CMUXE Research                                                 ENERGY CENTER

CMUXE Research Programs

The major thrust area of CMUXE is to study the interactions of high-intensity, modulated energy beams: electromagnetic radiation, plasma, electrons, ions and other particle sources (i.e. clusters, molecules) with matter.  The center will combine both advanced integrated computational tools, i.e., HEIGHTS simulation package and state-of-the art experimental devices. 

• High Energy Interaction with General Heterogeneous Target Systems (HEIGHTS) simulation package

HEIGHTS is a comprehensive software package created at Argonne National Laboratory over the past two decades. HEIGHTS is multipurpose multidimensional computational tools that integrate heat transfer, thermal hydraulics, magneto-hydrodynamics, atomic and plasma physics, photon transport, and material erosion lifetime. HEIGHTS combines the foremost numerical solution methods including finite elements, Lagrangian, Eulerian, Particle-in-Cell (PIC), Monte Carlo and Ray Tracing Techniques. HEIGHTS simulates phenomena like shock and ignition physics, heat and radiation propagation through the atmosphere, laser and discharge produced plasma dynamics and photon transport through different media.

• The Interaction of Materials with Particles and Components Testing (IMPACT)

IMPACT experimental facility is furnished with multiple ion sources and in-situ diagnostics to study the modification of surfaces undergoing physical, chemical, and electronic changes during exposure to energetic particle beams. Ion beams with energies in the range between 20 and 5000 eV can bombard samples at flux levels in the range of 1010–1015 cm−2s−1; parameters such as ion angle of incidence and exposed area are also controllable during the experiment. IMPACT has diagnostics that allow full characterization of the beam, including a Faraday cup, a beam imaging system (MCP), and a retarding field energy analyzer. IMPACT is equipped with multiple diagnostics such as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Low Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (LEISS) that allow different probing depths of the sample to monitor compositional changes in multicomponent and/or layered targets. IMPACT is also equipped with a 13.5 nm light source for EUV reflectometry.

• Laser-Matter and Laser-Plasma Interactions

The Laser-Matter and Laser-Plasma Interactions group explores a number of diverse areas of research. The major thrust areas of research are (i) Laser plasma X-ray and EUV sources; (ii) Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; (iii) Plasma Diagnostics; (iv) Colliding Plasmas and (v) Laser-based surface diagnostic techniques.

• Ion Channel Protein

The focus of research activities is at the interface between the physical sciences and the biological and biomedical sciences. Our efforts are to understand the theoretical principles underlying the function of biological molecules known as ion Channels.

• Discharged Produced Plasma