| Patrick Mora | |
| Nationality: | French |
| Fields: | Plasma physics |
| Education: | Université Paris-Sud (Ph.D.) |
| Thesis Title: | Génération de champs magnétique dans l'interaction non linéaire rayonnement-plasma, et expansion des plasmas créés par laser |
| Thesis Year: | 1980 |
| Known For: | Laser-plasma physics |
| Awards: |
|
| Partners: | )--> |
Patrick Mora (born 1952) is a French theoretical plasma physicist who specializes in laser-plasma interactions.[1] [2] He was awarded the 2014 Hannes Alfvén Prize[3] and 2019 Edward Teller Award[4] for his contributions to the field of laser-plasma physics.
Mora is a research director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a professor at the École Polytechnique in Paris, where he is also director of the Institut Lasers et Plasmas (Institute for Lasers and Plasmas).[5]
Mora studied from 1971 to 1975 at the École normale supérieure. In 1975, he received his agrégation in physics and in 1980 he received his doctorate from Université Paris-Sud. From 1975 to 1982, he did research at the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre and from 1982 for the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Since 1989, he has also been a professor at the École Polytechnique. In 2001, he became director of the Center for Theoretical Physics and in 2009, the director of the Institute for Lasers and Plasmas.
Mora developed a widely used model of the interaction of laser light with plasmas in connection with energy transport in plasma and plasma hydrodynamics.[6] With his colleague Jean-Francois Luciani, he also developed a nonlinear and non-local theory of heat transport in a plasma via electrons.[7] This has applications in improving numerical simulations in laser-driven inertial fusion. With Tom Antonsen, he developed a model of the propagation of laser pulses in non-dense plasmas that revealed their tendency to self-focus or to display Raman scattering.[8] [9] Mora developed a theory of the expansion of plasmas into vacuum, which explains the flow dynamics and structure of the ion front.[10] [11] [12] His theories are used to explain ion and electron beam acceleration experiments.[13]
In 1997, he received the Paul Langevin Prize from the Société Française de Physique.[14]
In 2014, he received the Hannes Alfvén Prize from the European Physical Society for "decisive results in the field of laser-produced plasma physics, in particular for illuminating descriptions of laser light absorption in plasmas, electron heat transport in steep temperature gradients and plasma expansion dynamics into vacuum".[15]
In 2019, he received the Edward Teller Award from the American Nuclear Society for "his scientific contributions to laser-plasma physics, from laser from laser light absorption to non-local electron heat transport and plasma expansion dynamics, and for his inspiring spirit of community service".[16]