Their work will deepen our understanding of matter in extreme conditions and fundamental particle physics.

A new way to observe this deformation as it happens can help study a wide range of phenomena, from meteor impacts to high-performance ceramics used in armor, as well as how to protect spacecraft from high-speed dust impacts.

Tripling the energy and refining the shape of optical laser pulses at LCLS’s Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument allows researchers to recreate higher-pressure conditions and explore unsolved questions relevant to fusion energy, plasma physics and materials science.

Frederico Fiuza and his team are conducting thorough investigations of plasma physics to discern the fundamental processes that accelerate particles.