The focus of this study was to develop a method to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining useful and high-value resources from Phoenix dactylifera residues and, to determine the physical and chemical properties of the ash of dates-palm-tree remains. Date-palm leaves and fiber samples were combusted for 50 s, using an Nd: YAG laser with 40 W output power. It was found, that combustion of one gram of agricultural waste could be completed in 50 s and 40 W by laser while 10 g required 1.5–10 min and 300–800 W power by microwave and at least 2 h with 1500 W power for conventional heating for 10 g. The subjects of this treatment, the leaves and fiber samples, before and after combustion were investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The XRD results of the palm-fiber after combustion reveal that the samples were crystallized with a rhombohedral phase of acetamide and hatrurite, orthorhombic finite, and Ca₄Si₂O₆(CO₃)(OH)₂, and a monoclinic phase of ikaite properties. The XRD patterns of palm-leaf after combustion reveal that the samples were crystallized with orthorhombic hillebrandite, rhombohedral acetamide, and the monoclinic phase of each karpatite, morganite, and howlite. Finally, the FTIR exhibited several absorbance peaks, assigned to silica.

The time-of-flight technique coupled with semiconductor detectors is a powerful instrument to provide real-time characterization of ions accelerated because of laser–matter interactions. Nevertheless, the presence of strong electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) generated during the interactions can severely hinder its employment. For this reason, the diagnostic system must be designed to have high EMP shielding. Here we present a new advanced prototype of detector, developed at ENEA-Centro Ricerche Frascati (Italy), with a large-area (15 mm × 15 mm) polycrystalline diamond sensor having 150 μm thickness. The tailored detector design and testing ensure high sensitivity and, thanks to the fast temporal response, high-energy resolution of the reconstructed ion spectrum. The detector was offline calibrated and then successfully tested during an experimental campaign carried out at the PHELIX laser facility ( ${E}_L\sim$ 100 J, ${\tau}_L = 750$ fs, ${I}_L\sim \left(1{-}2.5\right)\times {10}^{19}$ W/cm²) at GSI (Germany). The high rejection to EMP fields was demonstrated and suitable calibrated spectra of the accelerated protons were obtained.

The quantum vacuum plays a central role in physics. Quantum electrodynamics (QED) predicts that the properties of the fermionic quantum vacuum can be probed by extremely large electromagnetic fields. The typical field amplitudes required correspond to the onset of the ‘optical breakdown’ of this vacuum, expected at light intensities >4.7×10²⁹ W/cm². Approaching this ‘Schwinger limit’ would enable testing of major but still unverified predictions of QED. Yet, the Schwinger limit is seven orders of magnitude above the present record in light intensity achieved by high-power lasers. To close this considerable gap, a promising paradigm consists of reflecting these laser beams off a mirror in relativistic motion, to induce a Doppler effect that compresses the light pulse in time down to the attosecond range and converts it to shorter wavelengths, which can then be focused much more tightly than the initial laser light. However, this faces a major experimental hurdle: how to generate such relativistic mirrors? In this article, we explain how this challenge could nowadays be tackled by using so-called ‘relativistic plasma mirrors’. We argue that approaching the Schwinger limit in the coming years by applying this scheme to the latest generation of petawatt-class lasers is a challenging but realistic objective.

随着大型激光装置的建立和精密测量技术的发展，强激光与固体相互作用成为实验室产生温稠密物质的一个重要手段。温稠密物质的结构复杂性、瞬态性和非平衡性给理论建模和实验测量带来了巨大挑战。本文系统介绍了激光产生温稠密物质的实验手段和理论模拟方法方面的重要进展，分析了其中的电子激发动力学、电子-离子能量弛豫过程、离子动力学等物理过程，总结了温稠密物质状态诊断的实验技术和理论方法，并论述了激光产生温稠密物质的发展趋势。