Although the first directed delivery of energy over a distance by light was successfully demonstrated 22 centuries ago, only relatively recent invention of laser (1960) opened new horizons in this field.  The modern history of Laser Propulsion (LP) started in 1972, when Dr. Arthur Kantrowitz (Avco-Everett Labs) first popularized the idea of using ablation of matter under intense laser fields for space transportation.  Over passed thirty years LP has evolved from a simple vision of somehow using a remote laser to transmit energy to spacecraft in flight, into a demonstrated propulsion technology.  In this talk the physical principles of laser propulsion as well as currently existing and developing LP schemes and their applications will be reviewed (including the activities of Laser Propulsion Group at UAH).
 

Short Bio: Dr. Andrew V. Pakhomov is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, UAH, where he works since 1998.  He graduated from Michigan Tech University in 1996 with Ph.D. in Physics and specialization in laser-induced plasmas and laser spectroscopy.  He also holds M.S. degree in materials science, which he received in 1983 from Moscow Technological University.  Dr. Pakhomov has over 90 scientific publications, two patents and one book in the field of laser-induced plasmas (laser propulsion, ion dynamics, spectroscopy, high-field laser-matter interactions) and physics/materials science of semiconductors.  Currently he concentrates his research in the field of laser-matter interactions, where his major topic of study is ablative laser propulsion (ALP).  The lecture which he is going to present at Arkansas State was developed out of his work on the book "Principles of Laser Propulsion".  It was delivered to broad audiences of students ranging from Tokyo Tech University (Japan) to West Point Military Academy (New York).