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SLAC scientists investigate the properties of warm dense matter, shocks, and high-intensity laser-plasma interactions.

Demo with a water jet in a high energy density science laser lab.
News Brief

With a new method that could be extended to study Earth’s core and nuclear fusion, they identify and explain jumps in the electrical conductivity...

Illustration of a short laser pulse heating a sheet of aluminum, causing it to melt and break up into droplets.
News Brief

The team unexpectedly formed gold hydride in an experiment that could pave the way for studying materials under extreme conditions like those found inside...

Intense pulses from an X-ray free-electron laser heat compressed samples of hydrocarbons to extreme conditions, resulting in the reaction of gold and hydrogen to form gold hydride.
News Brief

As a member of a collaborative team led by General Atomics, SLAC will help bridge basic research programs with the growing fusion industry. 

Graphic representation of lasers hitting a fusion fuel target in a fusion target chamber
News Brief

Scientists studying laser-plasma proton acceleration made an unexpected breakthrough, simultaneously resolving multiple long-standing problems although they had only aimed to address one. 

Graphic depiction of a laser beam going through a water target
news collection

Harnessing nuclear fusion would bring the clean, unlimited energy of the stars to Earth.

fusion energy illustration
News Brief

This research advances our understanding of Earth's deep interior and exoplanets, opening new research avenues in Earth and planetary sciences.

mec_super_earth
News Brief

An X-ray imaging technique revealed that copper nanofoams used in inertial fusion experiments aren't as uniform as expected.

Green blobs on a blue background.
Past Event

Double your pressure, double your fun! Join us for SLAC on Tap on May 9, when SLAC scientist and rock star Arianna Gleason will...

SLAC on tap promo with Arianna Gleason
Feature

Researchers have uncovered new insights about tungsten's ability to conduct heat, which could lead to materials advancements for fusion reactor and aerospace technologies.

tungsten
Feature

Following the NIF ignition demonstrations, the prospect of developing a fusion energy source using lasers looks brighter than ever. 

Illustration featuring three SLAC scientists Alan Fry, Arianna Gleason, and Siegfried Glenzer.
Feature

The research could lead to a better understanding of how metals behave under extreme conditions, which will aid in the development of more resilient...

phonon hardening
Feature

A new experiment suggests that this exotic precipitation forms at even lower pressures and temperatures than previously thought and could influence the unusual magnetic...

Diamond rain