HERA

The CRONOS platform brings together two academic laser facilities in the Paris region dedicated to laser shock applications: HERA and HEPHAISTOS.

The HERA facility, located at the LULI on the Ecole Polytechnique site, offers a 200 Joule beam at 1053 nm, for a variable duration between 5-15 ns, with a 1 shot/20 min. The installation is equipped with a permanent experimental environment (vacuum chamber, VISAR diagnostics, rapid visualization, absorption, ballistic pendulum) allowing studies on the behavior of materials under extreme conditions (of pressure and temperature) and laser-matter interaction at low and medium fluxes in relation to academic questions on the origin of the universe. A second laser beam, with the same characteristics, will be available in 2023.

The HEPHAISTOS facility, located at the PIMM on the ENSAM site in Paris, delivers two 7 Joule beams in 10 ns at 532 nm, 2Hz, and offers 4 experiment rooms for confined water or solid state.

The CRONOS platform addresses industrial issues such as structural lightening to reduce emissions, protection of space debris, monitoring and life span of parts in service, safety of systems in extreme conditions and dismantling/recycling of composite materials.