Atoms and Plasmas
in Super-Intense
Laser fields

December 22, 2010
The first announcement is available.
» first announcements

The advent of laser systems capable of delivering very short pulses and very high intensities has made accessible new regimes to experimental investigations and has opened new horizons in the interaction of laser fields with atoms, solids and plasmas. In these extreme conditions, electrons are accelerated at velocities close to the velocity of light and electromagnetic fields become much larger than atomic electric fields, so that strongly non-linear and relativistic interactions take place. The traditional distinction between solids and atoms on one side and plasmas on the other side tends to vanish and exotic states of matter are created. A large variety of applications has arisen, from novel light and X-ray sources, to new particle acceleration techniques and the "fast ignition" approach to Inertial Confinement Fusion. In particular the recent programme HiPER supported by the European Union which aims at at designing a large laser facility for achieving Inertial Fusion and studying advanced ignition schemes (fast ignition, shock ignition).
The Course will cover areas of interest to the atomic physics and to the plasma physics scientific communities and is opened in particular to students and researchers wishing to enter this new field. Lectures and specialised seminars will cover current developments in theory and experiments but are also intended to give the basics of the field.
Poster sessions allowing participants to show their work are planned. (poster dimension 1m x 1,20m).