Surfing a laser wave; toward a tabletop particle accelerator. (new, powerful laser pulses generated)

From: Science News | Date: February 10, 1996| Author: Peterson, Ivars | Copyright information

Donald P. Umstadter and his colleagues have generated short laser pulses that are so powerful they can produce a plasma of charged particles and accelerate them to high energies in a few centimeters. New devices based in the finding could replace the need for huge, expensive accelerator facilities.

Particle accelerators are the behemoths of physics. The Stanford Linear Collider, for example, hurls electrons and positrons down a 2-mile-long tunnel before steering the particles into h...

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