Technical Visit(s)

Technical visits to CEA and Ariane Group sites will be organised on Thursday, 22 May 2025, approximately from 14:00 - 17:00. Exact timings will be announced soon.

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The Laser Mégajoule (LMJ), developed and operated by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), is a state-of-the-art research facility located at the CESTA site in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Designed to study matter under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure—similar to those encountered in thermonuclear plasmas—the LMJ has been operational since late 2014. It plays a crucial role in safeguarding the reliability and safety of France's nuclear deterrent by enabling advanced high-energy-density physics experiments.

The LMJ consists of 176 laser beams, generated by flash-lamp-pumped neodymium-doped glass lasers emitting light at a wavelength of 1.053 µm. These beams undergo frequency tripling to achieve a wavelength of 0.351 µm (ultraviolet light) before being precisely directed onto a target located within a 10-meter-diameter aluminum spherical chamber. This configuration allows the LMJ to deliver shaped laser pulses with adjustable durations ranging from 0.7 to 25 nanoseconds. At full capacity, the system should achieve a maximum energy of 1.3 megajoules and peak power of 400 terawatts in ultraviolet light.

In 2017, the LMJ's capabilities were supplemented with the addition of PETAL (PETawatt Aquitaine Laser), an ultra-high-power short-pulse laser. PETAL can deliver pulses lasting between 500 femtoseconds and 10 picoseconds, reaching energy levels of up to 1 kilojoule. This broadens the experimental range of the LMJ, enabling the exploration of previously inaccessible regimes in high-energy-density physics and fundamental science.

Access to the LMJ-PETAL facility for academic research is managed by the Association Lasers and Plasmas (ALP) (https://www.asso-alp.fr/), which coordinates experimental proposals and fosters scientific collaborations between researchers and the CEA in the framework of the CEA opening program. Experiments conducted at LMJ-PETAL provide insights into processes like stellar nucleosynthesis, planetary formation, and inertial confinement fusion, a promising approach for clean energy generation. This partnership ensures that the LMJ-PETAL remains at the forefront of scientific innovation, facilitating groundbreaking research and technological advancements.

In summary, the Laser Mégajoule is a cornerstone of high-energy physics research, uniquely positioned to explore matter under extreme conditions. Its dual role in supporting national defense and enabling cutting-edge scientific discovery highlights its significance as an invaluable asset for advancing our understanding of the universe and developing transformative technologies for the future.