The Vulcan Petawatt interaction facility

Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications 2003 (2004) 512-516

Authors:

CN Danson, PA Brummitt, J Collier, RJ Clark, M Dominey, CB Edwards, R Edwards, AJ Frackiewicz, JAC Govans, S Hancock, PE Hatton, S Hawkes, CR Heathcote, C Hernandez-Gomez, P Holligan, C Hooker, MHR Hutchinson, A Jackson, A Kidd, WJ Lester, J Monk, D Neely, DR Neville, P Norreys, M Notley, DA Pepler, MR Pitts, CJ Reason, D Robinson, KJ Rodgers, D Rose, IN Ross, AJ Ryder, MR Selley, D Shepherd, T Strange, M Tolley, R Wellstood, GN Wiggins, TB Winstone, PNM Wright, RWW Wyatt, BE Wyborn, C Ziener

Abstract:

The Vulcan Nd:glass laser at the Central Laser Facility (CLF) has recently been upgraded to the Petawatt level (10 15 Watts). The facility is now operational to the UK and international user community. During the first user experiments, the power and focussed intensity were increased gradually up to the Petawatt regime. Considerable experience has been gained operating the Vulcan facility in this mode. The Petawatt facility is designed to deliver irradiance on target of 10 21 W.cm -2 for a wide-ranging experimental programme in fundamental physics and advanced applications. This includes the interaction of super-high intensity light with matter, fast ignition fusion research, photon induced nuclear reactions, electron and ion acceleration by light waves and the exploration of the exotic world of plasma physics dominated by relativity.

Vulcan petawatt - An ultra-high-intensity interaction facility

Nuclear Fusion 44:12 (2004) S239-S246

Authors:

CN Danson, PA Brummitt, RJ Clarke, JL Collier, B Fell, AJ Frackiewicz, S Hancock, S Hawkes, C Hernandez-Gomez, P Holligan, MHR Hutchinson, A Kidd, WJ Lester, IO Musgrave, D Neely, DR Neville, PA Norreys, DA Pepler, CJ Reason, W Shaikh, TB Winstone, RWW Wyatt, BE Wyborn

Abstract:

The Vulcan Nd: glass laser at the Central Laser Facility is a Petawatt (1015 W) interaction facility available to the UK and international user community. The facility came online to users in 2002 and considerable experience has been gained operating the Vulcan facility in this mode. The facility is designed to deliver irradiance on target of 1021 W cm-2 for a wide-ranging experimental programme in fundamental physics and advanced applications. This includes the interaction of super-high-intensity light with matter, fast ignition fusion research, photon induced nuclear reactions, electron and ion acceleration by light waves and the exploration of the exotic world of plasma physics dominated by relativity.

High pressures generated by laser driven shocks: applications to planetary physics

Nuclear Fusion IOP Publishing 44:12 (2004) s208-s214

Authors:

M Koenig, E Henry, G Huser, A Benuzzi-Mounaix, B Faral, E Martinolli, S Lepape, T Vinci, D Batani, M Tomasini, B Telaro, P Loubeyre, T Hall, P Celliers, G Collins, L DaSilva, R Cauble, D Hicks, D Bradley, A MacKinnon, P Patel, J Eggert, J Pasley, O Willi, D Neely, M Notley, C Danson, M Borghesi, L Romagnani, T Boehly, K Lee

Plasma devices to guide and collimate a high density of MeV electrons

Nature Springer Nature 432:7020 (2004) 1005-1008

Authors:

R Kodama, Y Sentoku, ZL Chen, GR Kumar, SP Hatchett, Y Toyama, TE Cowan, RR Freeman, J Fuchs, Y Izawa, MH Key, Y Kitagawa, K Kondo, T Matsuoka, H Nakamura, M Nakatsutsumi, PA Norreys, T Norimatsu, RA Snavely, RB Stephens, M Tampo, KA Tanaka, T Yabuuchi

Spectroscopy of astrophysical plasmas in the laboratory

Astronomy & Geophysics Oxford University Press (OUP) 45:6 (2004) 6.18-6.21

Authors:

FP Keenan, SJ Rose