25 September 2004	Saturday	09 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The government has decided to launch a project to explore future sources of energy. This will be the first project of its kind in Pakistan.

Sources said the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has sought huge funding from the government to establish Laser Plasma Interaction Research Laboratory as it warranted "heavy investment" in the shape of foreign exchange.

The government has initially indicated to extend Rs200 million in foreign currency to set up the first phase of the project. The government was informed by the PAEC that developed countries especially the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan were spending billions of dollars to find out future sources of energy.

Even countries like Israel and India have also done a great deal in this area of research. Laser-plasma interaction is more than 40-year old in the world and it has made tremendous progress with rapid changes in the field of high power lasers.

The project, to be established at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), would focus on 'Inertial Confinement Fusion' (ICF) as a future source of energy.

"Within five years, this laboratory is expected to produce quality research papers thus enabling us to initiate future ICF programme if desired by the government," said the PAEC in a document submitted to the government.

Laser-Plasma Interaction Research is primarily meant for realization of fusion energy source, but with the advent of 'Table-Top-Terrawatt Laser Systems', now it has also become extremely attractive area for basic research in physics including astrophysics, high-energy physics, QED etc.

"It is the first project of its kind in the country with great research and application prospects. However, it involves a heavy investment which could not be obtained so far," the PAEC said.

With the equipment proposed by the PAEC, following experiments could be done: generation and measurement of spontaneous magnetic fields - MG in laser produced plasmas, generation of X-rays in laser produced plasmas, generation of electron and ion beams in laser produced plasmas, Laser Plasma acceleration of electrons/ions up to the relativistic regime, generation of ultra-short X-rays pulses and their application in the study of ultra-fast crystal dynamics etc.