Abstract
The Laser Megajoule (LMJ) developed by the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies
Alternatives (CEA), will be a cornerstone of the French Simulation Program, which combines
improvement of physics models, high performance numerical simulation, and experimental validation.
LMJ is under construction at CEA CESTA at a primary stage of 1.5 MJ, 370 TW and 176 beams. LMJ
will perform High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) experiments starting from the end of 2014. One of
LMJ’s main goals is to obtain ignition and burn of DT-fi lled capsule imploded, through indirect drive
scheme, inside rugby-shape hohlraum. The PETAL project consists in the addition of one short-pulse
(500 fs to 10 ps) ultra-high-power, high-energy beam (few kJ) to LMJ. PETAL will offer a combination
of a very high intensity multi-petawatt beam, synchronized with the nanosecond beams of LMJ. PETAL
will expand the LMJ experimental fi eld on HEDP.
