Multi-petawatt (MPW) lasers now represent the scientific frontier that offer the opportunity to develop new sources of high-energy particles and electrons, positrons, photons, and more to make new discoveries in astrophysics, planetary sciences, nuclear physics, and beyond.
Experts and researchers from LLE, the University of Michigan, ELI ERIC, and ELI Beamlines will present at a mini-conference at the annual APS Department of Plasma Physics conference in October. The mini-conference, titled “Multi-Petawatt Physics at New and Future Laser User Facilities,” will present theoretical, computational, experimental, and technical advances on these ultra-intense and powerful lasers.
The workshop will address critical science questions that will guide future research and experiments at multi-petawatt laser facilities. These questions span four major areas:
- Laser-Plasma–Driven Particle Acceleration and Advanced Light Sources (PAALS)
- Developing compact and efficient particle accelerators for applications in medicine, industry, and fundamental research
- Reducing the size and cost of particle accelerators, making them more accessible
- High-Field Physics and Quantum Electrodynamics (HFP/QED)
- Exploring the behavior of matter under extreme conditions, similar to those found around black holes or neutron stars
- Testing the limits of quantum theory in the presence of intense electromagnetic fields
- Developing new materials and technologies with enhanced properties
- Relativistic Plasmas for Laboratory Astrophysics and Planetary Physics (LAPP)
- Simulating astrophysical phenomena in a controlled laboratory environment, such as supernova explosions, gamma-ray bursts, and cosmic ray acceleration
- Gaining a deeper understanding of the universe and its origins
- Laser-Driven Nuclear Physics (LDNP)
- Investigating new nuclear reactions and processes
- Developing clean and efficient energy sources
Visit the APS-DPP conference website for more.
