The University of Strathclyde has just made the acquisition of one of the lasers the most powerful in the world. Designed and manufactured by Thales, it is able to emit a wave intense light equivalent to 20 times the total energy consumed on Earth, captured in a fraction of a second.
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This device, a value of more than 4 million euros (3.5 million pounds sterling), can generate a very high density of energy with the repetition rate the highest among the lasers currently in operation in a university laboratory. It can recreate briefly the physical conditions, such as pressure and temperature, that can be found in the stars.
The scientific applications of the laser are many : medical imaging, radiation therapy, and generation of radio-isotopes for cancer therapy and imaging, among others. The laser was installed by Thales in the Centre SCAPA (Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerators), University of Strathclyde, which conducts research on accelerator technologies and radiation generation.
According to professor Gregor Welsh, academic researcher at the physics Department of the University and director of SCAPA, ” This laser is dedicated to academic laboratories holds an average power of the highest in the world.
It acts as a light source, which is necessary in its various applications, and generates pulses of X-rays short enough to take snapshots of molecular processes or in the solid state “.
The laser may generate beams that can reach a power of 350 terawatts (350×1012 W) or the equivalent of 20 times the energy consumed on our planet or the solar energy reaching the Earth over an area of 500 x 500 km in the space of 25 femtoseconds (25×10-15). It can produce energy up to 14 joules per pulse at a rate of 5 pulses per second (5 hertz).
This laser, designed and manufactured by Thales, has been funded by Strathclyde and by the Alliance for Physics scottish Universities (SUPA) in the framework of a partnership for the sharing of resources, strategic planning and expertise in the field of physical research.
The Framework of excellence in research 2014 (the Research Excellence Framework), a rating system comprehensive research in british universities, classified the search in physics from the University of Strathclyde in the first place with 96 % of results being considered to be first-class or excellent quality on a global scale.
About the University of Strathclyde
The university of Strathclyde is a technological university of international renown, located in the heart of Glasgow, the largest city of Scotland. His commitment to the “luseful learning” to guide its strategy for research, education and teaching, as well as his collaborations with different companies and global organizations.
Research is at the heart of all work carried out by the University of Strathclyde. It shapes the teaching and can make the difference in business, industry and society in general. The Center for Innovation & Technology of the University which owns the conferencing tools of the most modern and flexible of Glasgow transforms the collaboration between Strathclyde and its partners. The progress of Strathclyde are significant by their results and the quality of the research. As shown in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), the University of Strathclyde is now part of the top 20 research-intensive universities of the United Kingdom.
The reputation and influence of the University are world leading, while remaining anchored in the heart of Glasgow and of the ecosystem in scotland. Strathclyde contributes actively to the social life, culture and economy of Scotland by his dynamic presence, its community of international students, as a major employer and through its proactive engagement with the municipality to stimulate the growth of Glasgow.
Founded in 1796 by Professor John Anderson “for the good of humanity,” and to become ” a place of useful learning “, Strathclyde was the only university institution to be founded in Scotland during the Enlightenment.
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