$1.5bn laser machine to be built near Sarov Technopark

A $1.5bn dual-purpose powerful laser machine will be built near Sarov Technopark in Diveyevo district in Nizhny Novgorod region.

It was stated  by news agency RIA Novosti reports citing Ildar Ilkayev, scientific leader, Russian Federal Nuclear Center.

Sarov Technopark was founded on basis of Russian Federal Nuclear Center – the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF).

“Federal authorities have announced plans to create the largest laser machine… Similar machine has been built in the US. Another one is currently under construction in France. We will build ours later as it is very expensive, but it will be the best one in the world,” Mr. Ilkayev said.

According to him, the machine power will total 2.8 megajoules, while the US and French lasers have about 2 megajoules in power.

Mr. Ilkaev added that the machine will be used for dual purposes. “On one hand, it will be used for defense purposes, such as studying high energy density physics and dense hot plasma physics, essential in creation of thermo-nuclear weapons. On the other hand, the machine can be of use in energy sector. Many physicists in the world believe in big role of laser thermo-nuclear synthesis in future energy,” Mr. Ilkayev explained.

Read more: http://marchmontnews.com/Technology-Innovation/Volga/18317-15bn-laser-machine-be-built-near-Sarov-Technopark.html