Professor Paul McKenna

Head Of Department

Physics

Personal statement

Paul McKenna's research interests focus on high power laser-plasma interactions. His present research topics include: laser-driven ion acceleration; fast electron generation and transport in dense plasma, and application to the development of advanced schemes for inertial fusion energy; high field physics at the focus of ultra-intense laser pulses; plasma optics; and, laser-driven nuclear physics.

He is an EPSRC Leadership fellow since 2012 and a Professor of Laser-Plasma Physics at the University of Strathclyde since 2011. He received his PhD at Queens University Belfast in 2000, before becoming a postdoctoral fellow at the university of Glasgow from 2000-2002. From 2002-2005, he held a Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellowship at the University of Strathclyde, and was appointed to a Lectureship at the university in 2006, and a Readership in 2008.

Publications

Single cycle terawatt twisted light pulses at midinfrared wavelengths above 10μm: Zhu Xing-Long, Chen Min, Weng Su-Ming, McKenna Paul, Sheng Zheng-Ming, Zhang Jie; Physical Review Applied (2019)
Collimation of high current fast electrons in dense plasmas with a tightly focused precursor intense laser pulse: Xu H, Yang XH, Sheng ZM, McKenna P, Ma YY, Zhou HB, Yin Y, Ren C, Zhang J; Nuclear Fusion Vol 59, pp. 1-8 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ab45a2
Control of laser light by a plasma immersed in a tunable strong magnetic field: Zheng Xiaolong, Weng Suming, Ma Hanghang, Wang Yuanxiang, Chen Min, McKenna Paul, Sheng Zhengming; Optics Express Vol 27, pp. 23529-23538 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.023529
Multi-stage scheme for non-linear Breit-Wheeler pair-production utilising ultra-intense laser-solid interactions: Duff M J, Capdessus R, Ridgers C P, McKenna P; Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Vol 61 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ab2ea6
Features of the generation of fast particles from microstructured targets irradiated by high intensity, picosecond laser pulses: Sedov MV, Faenov AYa, Andreev AA, Skobelev IYu, Ryazantsev SN, Pikuz TA, Durey P, Doehl L, Farley D, Baird CD, Lancaster KL, Murphy CD, Booth N, Spindloe C, Platonov KYu, McKenna P, Kodama R, Woolsey N, Pikuz SA; Laser and Particle Beams Vol 37, pp. 176-183 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263034619000351
Simultaneous polarization transformation and amplification of multi-petawatt laser pulses in magnetized plasmas: Zheng Xiaolong, Weng Suming, Zhang Zhe, Ma Hanghang, Chen Min, McKenna Paul, Sheng Zheng-Ming; Optics Express Vol 27, pp. 19319-19330 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.019319

more publications

Professional activities

Plenary Talk at the International Laser-Plasma Accelerator Workshop 2019: Participant; 5/5/2019
Invited Talk at the International Conference on High Energy Density Science 2019: Speaker; 2/4/2019
Program Committee for European Physical Society Plasma Physics Conference: Participant; 1/4/2019
SPIE Optics symposium: Participant; 1/4/2019
EPSRC Physical Sciences Prioritisation panel (External organisation): Advisor; 24/1/2019
STFC, Rutherford Appleton Lab, CLF: Visiting researcher; 5/11/2018

more professional activities

Projects

Doctoral Training Partnership 2018-19 University of Strathclyde | Dolier, Ewan: McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) Dolier, Ewan (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 01-Jan-2023
Doctoral Training Partnership 2018-19 University of Strathclyde | Goodman, Jack: McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) Goodman, Jack (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 01-Jan-2023
Advanced laser-plasma optics technology | Lofrese, Antonio: McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) Lofrese, Antonio (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 01-Jan-2022
Doctoral Training Partnership 2018-19 University of Strathclyde | Lofrese, Antonio: McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) Lofrese, Antonio (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 01-Jan-2022
Advanced laser-plasma optics technology: McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2022
Accelerating the Middle East -- EPSRC GCRF Institutional Sponsorship: Hidding, Bernhard (Principal Investigator) McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Sheng, Zheng-Ming (Principal Investigator) Jaroszynski, Dino (Principal Investigator); Compact plasma accelerators for applications e.g. in life and space sciences with sustainable socio-economic benefit for Turkey and the Middle East are being developed.; 01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2018

more projects

Address

Physics
John Anderson Building

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