High intensity relativistic laser plasma interactions and laser fusion

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Rapid advances in the production and amplification of ultrashort optical pulses have enabled the generation of multi-terawatt pulses with small laboratory scale laser systems. The duration of these laser pulses can be as short as 25 femtoseconds, a light pulse whose total length is measured in tens of microns. The peak instantaneous power of 10 terawatts is equivalent to several times the total electrical generating capacity of the whole world for one brief instant. This power when focused into micron size spots leads to extraordinarily strong relativistic interactions of the coherent laser light and matter. Pressures and densities are created which only exist in the centre of stellar media and accelerating electric field gradients of GeV per centimetre are created. The present research proposal will explore the fundamental physical processes occurring in the interaction of these high intensity laser pulses and matter, a new area identified as High Energy Density Physics, and investigate a number of phenomena occurring at these extreme intensities including: 1) generation and acceleration of GeV electrons via wakefield acceleration in plasma guide channels, 2) generation of high brightness proton beams for pinpoint radiation therapy of cancer tumors, 3) generation of radioisotopes on demand, 4) generation of high brightness femtosecond x-ray pulses for phase contrast microscopy, 5) generation of femtosecond electron jets for time resolved electron radiographic studies and 6) the generation, transport and energy deposition from electron and proton beams for fast ignition fusion energy. All of these new phenomena are leading to a new paradigm of tabletop particle accelerators, tabletop synchrotron sources and tabletop nuclear physics. A key enabling technology for all of these application areas is a robust, efficient, high energy, high repetition rate, ultrashort pulse laser source and the project will develop and demonstrate such a source based on newly emerging diode pumped ceramic disk laser technology. One of the major overall goals of the research is to advance Fast Ignition which could lead to the rapid advancement of Laser Fusion Energy giving us a long term solution for our growing green house gas and energy crises.