My research interests encompass experimental investigations of High Energy Density (HED) Science, particularly focusing on short pulse laser-solid interactions, relativistic electron generation, hard x-ray generation, and fast electron transport, all of which are relevant to laser fusion schemes such as Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and Fast Ignition (FI). The plasma conditions created by high-power lasers are expected to reach temperatures in the millions of degrees and densities above that of solid matter. I am particularly interested in using x-ray diagnostics (including x-ray spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, and x-ray imaging) to investigate these plasmas. This approach aids in understanding complex physical phenomena like the equation of state, phase transitions, radiation transport, shock wave heating, and compression in states of matter known as warm dense matter. Additionally, I am interested in the physics of charged particles generated by high-power, short-pulse lasers. The characterization and potential applications of these relativistic particles are also central to my research interests.
Zaijing Sun
Dr. Sun is an associate professor in the Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Nuclear Physics from Idaho State University in 2012 with an area specification in radiation sciences and acceleration applications. Before joining UNLV, he had been an assistant/associate professor at the South Carolina State University and a postdoc in the Nuclear Engineering Division at the Argonne National laboratory.
Dr. Sun has been instructing many courses in health physics and radiation sciences such as Radiation Sciences, Introduction to Health Physics, Radiation Detection and Measurement, Introduction of Nuclear and Radiochemistry, Ionizing Radiation, Radioisotope Laboratory, etc. His research interests include Health Physics, Radiochemistry, Nuclear Activation Analysis (NAA and PAA), Computer Simulations of Nuclear Processes, Gamma-ray Spectroscopy and 3-D isotopic imaging, Medical Application of Particle Accelerators, Archaeometry, Temporal Data Mining (TDM) in Nuclear Decommissioning and Medical Imaging, and Medical Isotope Production. He is a member of the Health Physics Society, American Nuclear Society, and American Physical Society.