Photographic Technique Assists Laser Fusion Experiments
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 31 -- An old photographic technique is helping scientists on the cutting edge of laser research. The Astrophysics Branch in the Space Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is providing photographic emulsions for use in detectors inside the petawatt laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.
The emulsions record the tracks of nuclear debris from microscopic gold and uranium targets vaporized by the laser. Scientists hope to tailor the design of the petawatt laser so that its advanced descendants might be used to trigger tiny thermonuclear fusion reactions. The petawatt laser also generates conditions that previously were seen only in the most powerful particle accelerators, which conditions might provide some insight into the cause of gamma ray bursts.
LATEST NEWS
- Exail Signs LLNL Contract, Partners with Eelume
Apr 26, 2024
- Menlo Moves U.S. HQ: Week in Brief: 4/26/2024
Apr 26, 2024
- Optofluidics Platform Keys Label-, Amplification-Free Rapid Diagnostic Tool
Apr 25, 2024
- DUV Lasers Made with Nonlinear Crystals Enhance Lithography Performance
Apr 25, 2024
- Teledyne e2v, Airy3D Collaborate on 3D Vision Solutions
Apr 24, 2024
- One-Step Hologram Generation Speeds 3D Display Creation
Apr 24, 2024
- Innovation Award Winners for Laser Technology Honored in Aachen
Apr 23, 2024
- Intech 2024: AI Arrives on the Shop Floor
Apr 22, 2024