A powerful new source of high-energy protons
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

Nearly 20 years ago, researchers conducting experiments on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s (LLNL) Nova Petawatt laser system-the world`s first quadrillion-watt laser-discovered that when the system`s intense short-pulse laser beams struck a thin foil target, an unexpected torrent of high-energy electrons and protons streamed off the back of the target.