title: Overview of laser systems for the Orion facility at the AWE.
abstract: The commissioning of the Orion laser facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in the UK has recently been completed. The facility is a twelve beam Nd:glass-based system for studying high energy density physics. It consists of ten frequency-tripled beam-lines operating with nanosecond pulses, synchronized with two beam-lines with subpicosecond pulses, each capable of delivering 500 J to target. One of the short pulse beams has the option of frequency doubling, at reduced aperture, to yield up to 100 J at 527 nm in a subpicosecond pulse with high temporal contrast. An extensive array of target diagnostics is provided. This article describes the laser design and commissioning and presents key performance data of the facility's laser systems.
authors.affiliation: Plasma Physics Department, AWE plc, Aldermaston, Reading, UK. nick.hopps@awe.co.uk
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hopps
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Danson
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsmere
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girling
authors.forename: Ewan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hillier
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Treadwell
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bett