UCLA is joining LaserNetUS, a consortium of high-power laser facilities established by the Department of Energy to advance laser-plasma science. Located at universities and national laboratories across the U.S. and Canada, the unique facilities provide broad access to researchers and students.
The UCLA Phoenix Laser Laboratory, directed by physics professors Troy Carter and Cristoph Niemann, includes one of the most energetic lasers at a university. The Phoenix laser can be fired into the Large Plasma Device, which is 20 meters — or nearly 66 feet — long, to recreate conditions similar to those in astrophysical explosions such as coronal mass ejections or supernovae.
As part of LaserNetUS, UCLA will also support experiments relevant to laser fusion as a potential carbon-free and unlimited energy source for the future. The concept was recently demonstrated for the first time by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility, which is much larger than the Phoenix lab. The Phoenix laser will help conduct laser-target and chamber coupling research and test the required scientific instruments.
Read the full story about UCLA and LaserNetUS on the physical sciences division’s website.
