The principal focus of the current work is supporting the Orion project, in taking the physics design of the laser and its components as the starting point for the design of the installed hardware.
This challenging task – the mechanical hardware must be virtually immune to vibration and thermally-induced variation – is accomplished using modern engineering design methodologies. Staff are also developing the integrated software control system, which help operate the laser facility, from charging the capacitor banks and monitoring shot-preparations to downloading the diagnostic data after each shot.
The other aspect, in relation to the Plasma Physics research programme, of the engineering activities is to provide close support to both the experimental and Laser operations teams. Although the HELEN laser is a mature facility, the ongoing laser development and the experimental physics programmes require that bespoke engineering solutions be provided, from shielded snouts for diagnostics (to protect the instruments from X-ray and or physical damage from the target), to the electrical control systems for diagnostics designed and built at AWE.
In both areas, the work can range from computer-aided design (CAD) modelling of large scale vacuum vessels, to the intricate electronics required for fast streak-cameras, to writing and testing the software control system for the laser facility.