Frontiers in Laser Fusion Research

Abstract

There exist two world-class gigantic lasers on the hills of Senri where Osaka Expo'70 was held.One is the glass laser facility named "GEKKO-XII, and the other is the recently constructed ultraintense pico-second pulse laser named "Peta Watt, " which is based on the latest laser technology.With these two lasers, a completely new approach to laser fusion is being investigated.The ultra high density and pressure generated in this approach and only be found in nature inside a star like our sun.The recent results successively published in Nature are highly influential in setting the direction of the world-wide research activities in laser fusion.