Alex Picksley
Dr Alex Picksley has been awarded the Institute of Physics’ Culham Thesis Prize: Plasma Physics Group for the work he undertook whilst a member of the Laser-Plasma Accelerator Group. The annual prize recognises a well-explained thesis that demonstrates a good understanding of the subject and shows significant new work and originality.
Alex’s thesis looks at the development of laser-produced plasma channels suitable for building the next generation of particle accelerators and, in particular, describes how the hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized (HOFI) plasma channels developed in the group can be extended to metre-long lengths.
‘I am really pleased to be recognised for the award,’ comments Dr Picksley, ‘which is a reflection of a great deal of work undertaken by the whole laser-plasma accelerator group at Oxford.
Professor Hooker commented: ‘I am delighted for Alex, who thoroughly deserves this award. In his thesis, and associated journal papers, Alex showed that HOFI plasma channels could guide relativistically-intense laser pulses over 100s of mm, and that their properties are well suited to multi-GeV laser-driven plasma accelerators. I look forward to seeing how Alex’s contributions influence the development of the field.’