International Exawatt Center for Extreme Light Studies (XCELS): Laser System and Experiment Program

The goal of the XCELS (eXawatt Center for Extreme Light Studies) project is to establish a large-scale scientific infrastructure based on laser sources with gigantic peak power. A brief description of the laser system and the radiation focusing system from different channels, taking into account their synchronization, is presented. The program of possible experiments at the XCELS facility is discussed, including experiments to test strong-field quantum electrodynamics, particle acceleration, radiation generation in less accessible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, laboratory astrophysics, high-energy-density processes, extreme light diagnostics, and other applications.