Development of the PETawatt Aquitaine Laser system and new perspectives in physics

The paper describes the preparation of the short-pulse high-energy laser PETawatt Aquitaine Laser (PETAL), which will be coupled to the Laser Megajoule (LMJ) laser of CEA. The LMJ/PETAL facility will be opened for the academic access of European researchers. In parallel, diagnostics are being developed within the PETAL +  project and many physical problems are being addressed ranging from the study of the problems of radiation generation and activation issues to the problem of generation of large electromagnetic pulses.