Dr. Sam Vinko

Biography

Sam Vinko is a professor at the University of Oxford in the Department of Physics. His research focuses on investigating high energy-density plasmas using a wide range of experimental and theoretical techniques. These high energy-density plasma systems operate at temperatures of 1 eV (approximately 11600 K) and involve densities typical of solids, ranging from 10^22 to 10^23 atoms per cm³. His work has significant implications for understanding the common universe, including the formation of cores in giant planets, brown dwarfs, and stellar interiors. Vinko's experimental research confronts major challenges, such as the difficulty in simultaneously creating hot, dense plasmas in controllably homogeneous conditions that adhere to thermodynamically meaningful temporal and spatial scales. This requires advanced diagnostics with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to study the vast range of transient plasma dynamics, from attosecond electron processes to large atomic displacements occurring on nanosecond timescales. Vinko utilizes x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) for his experiments, enabling him to create and investigate extreme states of matter. He collaborates with facilities globally, including the Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford (USA) and the European XFEL in Hamburg (Germany). Vinko's research also includes applications of machine learning in physics-related studies.

Research Interests