High Energy Density Science

Researchers at SLAC's High-Energy Density Science (HEDS) division explore the physical characteristics of warm dense matter, shocks, and intense laser-plasma interactions within the relativistic regime. Employing exceptionally energetic nanosecond lasers, powerful short-pulse lasers, and vivid x-ray sources, they create advanced probing methods based on fundamental principles, complemented by top-notch theoretical and simulation capabilities.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

HEDS Latest News

News

Researchers hoped to clarify the boundaries between different types of superionic water – the hot, black ice believed to exist at the core of...

Researchers paired ultrafast X-rays with specialized instruments to study the atomic stacking structures of superionic water – a hot, black and strangely conductive form of ice that is believed to exist in the center of giant ice planets like Neptune and Uranus

News

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...

A short laser pulse (red) heats a sheet of aluminum, causing it to melt and break up into droplets. Below, a terahertz pulse (gray) passes through the now molten metal.

News

To achieve peak energy output, inertial fusion energy targets must be perfectly symmetrical and perform under extreme temperatures and pressures. Researchers at SLAC are...