(Picture shows the size of Vulcan 20-20 compared to the existing Vulcan building)
The Vulcan 20-20 will deliver a major upgrade the existing Vulcan facility at Central Laser Facility. The new facility will deliver an increase in power of a factor of 20 to 20 PW and an increase in energy by a factor of 10 by upgrading its other beams such that its total energy output is around 20 kJ. This enhancement will enable the UK's high energy density (HED) science community to study the physics of materials under the most extreme conditions, delivering cutting-edge science in a hitherto unexplored regime.
The new facility will contribute to :
- Deliver opportunities for scientific discovery using lasers to investigate matter under extreme conditions such as the ones found in centre of planets
- Drive forward UK research efforts in clean energy based on inertial fusion energy (IFE).
- Provide a diverse and advanced training environment to develop valuable STEM skills across all levels, from apprentice to post-doctoral.
For more on Vulcan 20-20, go here.
To read UKRI's full funding announcement, go here.