Compact laser-plasma accelerator can generate muons on demand for imaging
Muon beams can now be created in a device that is the length of a ruler.
Page 2: Research news on Radiation & particle generation in plasmas
Radiation and particle generation in plasmas is a research area focused on the mechanisms by which plasmas emit electromagnetic radiation and produce energetic particles through collective and microscopic processes. It encompasses bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, cyclotron, line, and recombination radiation, as well as wave–particle interactions, instabilities, and nonlinear dynamics that accelerate electrons and ions. The field spans laboratory, fusion, space, and astrophysical plasmas, using kinetic and fluid models, numerical simulations, and diagnostics to characterize emission spectra, energy transport, and particle distribution functions, with implications for confinement physics, high-energy-density environments, and advanced radiation and particle sources.
A new method to generate muons with ultra-short high-intensity lasers
Muons are elementary particles that resemble electrons, but they are heavier and decay very rapidly (i.e., in just a few microseconds). Studying muons can help to test and refine the standard of particle physics, while also ...
Small-scale laser systems enable high energy proton accelerator on a table-top
Laser ion acceleration uses intense laser flashes to heat electrons of a solid to enormous temperatures and propel these charged particles to extreme speeds. These have recently gained traction for applications in selectively ...
General Physics
May 19, 2025
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Advancing light-to-electricity energy conversion: New method extends lifespan of plasmonic hot holes
When light interacts with metallic nanostructures, it instantaneously generates plasmonic hot carriers, which serve as key intermediates for converting optical energy into high-value energy sources such as electricity and ...
Nanophysics
Mar 17, 2025
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Innovative target design leads to surprising discovery in laser-plasma acceleration
Scientists have developed a method for generating fast, bright proton beams using a high-repetition-rate laser-plasma accelerator. This work, published in Nature Communications, resolves several long-standing challenges and ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 11, 2025
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Researchers create world's brightest X-ray source with high-power laser beam and novel metal foams
By combining the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser and ultra-light metal foams, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have produced the brightest X-ray source to date—about twice as bright as previous ...
Plasma Physics
Jan 15, 2025
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Researchers reveal the mechanism of runaway electron generation in tokamak fusion reactors
A research team has clarified the mechanism behind the generation of runaway electrons during the startup phase of a tokamak fusion reactor. The paper, "Binary Nature of Collisions Facilitates Runaway Electron Generation ...
Plasma Physics
Dec 5, 2024
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A first definitive demonstration of nonthermal particle acceleration in magnetorotational turbulence
Researchers at KU Leuven, the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Flatiron Institute, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently set out to answer a long-standing research question, specifically whether charged particles ...
The forbidden propagation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons and applications in near-field energy transport
A new publication in Opto-Electronic Science discusses forbidden propagation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons and applications in near-field energy transport.
Condensed Matter
Jul 8, 2024
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