An ISTC delegation took part in a conference organized by the International Committee on Ultra-High Intensity Lasers (ICUIL) from 26 September to 01 October at the University of Rochester, New York. Representatives of the leading research centers worldwide took part in the conference. The two main Russian nuclear research centers, VNIIEF and VNIITF, participated in the framework of ISTC activities.

ISTC Deputy Executive Director Waclaw Gudowski hosted a special session on “ISTC Ultra-High Intensity Light Science and Technologies Targeted Initiative” focused on the Center’s involvement in this field. Russian scientists presented their work and explained the cooperation between Russian institutes and ISTC. 

The aim of the event was to generate discussions among scientists from various countries to stimulate collaborative work on the development of the next generation of ultra-high intensity lasers, exploring new areas of fundamental and applied research, and forming a global research network. The latest developments in the field of ultra-high intensity lasers lead to new opportunities beyond traditional fields of application. New areas apply to plasma physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and the future is very promising in the field of nuclear fusion. 

Preliminary discussions started on the organization of a workshop on the ISTC Targeted Initiative in spring 2011, at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Japan, in spring 2011.