Title :
The Astra Gemini Project a high repetition rate dual beam petawatt laser facility
Author :
Collier, J.L. ; Chekhlov, O. ; Clarke, R.J. ; Divall, E.J. ; Ertel, K. ; Fell, B.D. ; Foster, P.S. ; Hancock, S.J. ; Hooker, C.J. ; Langley, A. ; Martin, Benoit ; Neely, D. ; Smith, J. ; Wyborn, B.E.
Author_Institution :
Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Lab., Chilton, UK
Abstract :
In July 2004 work started on a new dual-beam Ti:S PW laser facility at RAL. Intensities of between 1022 and 1023 Wcm-2 per beam are anticipated. We will describe this and the new science expected. A crucial aspect of the design is that the system will be capable of firing one shot per minute, offering a completely new experimental approach to ultra high intensity physics research.
Keywords :
high-speed optical techniques; laser beams; sapphire; solid lasers; titanium; 1 min; Al2O3:Ti; Astra Gemini Project; dual beam petawatt laser facility; dual-beam Ti:sapphire laser; laser system design; ultra high intensity physics research; Adaptive optics; Laboratories; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Laser theory; Optical amplifiers; Optical pulses; Pulse amplifiers; Pump lasers; Thermal management;
Conference_Titel :
Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference, 2005. QELS '05
Print_ISBN :
1-55752-796-2
DOI :
10.1109/QELS.2005.1549363
