The development of high intensity lasers has opened up new opportunities for nuclear physics studies in extreme conditions which cannot be reached with conventional particle accelerators. A laser is a unique tool to produce plasma and very high fluxes of photon and particle beams in very short duration pulses. Both aspects are of great interest for fundamental nuclear physics studies. In plasma the electron–ions collisions may modify atomic and nuclear level properties. This is of prime importance for the population of isomeric states and the issue of energy storage in nuclei. Nuclear properties in the presence of very high electromagnetic fields, nuclear reaction rates or properties in hot and dense plasmas are new domains of investigation. Our group has launched an experimental program to evaluate the possibilities for such nuclear physics studies at high intensity laser facilities. This program and its first results are presented.
Nuclear fusion by laser radiation