Undergraduate Research Opportunities in the
Accelerator and Fusion Research Division

(These opportunities are available through Undergraduate Research Programs administered by the Center for Science & Engineering Education. If interested, application must be made through the appropriate program, see the CSEE College & University Programs web page).

Fusion Energy Science Program
Berkeley Lab's research in fusion energy is focused on using the unique penetrating ability of intense beams of heavy ions to heat targets, in the near term for basic high energy density physics studies, and ultimately for inertial fusion energy. An emerging research area is the behavior of a variety of targets as they absorb a large amount of power per unit volume from the beam. Such experiments promise to reveal novel material properties in the little-studied "warm dense matter" (WDM) regime. Our group's studies are providing the knowledge base that will lead to an attractive approach to fusion energy, Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF). This approach has a number of favorable attributes and is very different from both magnetic confinement and laser-driven inertial confinement approaches. The space charge dominated beams that are required to drive WDM and HIF targets are non-neutral plasmas and exhibit collective, nonlinear dynamics. The group is carrying out experiments, large-scale computer simulations, and analytic studies to understand the behavior of such space charge dominated beams, and their interactions with beam-heated WDM targets. A student working in this area will have the opportunity to learn and participate in experimental physics, computational physics, or engineering studies in close collaboration with a mentor within the group.
Research opportunities are in the areas of:
- development of diagnostics for ion beams and target physics,
- particle-beam physics and ion accelerator operation,
- data acquisition and analysis,
- intense ion- and electron-source development, and
- development and application of novel computer simulation algorithms.
Majors: Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics Mentors: Alex Friedman, Frank Bieniosek, Enrique Henestroza; Peter Seidl
Mailing Address: 47R0112
Phone: x5592, x5456, x5912, 7653
AFriedman@lbl.gov , FMBieniosek@lbl.gov, EHenestroza@lbl.gov,PASeidl@lbl.gov
web page: http://hif.lbl.gov
Student Researcher Abstract; Summer, 2005
Revised: 30 January 2008

Laser Accelerators and Intense Laser Interactions
LOASIS Program
Opportunities are available in experimental, theoretical, and computational research on intense laser interaction physics with application to advanced accelerators. The LOASIS Program has a fully equipped laser lab that includes a state-of-the-art Ti:Sapphire laser system (presently three main amplifiers, two of them operating around 10 TW and one around 50-60 TW in 35 fs duration pulses). Ongoing research projects include laser acceleration of electron and ion beams,laser propagation through plasmas, and laser-driven sources of short pulse radiation (from the THz to X-ray regimes). Students will have the opportunity to be part of this dynamic research program on many levels, including experiments, computer modeling of the interaction physics, data acquisition and analysis, and the design and operation of novel detectors and diagnostic equipment.
It is helpful if the student has a strong background in physics, math, computer programming, and/or laboratory experience.
For more information, see the LOASIS webpage at http://loasis.lbl.gov/
Majors: Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science
Mentors: Wim Leemans and Eric Esarey
Mail stop: 71-259
Phone: (510)486-7788 (Leemans) and (510)486-5925 (Esarey)
E-mail: WPLeemans@lbl.gov; EHEsarey@lbl.gov
Reposted: 7 January 2008

To learn more about the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division, visit the AFRD Website
This page was last modified on 30 January 2008