News

  Daniel Hodge, formerly a PhD student at BYU and a frequent collaborator with the HEDS division, was the runner-up for this year's LCLS Young Investigator Award for his work on X-ray imaging of voids collapses at MEC. More information about the award can be found on LinkedIn

These micrometer-scale experiments, possible only at SLAC, help to validate computer models for fusion targets and impact future fusion power plant designs. The sponge-like cryogenic foam is an ultrafine, porous structure used in inertial fusion targets. It holds liquid fusion fuel uniformly inside tiny fuel capsules, making target assembly and fusion fuel delivery easier.

Finding provides insights into design for heat-resistant fusion chamber. 

HEDS interns are getting great results in and out of the lab, with Josalin Wang and Matthieu Hautsch winning the all-SLAC Intern pickleball tournament. Congratulations to them, and to all the players!    

  Members of the HEDS division made a strong showing at this year's LaserNetUS meeting, presenting work performed at facilities across the US. The winning posters were: Armin Bergermann (Postdoc), for "First-principles simulations of X-ray Thomson scattering in warm dense carbon using real-time TDDFT" Jhonnatan Gama Vazquez (PhD Student), for "Enhanced proton acceleration due to recirculation in target normal sheath acceleration" Daniella Fenster (Summer Intern), for "Microst...

Claudia Parisuaña's recent paper "Shock Propagation in Aerogel and TPP Foams for Inertial Fusion Energy Target Design" was selected for the Physics of Plasmas Early Career Collection 2025, highlighting outstanding papers published by the next generation of plasma physicists. Congratulations to Claudia!

The new High Energy Density Initiative (HEDI) was founded in Rostock, a new center for research on matter at extreme conditions, bringing together expertise from the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, both long-term collaborators of the HEDS division. Among the first major research priorities are the projects  “Mixtures of Light Elements at Megabar Pressures”  and  “Dynamic Properties of Hot Dense Matter at Gigabar Pressures”, and it will play...

  SLAC hosted the Ultrafast X-ray Summer School this week, chaired by Ben Ofori-Okai, introducing students to cutting-edge work being performed at LCLS and other XFEL facilities. As well as lectures on different scientific areas, the students had the chance to share their current research, and work with mentors to prepare proposals for LCLS.