University of California at San Diego researchers John Pasley and Farhat Beg participate in the Laboratory’s Institute for Laser Science Applications. Pasley and Beg are collaborating on an ILSA academic team working with Lab researchers who are studying fast ignition for inertial confinement fusion energy at the Jupiter Laser Facility.

 
  ILSA Research Areas

  • High-intensity/high-energy laser applications within high-energy-density laboratory plasma topics
  • HED science topics in the areas such as ICF, laser fusion energy
    (e.g. fast ignition), laboratory astrophysics, etc.
  • Interaction physics with ultra-high intensity (Petawatt and similar) lasers
  • Laser-plasma interactions in laser-driven plasmas (NIF and other lasers)
  • Study of laser-irradiated matter under extreme conditions
  • Advanced plasma diagnostics

 
  ILSA Mission

ILSA’s mission is to strengthen the research interactions in the field of high-power lasers and their applications between LLNL and the academic community. As part of this mission, ILSA oversees access for students and faculty to existing LLNL experimental facilities in order to facilitate training and research for university students and faculty in areas important to the Department of Energy (DOE) in high energy density (HED) science with lasers. HED science, often referred to as Science at the Extremes, can be thought of as a new era of science research.

Spring of 2009 will see the completion of the NIF laser project leading to ignition and HED science experiments. The academic use of the Jupiter Laser Facility will provide a bridge to the future university-use program with NIF. Both Jupiter and ILSA are administratively managed by LLNL's Physical Sciences Directorate. ILSA facilitates academic collaborations involving one or more of the JLF laser systems.