Romania on the map of the world’s top science cities

The future European center for ultra-high power lasers and laser-matter interaction in Magurele is set to turn Romania into a point of interest for researchers the world over.

Corina Cristea, 13.09.2013, 13:13

The Magurele science complex lies 4 km away from Bucharest, and has started construction on the most advanced infrastructure in the world for the study of photon radiation. Starting in 2017, this will be the home of the strongest laser in the world, the nuclear physics component of the Extreme Light Infrastructure European project.

The other two components of the project will be in Prague, the high-energy beam science component, and in Szeged, Hungary, for extremely short duration laser bursts. The future European center for ultra-high power lasers and laser-matter interaction in Magurele is set to turn Romania into a point of interest for researchers the world over. In Magurele, the European commissioner for regional policies, Johannes Hahn, talked about the potential of this center of research.

He said that this was an important moment not only for Romania, but for the whole of Europe, and that the EU provides an important part of the funding for it. He added that it was the first time when regional funds co-finance basic research, and that there are two reasons for that. For one thing, such infrastructure attracts researchers and students, being a step forward in stemming the brain drain, attracting people to science. For another, this project puts Europe on the world map of nuclear physics research, using the latest in laser technology.

Researchers in Magurele say that this will break down barriers in physics. This latest in laser technology is a world first in physics in general, not just in Romania. For the first time, a laser beam will bombard a beam of gamma particles sent by an accelerator. Both these large sized pieces of equipment, the laser and the gamma particle accelerator, are way over the threshold of power that other existing systems have.

The laser will have a power of over 10 million watts. By comparison, the strongest lasers right now are in the UK and the US, and are 10 times weaker. The complex will be set on seismic dampeners, because the slightest tremor may cause a disaster. One of the buildings will have 12 underground levels, the other eight. The center will be the equivalent of the Swiss CERN. The Swiss center works with elementary particles, while the center in Magurele will study the interaction between EM radiation and matter. It will be unique not just by its size, but by its features.

Nicolae Zamfir, director of the Nuclear Physics and Engineering Institute, coordinator of the ELI project for Romania, says: “ELI is way beyond anything that exists in the world today, it is the only building in the world of its kind. This protection against vibration will be provided by the fact that every inch of this building with a surface of hundreds of thousands of square meters lies on huge springs that dampen every vibration, while the temperature and humidity are regulated by a huge 5 megawatt system, with all the power provided from thermal water sources. It will be the largest green building in Europe. It will provide for fundamental research and for applied research, with hundreds of scientists all over the world providing proposals.”

According to scientists, the laser in Magurele is so powerful that it could mutate matter. The areas of impact for this research range from cancer treatment to destroying radioactive waste. Physicist Andrei Dorobantu told us that, when used in cancer treatment, the laser is able to reach full power only when it reaches a tumor, without harming surrounding tissue. The Magurele laser will also be used for creating radioactive materials for medical use, radio isotopes to treat a variety of diseases. Another application would be the ability to test nuclear reactors while they are running.

Security and terrorism prevention would also gain from the existence of such a laser, helping in border security checks. Researchers also hope to solve one of the worst problems of nuclear energy, which is spent fuel. Some spent fuels remain radioactive for millions of years, but may be obliterated using this laser. The project puts Romania at the forefront of photon beams with extreme properties, and opens up the way for novel research.