{{short description|French theoretical plasma physicist (born 1952)}} {{distinguish|text=Pat Mora, an American author and poet}} {{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Patrick Mora | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = <!--(filename only, i.e. without "File:" prefix)--> | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = <!-- if different from "name" --> | birth_date = <!-- {{birth date and age |1952|mm|dd}} --> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age |yyyy|mm|dd|yyyy|mm|dd}} --> | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}--> | home_town = | other_names = | pronounce = | residence = | citizenship = | fields = Plasma physics | workplaces = | patrons = | education = Université Paris-Sud (Ph.D.) | alma_mater = | thesis_title = Génération de champs magnétique dans l'interaction non linéaire rayonnement-plasma, et expansion des plasmas créés par laser | thesis_url = | thesis_year = 1980 | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = Laser-plasma physics | influences = | influenced = | awards = {{plainlist| * Paul Langevin Prize (1997) * Hannes Alfvén Prize (2014) * Edward Teller Award (2019) }} | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = | partner = <!--(or | partners = )--> | children = | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Patrick Mora''' (born 1952) is a French theoretical plasma physicist who specializes in laser-plasma interactions.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mora|first=Patrick|date=2001|title=Physics of relativistic laser-plasmas|journal=Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion|volume=43|issue=12A|pages=A31–A37|doi=10.1088/0741-3335/43/12a/303|bibcode=2001PPCF...43A..31M|s2cid=250896212 |issn=0741-3335}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Quesnel|first1=Brice|last2=Mora|first2=Patrick|date=1998|title=Theory and simulation of the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with electrons in vacuum|journal=Physical Review E|volume=58|issue=3|pages=3719–3732|doi=10.1103/physreve.58.3719|bibcode=1998PhRvE..58.3719Q|issn=1063-651X}}</ref> He was awarded the 2014 Hannes Alfvén Prize<ref>{{Cite web|title=EPS Plasma Physics Division Prizes {{!}} e-EPS|url=http://www.epsnews.eu/2014/07/eps-plasma-physics-prizes/|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.epsnews.eu}}</ref> and 2019 Edward Teller Award<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The Edward Teller Award 2019 presented to Patrick Mora {{!}} Centre de Physique Théorique - UMR7644|url=https://www.cpht.polytechnique.fr/?q=en/node/505|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.cpht.polytechnique.fr}}</ref> for his contributions to the field of laser-plasma physics.
Mora is a research director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a professor at the École Polytechnique in Paris, where he is also director of the ''Institut Lasers et Plasmas'' (Institute for Lasers and Plasmas).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patrick MORA {{!}} Centre de Physique Théorique - UMR7644|url=https://www.cpht.polytechnique.fr/?q=en/node/144|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.cpht.polytechnique.fr}}</ref>
== Early life and career == Mora studied from 1971 to 1975 at the École normale supérieure. In 1975, he received his agrégation in physics and in 1980 he received his doctorate from Université Paris-Sud. From 1975 to 1982, he did research at the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre and from 1982 for the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Since 1989, he has also been a professor at the École Polytechnique. In 2001, he became director of the Center for Theoretical Physics and in 2009, the director of the Institute for Lasers and Plasmas.
== Scientific contributions == Mora developed a widely used model of the interaction of laser light with plasmas in connection with energy transport in plasma and plasma hydrodynamics.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mora|first=Patrick|date=1982|title=Theoretical model of absorption of laser light by a plasma|journal=Physics of Fluids|volume=25|issue=6|pages=1051–1056|doi=10.1063/1.863837|bibcode=1982PhFl...25.1051M|issn=0031-9171}}</ref> With his colleague Jean-Francois Luciani, he also developed a nonlinear and non-local theory of heat transport in a plasma via electrons.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Luciani|first1=J. F.|last2=Mora|first2=P.|last3=Virmont|first3=J.|date=1983|title=Nonlocal Heat Transport Due to Steep Temperature Gradients|journal=Physical Review Letters|volume=51|issue=18|pages=1664–1667|doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.1664|bibcode=1983PhRvL..51.1664L}}</ref> This has applications in improving numerical simulations in laser-driven inertial fusion. With Tom Antonsen, he developed a model of the propagation of laser pulses in non-dense plasmas that revealed their tendency to self-focus or to display Raman scattering.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Antonsen|first1=T. M.|last2=Mora|first2=P.|date=1992|title=Self-focusing and Raman scattering of laser pulses in tenuous plasmas|journal=Physical Review Letters|volume=69|issue=15|pages=2204–2207|doi=10.1103/physrevlett.69.2204|pmid=10046425|bibcode=1992PhRvL..69.2204A|issn=0031-9007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Mora|first1=Patrick|last2=Antonsen, Jr.|first2=Thomas M.|date=1997|title=Kinetic modeling of intense, short laser pulses propagating in tenuous plasmas|journal=Physics of Plasmas|volume=4|issue=1|pages=217–229|doi=10.1063/1.872134|bibcode=1997PhPl....4..217M|issn=1070-664X}}</ref> Mora developed a theory of the expansion of plasmas into vacuum, which explains the flow dynamics and structure of the ion front.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mora|first=P.|date=2003|title=Plasma Expansion into a Vacuum|journal=Physical Review Letters|volume=90|issue=18|article-number=185002|doi=10.1103/physrevlett.90.185002|pmid=12786012|bibcode=2003PhRvL..90r5002M|issn=0031-9007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mora|first=P.|date=2005|title=Thin-foil expansion into a vacuum|journal=Physical Review E|volume=72|issue=5|article-number=056401|doi=10.1103/physreve.72.056401|pmid=16383760|bibcode=2005PhRvE..72e6401M|issn=1539-3755}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Mora|first1=P.|last2=Grismayer|first2=T.|date=2009|title=Rarefaction Acceleration and Kinetic Effects in Thin-Foil Expansion into a Vacuum|journal=Physical Review Letters|volume=102|issue=14|article-number=145001|doi=10.1103/physrevlett.102.145001|pmid=19392445|bibcode=2009PhRvL.102n5001M|issn=0031-9007}}</ref> His theories are used to explain ion and electron beam acceleration experiments.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Diaw|first1=A.|last2=Mora|first2=P.|date=2011|title=Rarefaction shock in plasma with a bi-Maxwellian electron distribution function|journal=Physical Review E|volume=84|issue=3|article-number=036402|doi=10.1103/physreve.84.036402|pmid=22060508|bibcode=2011PhRvE..84c6402D|issn=1539-3755}}</ref>
== Honors and awards == In 1997, he received the Paul Langevin Prize from the Société Française de Physique.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prix Paul Langevin - Société Française de Physique|url=https://sfpnet.fr/prix/prix-paul-langevin|access-date=2020-06-05|website=sfpnet.fr|language=fr}}</ref>
In 2014, he received the Hannes Alfvén Prize from the European Physical Society for "''decisive results in the field of laser-produced plasma physics, in particular for illuminating descriptions of laser light absorption in plasmas, electron heat transport in steep temperature gradients and plasma expansion dynamics into vacuum''".<ref>{{Cite web|title=École Polytechnique - Accueil site de l'Ecole Polytechnique|url=https://www.polytechnique.edu/fr/prixhannesalfven-patrickmora|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.polytechnique.edu|language=fr}}</ref>
In 2019, he received the Edward Teller Award from the American Nuclear Society for "''his scientific contributions to laser-plasma physics, from laser from laser light absorption to non-local electron heat transport and plasma expansion dynamics, and for his inspiring spirit of community service''".<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=ANS / Honors and Awards / Recipients / Edward Teller Award|url=https://ans.org/honors/recipients/va-teller|access-date=2020-06-05|website=ans.org}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Hannes Alfvén Prize recipients}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mora, Patrick}} Category:Living people Category:1952 births Category:French physicists Category:French plasma physicists Category:Paris-Sud University alumni Category:Academic staff of École polytechnique