Long citation – Pablo Bilbao

Kinetic instabilities in extreme plasma physics: laboratory and astrophysical dynamics

Dr Bilbao has produced an outstanding PhD thesis which describes significant advances in kinetic modelling of extreme plasmas, encompassing plasma astrophysics as well as laboratory experiments. His work tackles a key unsolved problem in high-energy astrophysics concerning the origin of coherent radiation with bey high brightness temperatures in objects such as pulsars, magnetars and fast radio bursts. The theoretical framework he has developed also describes laboratory relativistic electron-positron beams, and he has made crucial contributions to the Fireball experiment at CERN. Using theoretical insight combined with advanced kinetic simulations, he has made new discoveries concerning the fundamental physics of collisionless relativistic plasmas subject to radiative cooling. He has shown that rings in momentum space form due to radiative cooling, and also discovered that this leads to onset of a pervasive maser instability. Furthermore, he has revealed the impact of betatron cooling on the kinetics of plasma-based accelerators and the conditions for the onset of the ion channel laser. The combination of these ground-breaking discoveries in a single thesis is remarkable. This work has led to a significant output of publications, including 3 first author papers in leading journals, and he has been invited to give talks at major international conferences in the field. His PhD thesis was awarded the highest possible mark at the University of Lisbon. The outstanding quality, depth, breadth and impact of his work make him a richly deserving recipient of the Plasma Physics PhD prize.