Photos - Omega Laser Facility Users' Group 2010 Workshop - Laboratory for Laser Energetics

More than 115 researchers from around the world and from 44 universities and laboratories participated in this year's OMEGA Laser Users Workshop

45 students and postdoctoral fellows attended the workshop, making 31 engaging presentations

The 2010 OLUG Executive Committee

In the plenary sessions, 17 authorities spoke about the science and opportunities of high-energy-density physics and described the evolving capabilities of the Omega Laser Facility

Professor Robert Rosner of the University of Chicago kicked off the workshop with an astrophysicist's perspective on high-energy-density physics

The challenges and science of fast ignition were the focus of Professor Peter Norreys of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). Professor Norreys is a member of the Users Executive Committee

Dr. Guy Dimonte of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) discussed the role of particle interactions in the equilibration of high-energy-density plasmas

Dr. Brent Blue from General Atomics discussed the science and technology of developing and fielding complex targets for OMEGA experiments

Moving physics platforms and experiments from OMEGA to the NIF was the focus of remarks by General Atomics' Joe Kilkenny.

Professor Roberto Mancini from the University of Nevada

Dr. Carolyn Kuranz from the University of Michigan

Two poster sessions, during which 43 posters were presented, offered ample opportunities for informal discussion about OMEGA experiments and their connections to important work at other HED facilities

University of Michigan student Elisio Gamboa discussed his work on x-ray Thomson-scattering imaging with National Nuclear Security Agency's (NNSA) Allan Hauer

Dr. Tony Caillaud, from France (Commissariat à l'energie atomique), showed Professor Linn Van Woerkom (Ohio State University) neutron images of OMEGA DD and DT implosions.

Frank Phillipe (left), from France (Commissariat à l'energie atomique), chatted with Chikang Li of MIT. Drs. Phillipe and Li recently collaborated on OMEGA experiments involving rugby-shaped hohlraums

Postdoctoral fellow Louise Willingale, from Prof. Karl Krushelnick's group at the University of Michigan, and Peter Norreys of RAL listen to comments about her OMEGA EP research on proton backlighting of laser channeling

Dr. Kazuo Tanaka (Osaka University) and Dr. Wolf Seka (LLE) conversed during the poster session. Dr. Tanaka presented work on the self-focusing of relativistic electrons

Dr. Jim Cobble (left, from LANL), a Users Executive Committee member, spoke with Professor David Meyerhofer (LLE) about the Recommendation and Findings report for the LLE management

Dr. Frederick Séguin (MIT) gave a contributed talk about observations of the electromagnetic fields associated with coronal filamentation in direct-drive ICF implosions.

Productive discussions among researchers from around the world occurred in several informal settings

Benchmarks for achieving ignition were the subject of Professor Riccardo Betti's presentation

Dr. Al Trivelpiece (left) and Jim Decker brought some unique experience and valuable insights to the workshop

Professor Paul Drake (University of Michigan), a Users Executive Committee member, presented a talk about the opportunities for doing laboratory astrophysics on OMEGA and OMEGA EP

L-R: A. Marochinno (University of Rome), T. Levato (INFN Frascai), P. Antici (INFN Frascati), R. Petrasso (MIT), R. Betti (LLE), L. Buitano (NNSA), O. Ciricosta (University of Pisa), and A. Schiavi (University of Rome)

The student/postdoctoral panel presented important insights from young researchers working at the Omega Facility

A "town hall" meeting on the importance of HEDP, from the DOE perspective, was led by M. Koepke (left; Office of Fusion Energy Science), K. Budil (Office of the Under Secretary for Science), and L. Buitano (NNSA)

Kim Budil (Office of the Under Secretary for Science) discussed her office's perspective on high-energy-density physics

Facility presentations, like this one by Samuel Morse (LLE), related new and ongoing developments on OMEGA and briefed younger researchers on the effective use of the facility

Brian Kruschwitz (LLE) discussed the latest techniques for characterizing the OMEGA EP laser's focal spot. Such information is essential for planning experiments

David Canning (LLE) led a tour of the OMEGA EP laser and discussed its capabilities. For many new researchers, this was an ideal opportunity to learn about the facility.

The OMEGA Users banquet offered another opportunity for attendees to interact informally, reinforce old friendships, and create new working relationships