Adam Jones
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Mark Hammig
Co-Presenter: Pui, Chris
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences / Engineering
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 3 – 1:40pm – 2:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Mark Hammig, Adam Jones, Chris Pui
Presenter: 38
Abstract
Ultrafast lasers can be powerful enough that they generate a strong enough electric field that they can ionize atoms and molecules. Upon contact with a solid or, at a sufficiently high intensity, an air plasma is created, generating light, heat and sound. The plasma created by this process has multiple useful applications. For instance, the ionization in the air can be discerned from the optical spectra of the air-plasma. That ionization can be correlated to the local radiation fields about secreted sources. Additionally, the intensity of a laser is proportional to the pressure it can apply to an object; thus, a sufficiently powerful laser can theoretically apply enough force to a lift body to overcome gravity, opening applications in payload delivery to the upper atmosphere and beyond. The goal of this research was to modify a 100 W laser in order to explore such applications in both radiation detection and photonic thrusting. To test the potential for radiation detection, the beam was modified to focus and produce plasma a distance away from the laser. Light emitted from the plasma was then collected for a spectrometer, which analyzed the emission spectra of the plasma. This process was repeated with a radiation source at various distances from the site of plasma creation. To test the potential for photonic thrusting, a lift body with a dielectric coating was targeted with the laser while connected to a force-measuring mechanism. The results for the radiation detection experiment will ideally demonstrate that the emission spectra of the induced plasma is changed when a radiation source is nearby, therefore making long-range detection and identification of radiation possible. The results for the photonic thrusting experiment will ideally demonstrate that sufficient force for lift is achievable using the momentum transfer of photons only, enabling long-range transfer of force to payloads.
Engineering
