Feature
A New Era for High-Energy-Density Physics
The field of high-energy-density physics is on the verge of a revolutionary event—the achievement of fusion ignition in the laboratory. Research at the University of Rochester and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will enable new science to be conducted in astrophysics, materials science and laser-matter interactions.
Beamlines of the OMEGA EP (Extended Performance) laser facility, with the target chamber structure seen in the back. OMEGA EP was completed in April 2008.
In experiments in high-energy-density (HED) physics, researchers create some of the most extreme conditions available in the laboratory, including pressures of 1,000,000 atmospheres and much higher. These conditions are ubiquitous in the natural universe, from supernovae explosions to astrophysical jets to planetary interiors. A new generation of laser facilities places laboratory high-energy-density physics on the verge of a revolution.
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