Dr. Philip Nilson works in high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion research. His research focuses on the properties of dynamically compressed materials and the physics of hot dense plasmas. He is also interested in the origin and dynamics of magnetic fields in plasmas. These research topics are motivated by frontier applications in planetary science, laboratory astrophysics, and controlled thermonuclear fusion with lasers. The research is carried out at the Omega Laser Facility at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics and is supported by extensive diagnostic development activities. Various experimental techniques, including high-resolving-power x-ray emission and absorption spectroscopies and short-pulse proton radiography, are being developed and tested to characterize the extreme states of matter that are generated. The data obtained are being used to improve the understanding of a wide range of high-energy-density phenomena by testing the next generation of collisional radiative and radiative magnetohydrodynamic models.
