26–31 Jul 2026
Luskin Conference Center, UCLA
US/Pacific timezone

Picosecond Radiation Dynamics in Materials Using Laser Driven Sources

30 Jul 2026, 17:00
20m
Optimist A (Luskin)

Optimist A

Luskin

To be considered for Working Group talk A2-Working group # 2

Speaker

Jonathan Kennedy (Queen's University Belfast)

Description

Ionising radiation induces ultrafast cascades of electronic and structural processes in matter that ultimately govern long-lived radiation damage. However, the connection between picosecond-scale dynamics and macroscopic outcomes remains insufficiently characterised, particularly in complex or nanostructure media and under ultra-high dose-rate conditions. We present measurements of dynamics in both nanostructured silica aerogels and liquid water using picosecond bursts of x rays and laser-accelerated protons. By combining transient photo-absorption and optical streaking diagnostics, we track the full temporal evolution of electron dynamics across previously inaccessible regimes of density and dose-rate.
These measurements establish a new framework for probing radiation-matter interactions in complex systems, linking ultrafast microscopic dynamics to emergent macroscopic damage processes. This provides new frontiers in nanodosimetry and provides critical foundations for predictive models relevant to advanced radiation technologies.

Working group WG2

Author

Jonathan Kennedy (Queen's University Belfast)

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