Muons are unstable subatomic particles that spontaneously and rapidly transform into other particles via a process known as ...

The ZEUS laser facility at the University of Michigan has roughly doubled the peak power of any other laser in the U.S. with its first official experiment at 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts). At more ...

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 ...

The big picture: With its first 2-petawatt experiment successfully completed, ZEUS is poised to push the boundaries of high-field science, providing researchers with a powerful new tool for discovery ...

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

What occurs when you subject a metal renowned for its stability, blast it with a laser pulse only 45 femtoseconds in duration, and heat it to 19,000 kelvins but it won’t melt? Physicists had long ...

Schematics of the all-optical nonlinear Compton scattering experiment showing laser-driven electron acceleration, electron-laser collision, and Compton scattering to produce gamma rays. In a ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. A laser named after the most powerful god in ancient Greece is ...

Experts at the BELLA Center used dual laser beams focused onto a sheet of gas to reach a milestone energy in laser-driven electron acceleration. Four members of the larger team gathered with the ...