Orla McCusker

Current research project

Laser-driven acceleration and control of high energy ion beams

My research involves the study of high-intensity laser pulses with matter to produce high energy ions. The ions produced are of significant interest due to their desirable properties such as ultrashort burst emission, high brilliance and low emittance. These make them very attractive for many applications, such as cancer therapy. The aim of this project is to contribute towards efforts to advance ion acceleration by enhancing the ion energies towards medically relevant ranges, as well as improving the quality of the beams in terms of the energy spectrum and spatial profile of the accelerated ions.

Biography

I started my PhD within the Centre for Plasma Physics at Queen’s in October 2019. I also completed my Master degree in Applied Maths and Physics at Queen’s and graduated in June 2019. My Masters research project was also in laser-driven ion acceleration, which is what led me to apply for this PhD.

Research interests

• Laser-driven acceleration

• Ion beam therapy