August, 2012 - Scarlet Laser Achieves First Light
Five years ago the HEDP research group at Ohio State obtained funding from the DOE NNSA and the State of Ohio to build a powerful laser system; a laser that could generate some of the most intense pulses in the USA. [More]
July, 2012 - SCARLET Approaches 400 TW
Our staff and students have been busy getting SCARLET ready for first light. [More]
June, 2012 - HEDP Research Group Counts Down to First Light on SCARLET
The excitement is building as we approach the SCARLET First Light Goal! On July 16, 2012, we will fire the SCARLET laser into our new 400 TeraWatt target room with greater than 10 Joules of energy in less than 100 femtoseconds.. [More]
May, 2012 - HEDP Student Wins NSF Fellowship
One of the most coveted graduate fellowships has been awarded to HEDP student, Edward McCary, for his work on deuteron acceleration... [More]
April, 2012 - HEDP Research Group Featured in the Columbus Dispatch
A feature on the Ohio State HEDP research group was published in the Insight section of the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday, April 22, 2012. [More]
April, 2012 - Construction Update from HEDP Lab
See our latest progress [here]
March, 2012 - Doug Schumacher Named to Princeton Review's Best 300 Professors
Five Ohio State professors are listed among the nation's best 300 in a new book about the country's top undergraduate professors. [More]
January, 2012 - Dr. Akli Receives 2012 AFOSR Young Investigator Award
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research selects Dr. Kramer Akli as a recipient of an AFOSR Young Investigator Award [More]
November, 2011 - Students Present Research at the annual APS DPP meeting
Graduate students from the HEDP group at OSU presented novel research in November, 2011 at APS DPP . [More]
October, 2011 - Visiting Scientist from China
Hongjie Liu is visiting HEDP from China working with the HEDP group through October 2012. [More]
October, 2011 - Egyptian Scholars visit OSU
Scientists from Egypt visited the HEDP group at OSU for two weeks in October. They toured our facility and made presentations at or weekly group meeting. [More]
August, 2011 - Laser Upgrade Project - 400 TW Compressor Chamber has Arrived!
After unexpected delays and lots of hard work, the new 400 TW compressor chamber has arrived at the Physics Research Building at The Ohio State University and has been moved into the new lab space on the fourth floor.
This is one of the new chambers for the upgrade project that has been designed fully in house by our talented engineering crew lead by John Marketon!
July, 2011 - Laser Upgrade Project - Optical Mounts and Vacuum Chambers Designed in House
The rectangular mount is based on a photo of LLE's grating mounts.
July, 2011 - Scarlet Laser Facility Upgrade Team Hosts External Project Review
Guest Reviewers from the Texas Petawatt Project and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
(held July 11 - 12, 2011 at The Ohio State University, Physics Research Building)
Laser Conceptual Design ~ Enam Chowdhury and John Marketon
Laser Architecture ~ Rebecca Daskalova, Chris Willis and Patrick Poole
Pulse Contrast Measurement ~ Douglass Wertepney
Focal Spot Diagnostics, Parabola Alignment ~ Sheng Jiang
Pulse Width Measurement ~ Kevin George
June, 2011 - HEDP Undergraduate and Graduate Students Present Novel Research at ICOPS
(held June 27-30, 2011 in Chicago)
"Optimization of Shielded Scintillator for Neutron Detection"
Patrick Belancourt (undergrad)
Matthew Engle (undergrad)
"The Effect of Fast Electron Scattering in Determining the Laser-Induced Electron Divergence"
Sheng Jiang (grad)
Edward McCary (undergrad)
Perrin Schiebel (undergrad)
June, 2011 - HEDP Undergraduate Students Win Prestigious Awards
"Optimization of Shielded Scintillator for Neutron Detection"
Patrick Belancourt
Received the Department of Physics Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship. This is a scholarship for ten weeks of work during the summer.
Patrick has also been selected as an Undergraduate Research Scholar and will be awarded a scholarship during the 2011-12 academic year. This award will allow Patrick to graduate "with Distinction".
"Proton Cancer Therapy: Using High Intensity Lasers to Accelerate Protons"
Danielle Kelly
Pelotonia is a bike tour that raises funds for cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital, Solove Research Institute and provides funding for student fellowships. The student fellowship provides funding to students doing research to cure cancer.
"Acceleration of High-Energy Deuterons From Laser Irradiated Foils for Stand-off Detection of Nuclear Materials"
Edward McCary
Received the Department of Physics Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship. A ten week scholarship awarded to promote summer research.
Edward has also received the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship for the 2011-12 academic year. This scholarship is awarded to students working to complete a significant research project as a prelude to post-graduate studies and career.
"Determination of the Rocking Curve and Reflection Efficiency of a SiO2 Crystal Imager Using Zr, Nb, Mo and Au K-α X-rays"
Perrin Schiebel
Perrin has been awarded an Undergraduate Research Scholarship for the the 2011-12 academic year. This award will allow Perrin to graduate "with Distinction".
June, 2011 - Welcome to our new web site!
The site has been updated to reflect our new research efforts, new laboratory, and new laser systems and diagnostics. Please send any comments or questions here.
May, 2011 - Featured Personnel, Linn van Woerkom
Physics Professor Linn D. Van Woerkom has been named associate provost and director of the University Honors & Scholars Center. In this new role, he will provide leadership for the center, including overseeing and monitoring Honors curriculum university-wide, as well as the Honors Collegium Program.
A recipient of an Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, Van Woerkom's scholarly work focuses on plasma physics, optics and lasers; and his research has been published in several prestigious journals. His extensive university-wide service includes the College of Arts and Sciences’ Faculty Advisory, Honors, and Faculty Admissions committees. He has a long commitment as a collegium mentor.
Van Woerkom graduated, summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Southern California, where he also earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in physics. Prior to joining the Ohio State faculty, he was a staff physicist at Livermore National Laboratory.
March, 2011 - The National Academy of Sciences Review of Fast Ignition
On March 30, 2011, Distinguished Professor R.R. Freeman gave an invited Review of the Fast Ignition Concept to the National Academy of Sciences. The talk in it's entirety is linked here: [Full FI Review Talk]
June, 2009 - Target chamber update
The new, 42-inch diameter petawatt target vacuum chamber has arrived! It is constructed from aluminum due to weight and nuclear activation considerations. In addition, you can view pictures of the 40-terawatt target chamber and the 'pancake' and 'Death Star' chambers, courtesy of LLNL.
