# Patrick Mora

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Not to be confused with [Pat Mora](/source/Pat_Mora), an American author and poet.

**Patrick Mora** (born 1952) is a French theoretical [plasma physicist](/source/Plasma_physicists) who specializes in laser-plasma interactions.[1][2] He was awarded the 2014 [Hannes Alfvén Prize](/source/Hannes_Alfv%C3%A9n_Prize)[3] and 2019 [Edward Teller Award](/source/Edward_Teller_Award)[4] for his contributions to the field of laser-plasma physics.

Mora is a research director of the [French National Centre for Scientific Research](/source/French_National_Centre_for_Scientific_Research) (CNRS) and a professor at the [École Polytechnique](/source/%C3%89cole_Polytechnique) in Paris, where he is also director of the *Institut Lasers et Plasmas* (Institute for Lasers and Plasmas).[5]

## Early life and career

Mora studied from 1971 to 1975 at the [École normale supérieure](/source/%C3%89cole_normale_sup%C3%A9rieure_(Paris)). In 1975, he received his [agrégation](/source/Agr%C3%A9gation) in physics and in 1980 he received his doctorate from [Université Paris-Sud](/source/Paris-Sud_University). From 1975 to 1982, he did research at the [Saclay Nuclear Research Centre](/source/Saclay_Nuclear_Research_Centre) and from 1982 for the [French National Centre for Scientific Research](/source/French_National_Centre_for_Scientific_Research). Since 1989, he has also been a professor at the [École Polytechnique](/source/%C3%89cole_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](/source/Laser_light) with plasmas in connection with [energy transport](/source/Transport_phenomena) in plasma and [plasma hydrodynamics](/source/Magnetohydrodynamics).[6] With his colleague Jean-Francois Luciani, he also developed a [nonlinear](/source/Nonlinear_system) and non-local theory of heat transport in a plasma via [electrons](/source/Electron).[7] This has applications in improving [numerical simulations](/source/Numerical_simulation) in laser-driven [inertial fusion](/source/Inertial_fusion). With Tom Antonsen, he developed a model of the propagation of [laser pulses](/source/Laser_pulse) in non-dense plasmas that revealed their tendency to self-focus or to display [Raman scattering](/source/Raman_scattering).[8][9] Mora developed a theory of the expansion of plasmas into [vacuum](/source/Vacuum), which explains the flow dynamics and structure of the ion front.[2][10][11][12] His theories are used to explain ion and electron beam acceleration experiments.[13]

## Honors and awards

In 1997, he received the [Paul Langevin Prize](/source/Paul_Langevin_Prize) from the [Société Française de Physique](/source/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_Fran%C3%A7aise_de_Physique).[14]

In 2014, he received the [Hannes Alfvén Prize](/source/Hannes_Alfv%C3%A9n_Prize) from the [European Physical Society](/source/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*".[15]

In 2019, he received the [Edward Teller Award](/source/Edward_Teller_Award) from the [American Nuclear Society](/source/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*".[4][16]

## References

1. Mora, Patrick (2001). "Physics of relativistic laser-plasmas". *Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion*. **43** (12A): A31–A37. [Bibcode:2001PPCF...43A..31M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001PPCF...43A..31M). [doi:10.1088/0741-3335/43/12a/303](https://doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/43/12a/303). [ISSN 0741-3335](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0741-3335). [S2CID 250896212](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:250896212)

1. Quesnel, Brice & Mora, Patrick (1998). "Theory and simulation of the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with electrons in vacuum". *Physical Review E*. **58** (3): 3719–3732. [Bibcode:1998PhRvE..58.3719Q](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998PhRvE..58.3719Q). [doi:10.1103/physreve.58.3719](https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.58.3719). [ISSN 1063-651X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1063-651X)

1. ["EPS Plasma Physics Division Prizes | e-EPS"](http://www.epsnews.eu/2014/07/eps-plasma-physics-prizes/). *www.epsnews.eu*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

1. ["The Edward Teller Award 2019 presented to Patrick Mora | Centre de Physique Théorique - UMR7644"](https://www.cpht.polytechnique.fr/?q=en/node/505). *www.cpht.polytechnique.fr*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

1. ["Patrick MORA | Centre de Physique Théorique - UMR7644"](https://www.cpht.polytechnique.fr/?q=en/node/144). *www.cpht.polytechnique.fr*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

1. Mora, Patrick (1982). "Theoretical model of absorption of laser light by a plasma". *Physics of Fluids*. **25** (6): 1051–1056. [Bibcode:1982PhFl...25.1051M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1982PhFl...25.1051M). [doi:10.1063/1.863837](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.863837). [ISSN 0031-9171](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9171)

1. Luciani, J. F.; Mora, P.; Virmont, J. (1983). "Nonlocal Heat Transport Due to Steep Temperature Gradients". *Physical Review Letters*. **51** (18): 1664–1667. [Bibcode:1983PhRvL..51.1664L](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1983PhRvL..51.1664L). [doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.1664](https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.1664)

1. Antonsen, T. M. & Mora, P. (1992). "Self-focusing and Raman scattering of laser pulses in tenuous plasmas". *Physical Review Letters*. **69** (15): 2204–2207. [Bibcode:1992PhRvL..69.2204A](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992PhRvL..69.2204A). [doi:10.1103/physrevlett.69.2204](https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.69.2204). [ISSN 0031-9007](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). [PMID 10046425](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10046425)

1. Mora, Patrick & Antonsen, Jr., Thomas M. (1997). "Kinetic modeling of intense, short laser pulses propagating in tenuous plasmas". *Physics of Plasmas*. **4** (1): 217–229. [Bibcode:1997PhPl....4..217M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997PhPl....4..217M). [doi:10.1063/1.872134](https://doi.org/10.1063/1.872134). [ISSN 1070-664X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1070-664X)

1. Mora, P. (2003). "Plasma Expansion into a Vacuum". *Physical Review Letters*. **90** (18). [Bibcode:2003PhRvL..90r5002M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003PhRvL..90r5002M). [doi:10.1103/physrevlett.90.185002](https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.90.185002). [ISSN 0031-9007](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). [PMID 12786012](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12786012)

1. Mora, P. (2005). "Thin-foil expansion into a vacuum". *Physical Review E*. **72** (5). [Bibcode:2005PhRvE..72e6401M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005PhRvE..72e6401M). [doi:10.1103/physreve.72.056401](https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.72.056401). [ISSN 1539-3755](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1539-3755). [PMID 16383760](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16383760)

1. Mora, P. & Grismayer, T. (2009). "Rarefaction Acceleration and Kinetic Effects in Thin-Foil Expansion into a Vacuum". *Physical Review Letters*. **102** (14). [Bibcode:2009PhRvL.102n5001M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009PhRvL.102n5001M). [doi:10.1103/physrevlett.102.145001](https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.102.145001). [ISSN 0031-9007](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). [PMID 19392445](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19392445)

1. Diaw, A. & Mora, P. (2011). "Rarefaction shock in plasma with a bi-Maxwellian electron distribution function". *Physical Review E*. **84** (3). [Bibcode:2011PhRvE..84c6402D](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011PhRvE..84c6402D). [doi:10.1103/physreve.84.036402](https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.84.036402). [ISSN 1539-3755](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1539-3755). [PMID 22060508](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22060508)

1. ["Prix Paul Langevin - Société Française de Physique"](https://sfpnet.fr/prix/prix-paul-langevin) (in French). *sfpnet.fr*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

1. ["École Polytechnique - Accueil site de l'Ecole Polytechnique"](https://www.polytechnique.edu/fr/prixhannesalfven-patrickmora) (in French). *www.polytechnique.edu*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

1. ["ANS / Honors and Awards / Recipients / Edward Teller Award"](https://ans.org/honors/recipients/va-teller). *ans.org*. Retrieved 2020-06-05.

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