Research using intense ion and laser beams at GSI

Research on dense plasma physics and high energy density in matter has a long tradition at Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI). Using high energy lasers coupled to the GSI accelerator, questions of the ion stopping and charge state distribution in dense plasmas have been addressed. Intense bunches of energetic ions provide a unique tool to isochorically heat matter to the largely unknown non-ideal plasma state. Recently, with the improved beam intensities of the SIS-18 and the first stage of the PHELIX (Petawatt High Energy Laser for Ion experiments) laser becoming operational new areas of research have become accessible with respect to the solid state plasma, energy loss of heavy ions in ionized matter, x-ray lasers and laser based ion acceleration. The goal of our experimental program focuses in a more detailed analysis of ion stopping in plasmas, improved diagnostic access to beam and target parameters, investigation of ion induced hydrodynamics and the development of new diagnostic tools using ultra-intense laser beam generated ions. In this paper we report on latest experimental results of the existing laser and ion beam experiments and report on the status of the PHELIX laser.