LULI activities in the field of high-power laser-matter interaction

LULI will play an important role as a major laser ICF and IFE support facil ity in Europe after recent or future changes (ASTERIX-Garching, CEA-Limeil) in large laser system programs. We will review the research activities whi ch have been carried out at LULI during the last 2 years both in the nanose cond regime and in the subpicosecond ultraintense regime. As part of the LU LI upgrade project, a new 30-J, 300-fs, 100-TW ultraintense laser chain has been commissioned in 1997. This laser has allowed the first complete demon stration of wakefield electron acceleration and is presently used to study new concepts in laser fusion and laser-plasma interaction experiments in th e relativistic regime.