation" aims to bring leading experts from within the multi-disciplinary fields of applied mathematics, experimental and theoretical laser physics together in a forum which aims to identify new opportunities and challenges facing the mathematics community in particular in elucidating new mathematical tools that address the emerging field of extreme nonlinear optics. Specific topics to be addressed will include the development of asymptotic approaches to derive mathematical reductions of optical carrier resolved few-cycle laser pulse propagation models that describe singular blow-up and optical carrier shocks under such extreme conditions, quantum based light-matter regularization mechanisms, novel numerical analysis tools and the development of new computational approaches to solving the resultant integro differential equation models that result from such asymptotic reductions. Specific plans to disseminate the outcome of the workshop include publication of extended chapters on the plenary lectures in a book, advertise the workshop online with registration information for students /postdocs and post online links to lectures after the workshop. Filamentation science covers a broad swath of emerging scientific endeavors that relate to the interaction of very intense, ultra-short duration laser light pulses with gaseous and solid materials. Femtosecond pulse propagation in gaseous media varies from multi-kilometer propagation paths in the atmosphere using multi-terawatt (TW) pulsed laser sources to short few centimeter path propagation in high pressure (multi-atmosphere) capillaries whereby higher harmonic cascades beyond the 5,000-th harmonic of a fundamental generate coherent soft X-ray pulses. The former are being employed to detect atmospheric pollutants and molecular species at ranges up to 30 kilometers in the upper atmosphere and are exhibiting the potential to detect chemical and biological warfare agents. Further societal impacts of new discoveries in this emerging field include: direct observation of the ultrafast motions of the electrons controlling the molecules of life, the dynamics of proteins or the motion of atoms in semiconductors and compact sources of intense particle beams for physics research and medical applications.