PhD project: Probing the Behaviour of Matter at Extreme Densities Using Dynamic Compression
Project description
The upper pressure limit of the diamond anvil cell is some 4 million atmospheres (4 bars or 400 Pa). Pressures above this can be accesses only by dynamic compression methods, where extremely intense pulsed laser beams are used to generate a compression wave that then compresses the sample. Such techniques can generate pressures above 1 TPa (10 Mbars) and perhaps to 5 TPa or more. In this project, you will use powerful laser sources - OMEGA and JANUS, and perhaps also the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the most powerful laser in the world - to compress samples to above 1 TPa, and determine their crystal structure using nanosecond x-ray diffraction. The project will involve simulations of target designs, and will be conducted in collaboration with researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and AWE Aldermaston.
Project supervisor
- Professor Malcolm McMahon (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
The project supervisor welcomes informal enquiries about this project.
Find out more about this research area
The links below summarise our research in the area(s) relevant to this project:
- Find out more about Extreme Conditions.
- Find out more about the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems.
What next?
- Find out how to apply for our PhD degrees.
- Find out about fees and funding and studentship opportunities.
- View and complete the application form (on the main University website).
- Find out how to contact us for more information.