Physicists are learning to carve laser beams into intricate shapes that can grab hold of electrons and push them with a ...

Scientists have for the first time observed how atoms in magnesium oxide morph and melt under ultra-harsh conditions, providing new insights into this key mineral within Earth's mantle that is known ...

In high-intensity laser–matter interactions, including laser-induced particle acceleration, physicists generally want to work ...

Radiative shocks are a class of shock waves in which the transport and deposition of radiation play a central role in modulating the shock’s structure and dynamics. These phenomena are not only ...

The properties of dense helium (He) — which happens to be a principal constituent of giant gas planets like Jupiter — at thermodynamic conditions between those of condensed matter and high-temperature ...

At the heart of our sun, fusion is unfolding. As hydrogen atoms merge to form helium, they emit energy, producing the heat ...

Dozens of times over the last decade NASA scientists have launched laser beams at a reflector the size of a paperback novel about 240,000 miles (385,000 kilometers) away from Earth. They announced ...

According to the laboratory, the primary purpose of the laser experiment was to simulate the fusion reaction found inside a nuclear weapon in order to ascertain the reliability of the US nuclear ...

An international collaboration including researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has refined a key process in understanding extreme plasmas such as those found in the sun, stars, at ...

A new experiment has demonstrated something that sounds physically impossible – light itself casting a shadow. It turns out that if you manipulate a laser just right, then hit it side-on with another ...