DrRobert Kingham

I am a theoretical plasma physicist working for 20 years in the areas of Laser-Plasma Interaction (LPI), Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density Physics (HEDP). I have expertise in development of multi-dimensional kinetic and fluid simulation codes and using them – together with theoretical analysis – to gain new understanding of fundamental phenomena underpinning the interaction of high-power (1012 – 1015 W), short duration (1 ps – 10 ns) laser beams with matter. My key specialities include kinetic modelling of energy & particle transport and advanced magnetic-field dynamics.

Recently, I started working in Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF). I took a teaching sabbatical at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (Oxfordshire) in 2016/17 and initiated projects concerning the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL).

Selected Invited Talks
Tutorial Talk, IOP Computational Plasma Physics Conference – York (Nov. 2017) "Introduction to! Vlasov-Fokker-Planck Methods"
International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Plasmas – Leuven, Belgium (Sept. 2017) "2D VFP simulations of ICF-relevant ablation under non-uniform laser illumination including magnetized transport effects"
Tutorial Talk, CLF High-Power Laser Users Meeting – Abingdon, UK (Dec. 2016) "Non-Local Transport: A Primer"
UK Fusion Theory Meeting – CCFE, UK (May 2016) "Overview of non-local electron transport modelling and research for laser-plasmas at Imperial"
Atomic & Laser Physics Dept. Colloquium – Oxford (May 2015) "Magnetised transport phenomena in high energy-density laser-plasmas"
EPS, Plasma Physics Conference – Espoo, Finland (July 2013) "Simulations of fast electron propagation in IFE including non-local and magnetized transport effects in the background plasma"
Plasma Physics group at CEA/DAM Ile de France – Paris, France (Oct. 2009) "Recent theoretical research on electron transport in nanosecond laser-plasmas with B-fields"
IOP, Plasma Physics Group Conference – Dublin (Apr. 2007) "Kinetic Simulations of Electron Transport in High-Power Laser-Plasma Interactions"
ORNL "Multiscale Sim. Workshop" – Oak Ridge (Apr. 2005) "Simulations of Laser-Plasmas and Z-pinches at Imperial"
Selected Teaching
UG Lecture Courses
Differential Equations (2019)
Computational Physics (2013–16)
Plasma Physics (2009–14)
Basic Mechanics, Vibrations & Waves (2006–2009)
PG Summer school lecturer
Culham Summer School – CCFE, UK (2004–10)