Nuclear physics studies using high energy lasers

Abstract This paper presents several mechanisms expected to be responsible for nuclear excitation in laser-heated plasma. Attempts to detect such processes in nuclei initially in their ground state are discussed in 181 Ta and 235 U cases. A calculation of the nuclear excitation by electronic transition (NEET) rate is presented in a 201 Hg plasma at local thermodynamic equilibrium. We also report on a new way of de-exciting isomeric states in plasma. This indirect decay mode is illustrated in the case of the 84 Rb isomer nucleus.