Research areas
My research interests are in theoretical plasma physics, particularly in the hot plasmas relevant to nuclear fusion research, the interaction of high power lasers with matter and some problems in space and astrophysics. The common thread amonst these problems is that they involve the propagation and absorption of waves and acceleration of particles by waves. Recently I have been working in collaboration with UKAEA Fusion on heating and current drive in magnetically confined plasmas, and on two separate projects involving collaborations amongst a variety of institutions. Two successive linked grants from EPSRC to St Andrews and Strathclyde have supported a joint programme of research on theory and experiment related to the emission of radio waves from the Earth's auroral regions and other planets and stars. A mechanism which we have investigated theoretically has been verified by the Strathclyde experiment to behave as predicted. Another project with which I have been involved is a large collaboration, led by Strathclyde and involving a number of UK institutions. This £4.4 project, known as Alpha-X is aimed at using electrons accelerated by a laser to drive a free electron laser and produce intense coherent X-ray emission. Proof of principle of this idea is likely to be obtained soon. I am co-investigator on two EPSRC grants which have been awarded to support further investigation of some aspects of this work.
For further information, see the Plasma Physics Research Group site.
Selected publications
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Design and characterisation of a helicon apparatus for investigations of parametric instabilities in magnetised plasma
Wilson, K., Selman, L., Whyte, C., MacInnes, P., Young, A., Phelps, A., Cross, A., Zhang, L., Eliasson, B., Speirs, D., Robertson, C., Ronald, K., Cairns, A., Koepke, M., Bingham, R. & Bamford, R., 22 May 2022. 2 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
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Open access
A robust plasma-based laser amplifier via stimulated Brillouin scattering
Alves, E., Trines, R., Humphrey, K., Bingham, R., Cairns, R. A., Fiuza, F., Fonseca, R. & Silva, L., Nov 2021, In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. 63, 11, 9 p., 114004.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Boosting the performance of Brillouin amplification at sub-quarter-critical densities via reduction of parasitic Raman scattering
Trines, R., Alves, E. P., Humphrey, K., Bingham, R., Cairns, R. A., Fiuza, F., Fonseca, R. A. & Silva, L. O., 25 Oct 2021, In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. 63, 10 p., 124003.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Collisionless shock acceleration in the corona of an inertial confinement fusion pellet with possible application to ion fast ignition
Boella, E., Bingham, R., Cairns, R. A., Norreys, P., Trines, R., Scott, R., Vranic, M., Shukla, N. & Silva, L. O., 25 Jan 2021, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. A, Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences . 379, 2189, 11 p., 20200039.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Controlled beat-wave Brillouin scattering in the ionosphere
Eliasson, B., Senior, A., Rietveld, M., Phelps, A. D. R., Cairns, R. A., Ronald, K., Speirs, D. C., Trines, R. M. G. M., McCrea, I., Bamford, R., Mendonça , J. T. & Bingham, R., 27 Oct 2021, In: Nature Communications. 12, 12 p., 6209.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Microstructure formation in radially counterstreaming electron flows
Iñigo Gamiz, L. I., Ersfeld, B., Brunetti, E., Yoffe, S. R., Cairns, R. A., Noble, A., Holt, G. K. & Jaroszynski, D. A., 7 Apr 2021, In: New Journal of Physics. 23, 4, 8 p., 043017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
New criteria for efficient Raman and Brillouin amplification of laser beams in plasma
Trines, R., Alves, E. P., Webb, E., Vieira, J., Fiuza, F., Fonseca, R., Silva, L., Cairns, R. A. & Bingham, R., 16 Nov 2020, In: Scientific Reports. 10, 10 p., 19875.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Maser radiation from collisionless shocks
Speirs, D. C., Ronald, K., Phelps, A. D. R., Koepke, M. E., Cairns, R. A., Rigby, A., Cruz, F., Trines, R. M. G. M., Bamford, R., Kellet, B. J., Albertazzi, B., Cross, J. E., Fraschetti, F., Graham, P., Kozlowski, P. M., Kuramitsu, Y., Miniati, F., Morita, T., Oliver, M. & Reville, B. & 10 others, , 2019, In: High Power Laser Science and Engineering. 7, 8 p., e17.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Ponderomotive and resonant effects in the acceleration of particles by electromagnetic modes
Almansa, I., Russman, F., Marini, S., Peter, E., de Oliveira, G. I., Cairns, R. A. & Rizzato, F. B., Mar 2019, In: Physics of Plasmas. 26, 3, 8 p., 033105.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Uphill acceleration in a spatially modulated electrostatic field particle accelerator
Almansa, I., Burton, D., Cairns, R. A., Marini, S., Peter, E., Rizzato, F. & Russman, F., Nov 2018, In: Physics of Plasmas. 25, 11, 7 p., 113107.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review