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LCLS Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) RSS feed

The LCLS beam with its high peak brightness, short pulse duration, and tunable X-ray photon energy provides revolutionary capabilities to study the transient behavior of matter in extreme conditions. The particular strength of the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument is to combine the unique LCLS beam with high power optical laser beams, and a suite of dedicated diagnostics tailored for this field of science.

Scientists prepare for an experiment in the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) chamber.

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She toured the lab’s powerful X-ray laser, looked at the construction of the world’s largest digital camera, and discussed climate research, industries of the...

Secretary Granholm virtual visit
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Edward Hohenstein, Emma McBride and Caterina Vernieri study what happens to molecules hit by light, recreate extreme states of matter like those inside stars...

Early Career Awardees 2021
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The initiative will give scientists more access to powerful lasers at universities and labs.

LaserNetUS
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It could offer insights into the evolution of planetary systems and guide scientists hoping to harness nuclear fusion as a new source of energy.

Scattered photons
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Learning how liquid silicates behave at these extreme temperatures and pressures has been a longstanding challenge in the geosciences.

atomic arrangements of liquid silicates at the extreme conditions found in the core-mantle boundary.
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Siegfried Glenzer's team and collaborators from Tel Aviv University are working on a method that could make proton accelerators 100 times smaller without giving...

Glenzer-LaserProtonAcceleration
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Chemist Ben Ofori-Okai investigates what happens to matter under extreme conditions at microscopic scales to better understand its behavior at massive scales, such as...

Ben Ofori-Okai
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In the decade since LCLS produced its first light, it has pushed boundaries in countless areas of discovery.

Undulator Hall
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Researchers used a unique approach to learn more about what happens to silicon under intense pressure.

silicon waves
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The initiative will give scientists more access to powerful lasers at universities and labs.

MEC LaserNet
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In a first, researchers measure extremely small and fast changes that occur in plasma when it’s zapped with a laser. Their technique will have...

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

Panofsky Fellows 2018