Exploring the world of ultra-intense laser plasma interactions

Ultra-intense laser interactions with matter give us a route to produce some of the most extreme conditions on earth. When these lasers are focused onto solid material, the electric fields associated with the laser are so strong that the atoms in the material become readily ionised to create plasma. These intense lasers only penetrate a short distance into the material that they are striking, limiting the amount of energy that can be readily absorbed. Mega-Amp currents of fast electrons are driven into the target and these electrons transport energy deeper into the material. The fast electrons are the driver of much of the downstream physics and so the study of these electrons is of great interest. The potential impact of this work is broad and exciting from high-gain Inertial Confinement Fusion approaches to developing bright, ultra-short sources of radiation for non-destructive testing and medicine.

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