Hiroshi Sawada

Summary

Professional experience

• 2018-present: Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Reno
• 2012–2018: Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno
• 2011–2012: Assistant Project Scientist, University of California, San Diego
• 2008–2011: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, San Diego

Research interests

My research interests include the experimental investigation of High Energy Density (HED) plasmas, short pulse laser-solid interaction, relativistic electron generation, hard x-ray generation, fast electron transport relevant to laser fusion schemes such as Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and Fast Ignition (FI). The plasma conditions created in ICF by high-power and high-intensity lasers are predicted to have millions of degree temperature and above solid density. I am particularly interested in diagnosing these plasmas with x-rays (x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray imaging, etc.) to understand complicated physics involving equation of state, phase transition, radiation transport, shock wave heating and compression in material states called warm dense matter. I am also interested in physics with short-pulse laser generated charged particles. High-intensity, short-pulse laser such as the Leopard laser at the University can produce energetic electrons in the relativistic regime. Characterization and applications of these relativistic particles are also my research interests.

Courses taught

• PHYS 461/661: Optics and Modern Photonics
• PHYS 483/683: Introduction to High Energy Density Physics and Laser Fusion
• PHYS 725: Laser Physics
• PHYS 771: High Energy Density Physics

Education

Publications

• H. Sawada, D. P. Higginson, A. Link, T. Ma, S. C. Wilks, H. S. McLean, F. Perez, P. K. Patel, and F. N. Beg, "Characterizing the energy distribution of laser-generated relativistic electrons in cone-wire targets", Phys. Plasmas 19, 103108 (2012)
• H. Sawada, T. Yabuuchi et al., "Diagnosing Laser-Driven, Shock-Heated Foam Target with Al Absorption Spectroscopy on OMEGA EP", High Energy Density Physics 8 180-183 (2012)
• H. Sawada, P. K. Patel, C. D. Chen, T. Yabuuchi, F. N. Beg, W. Theobald, C. Stoeckl, R. B. Stephens, K. U. Akli, H. S. McLean and M. H. Key, 'Monochromatic Imaging of Cu Wire Emission Induced by Energetic Electrons Generated at OMEGA EP', Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions, 39, 2816, (2011)
• T. Ma, H. Sawada, P. K. Patel, C. D. Chen, L. Divol, D. P. Higginson, A. J. Kemp, M. H. Key, D. J. Larson, S. Le Pape, A. Link, A. G. MacPhee, H. S. McLean, Y. Ping, R. B. Stephens, S. C. Wilks, and F. N. Beg, "Fast electron temperature and coupling efficiencies with preplasma for cone-guided Fast Ignition", Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 115004 (2012)
• T. Yabuuchi, H. Sawada, S. P. Regan, K. Anderson, M. S. Wei, R. Betti, J. Hund, M. H. Key, A. J. Mackinnon, H. S. McLean, R. R. Paguio, P. K. Patel, K. M. Saito, R. B. Stephens, S. C. Wilks, and F. N. Beg, "Temporally resolved characterization of shock-heated foam target with Al absorption spectroscopy for fast electron transport study", Phys. Plasmas 19, 092705 (2012)
• H. Sawada, S. P. Regan, P. B. Radha, R. Epstein, D. Li, V. N. Goncharov, S. X. Hu, D. D. Meyerhofer, J. A. Delettrez, P. A. Jaanimagi, V. A. Smalyuk, T. R. Boehly, T. C. Sangster, B. Yaakobi, and R. C. Mancini, 'Al 1s-2p absorption spectroscopy of shock wave heating and compression in laser driven planar plastic foil', Phys. Plasmas 16, 052702 (2009)
• H. Sawada, S. P. Regan, D. D. Meyerhofer, I. V. Igumenshchev, V. N. Goncharov, T. R. Boehly, R. Epstein, T. C. Sangster, V. A. Smalyuk, B. Yaakobi, G. Gregori, S. H. Glenzer, and O. L. Landen, 'Diagnosing direct-drive, shock-heated and compressed plastic planar foils with non-collective spectrally resolved x-ray scattering', Phys. Plasmas 14, 122703 (2007)
• S.P. Regan, H. Sawada, V.N. Goncharov, D. Li, P.B. Radha, R. Epstein, J.A. Delettrez, S.X. Hu, V.A. Smalyuk, B. Yaakobi, T.R. Boehly, T.C. Sangster, D.D. Meyerhofer, R.L. McCrory and R.C. Mancini, "Spectroscopic observations of Fermi-degenerate aluminum compressed and heated to four times solid density and 20 eV", High Energy Density Physics, 7, Pages 259-262, (2011)
• T. Yabuuchi, H. Sawada, T. Bartal, D. Batani, L. A. Gizzi, M. H. Key, A. J. Mackinnon, H. S. McLean, P. A. Norreys, P. K. Patel, R. B. Stephens, C. Spindloe, W. Theobald, M. S. Wei, and F. N. Beg, "Proton Radiography of Intense-Laser-Irradiated Wire-Attached Cone Target", Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions, 39, 2822, (2011)
•  Y. Ping, A. J. Kemp, L. Divol, M. H. Key, P. K. Patel, K. U. Akli, F. N. Beg, S. Chawla, C. D. Chen, R. R. Freeman, D. Hey, D. P. Higginson, L. C. Jarrott, G. E. Kemp, A. Link, H. S. McLean, H. Sawada, R. B. Stephens, D. Turnbull, B. Westover, and S. C. Wilks, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 145006, 2012
• K U Akli, R B Stephens, M H Key, T Bartal, F N Beg, S Chawla, C D Chen, R Fedosejevs, R R Freeman, H Friesen, E Giraldez, J S Green, D S Hey, D P Higginson, J Hund, L C Jarrott, G E Kemp, J A King, A Kryger, K Lancaster, S LePape, A Link, T Ma, A J Mackinnon, A G MacPhee, H S McLean, C Murphy, P A Norreys, V Ovchinnikov, P K Patel, Y Ping, H. Sawada, D Schumacher, W Theobald, Y Y Tsui, L D Van Woerkom, M S Wei, B Westover and T Yabuuchi 'Hot electron generation and transport using Ka emission', 2010 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 244 022026
• R B Stephens, K U Akli, T Bartal, F N Beg, S Chawla, C D Chen, L Divol, R Fedosejevs, R R Freeman, H Friesen, E Giraldez, D S Hey, D P Higginson, C Jarrot, G E Kemp, M H Key, A Krygier, D Larson, S Le Pape, A Link, T Y Ma, A J MacKinnon, H S MacLean, A G MacPhee, C Murphy, V Ovchinnikov, P K Patel, Y Ping, H Sawada, D Schumacher, Y Tsui, M S Wei, L D Van Woerkom, B Westover, S C Wilks and T Yabuuchi, 'Divergence of laser-generated hot electrons generated in a cone geometry', J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 244 022064
• S. P. Regan, B. Yaakobi, T. R. Boehly, R. Epstein, J. A. Delettrez, V. Yu. Glebov, V. N. Goncharov, P. A. Jannimagi, J. P. Knauer, F. J. Marshall, R. L. McCrory, D. D. Meyerhofer, P. B. Radha, T. C. Sangster, V. A. Smalyuk, J. Soures, C. Stoeckl, R. C. Mancini, D. A. Haynes Jr., L. WelserSherrill,. J. A. Koch, R. Tommasini and H. Sawada, 'Applied plasma spectroscopy: Laser-fusion experiments', High Energy Density Physics, 4, pp234-243, (2009)
• F. Perez, S. D. Baton, M. Koenig, C. D. Chen, D. Hey, M. H. Key, S. Le Pape, T. Ma, H. S. McLean, A. G. MacPhee, P. K. Patel, Y. Ping, F. N. Beg, D. P. Higginson, C. W. Murphy, H. Sawada, B. Westover, T. Yabuuchi, K. U. Akli, E. Giraldez, M. Hoppe, Jr., C. Shearer, R. B. Stephens, L. Gremillet, E. Lefebvre, R. R. Freeman, G. E. Kemp, A. G. Krygier, L. D. Van Woerkom, R. Fedosejevs, R. H. Friesen, Y. Y. Tsui, and D. Turnbull, 'Single-shot divergence measurements of a laser-generated relativistic electron beam', Phys. Plasmas 17, 113106 (2010)
• S. P. Regan, R. Epstein, V. N. Goncharov, I. V. Igumenshchev, D. Li, P. B. Radha, H. Sawada, W. Seka, T. R. Boehly, J. A. Delettrez, O. V. Gotchev, J. P. Knauer, J. A. Marozas, F. J. Marshall, R. L. McCrory, P. W. McKenty, D. D. Meyerhofer, T. C. Sangster, D. Shvarts, S. Skupsky, V. A. Smalyuk, B. Yaakobi and R. C. Mancini , 'Laser absorption, mass ablation rate, and shock heating in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion', Phys. Plasmas 14, 056305 (2007)
• S H Glenzer, P Neumayer, T Döppner, O L Landen, R W Lee, R J Wallace, S Weber, H J Lee, A L Kritcher, R Falcone, S P Regan, H. Sawada, D D Meyerhofer, G Gregori, C Fortmann, V Schwarz and R Redmer, 'Compton scattering measurements from dense plasmas', (IFSA) J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 112 032071 (2008)
• W. Theobald, K. Akli, R. Clarke, J. A. Delettrez, R. R. Freeman, S. Glenzer, J. Green, G. Gregori, R. Heathcote, N. Izumi, J. A. King, J. A. Koch, J. Kuba, K. Lancaster, A. J. MacKinnon, M. Key, C. Mileham, J. Myatt, D. Neely, P. A. Norreys, H.-S. Park, J. Pasley, P. Patel, S. P. Regan, H. Sawada, R. Shepherd, R. Snavely, R. B. Stephens, C. Stoeckl, M. Storm, B. Zhang, and T. C. Sangster, 'Hot surface ionic line emission and cold K-inner shell emission from petawatt-laser-irradiated Cu foil targets', Phys. Plasmas 13, 043102 (2006)
• G. Gregori, S.H. Glenzer, H.-K. Chung, D.H. Froula, R.W. Lee, N.B. Meezan, J.D. Moody, C. Niemann, O.L. Landen, B. Holst, R. Redmer, S.P. Regan and H. Sawada, 'Measurement of carbon ionization balance in high-temperature plasma mixtures by temporally resolved X-ray scattering', Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, Volume 99, Issues 1-3, May-June 2006, Pages 225-237
• 19. S.P. Regan, T.C. Sangster, D.D. Meyerhofer,, K. Anderson, R. Betti, T.R. Boehly, , T.J.B. Collins, R.S. Craxton, J.A. Delettrez, R. Epstein, O.V. Gotchev, V.Yu. Glebov, V.N. Goncharov, D.R. Harding, P.A. Jaanimagi, J.P. Knauer, S.J. Loucks, L.D. Lund, J.A. Marozas, F.J. Marshall, R. L. McCrory, P.W. Mckenty, S.F.B. Morse, P.B. Radha, W. Seka, S. Skupsky, H. Sawada, V.A. Smalyuk, J. M. Soures, C. Stoeckl, B. Yaakobi, J.A. Frenje, C.K. Li, R.D. Petrasso and F.H. S'eguin, 'Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions on OMEGA', Astrophysics and Space Science 298: 227-233, 2005