Call for proposals (laser-only) for beamtime from Sept. 2026 - end 2027
We hereby invite you to submit experiment proposals in the framework of FAIR Phase-0 for the high-energy/high-power laser PHELIX – i.e. laser- only experiments, no laser-ion combinations!
As in the present situation granted experiments with ions cannot run, laser time might be offered already from September 2026 onwards up to end of 2027. Due to the very short time up to Sept. 2026, please indicate in your proposal when you could run the experiment!
Experiments at our laser facility Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion EXperiments (PHELIX) cover a variety of research fields, e.g. atomic physics, plasma physics, extreme matter physics, laser-particle acceleration. In the present call a total of approx. 170 shifts of PHELIX beamtime can be offered corresponding to roughly 8 to 9 experiments. Submission is open until April 13, 2026.
Proposal Submission:
Proposals are to be submittedvia the website-based platform GATE (https://gate.gsi.de), where a description of the planned experiment (pdf) is to be uploaded. The pdf is to be structured as explained under: https://www.gsi.de/index.php?id=10725 Editing the forms can be interrupted and resumed at any time, allowing a later upload of the proposal text or re-editing of entries. Therefore, it is recommended to begin editing as early as possible.
Each participant of a proposal is required to register1 at GATE and it so be included as co-called Co-Proposer. In particular, we urgently ask you to consult the Link Scientist of the experimental site in question as soon as possible and well before final submission to discuss technical details and feasibility of the experiment, and for guidance with the application forms. The Link Scientist is chosen in the GATE forms, and can be contacted e.g., via GATE upon a first draft completion of all forms in the step ‘Submit’.
Please note that due to current European sanctions participants with Russian or Belarussian affiliation cannot be participants in experiment proposals at GSI/FAIR.
For questions on GATE: GATE-Help@gsi.de (Karin Füssel)
For information on the process: short GATE manual and www.gsi.de/ppac
After Submission:
The Scientific Management will ask an external Program Advisory Committee for evaluation of proposals before granting beamtime2. Beamtime granted in this round will expire after the period indicated in this ‘Call’.
Technical Information & Contacts:
PHELIX can provide access for laser experiments in the PHELIX hall, and alternatively at the Z6 target station at UNILAC and at HHT at SIS18. For information on current PHELIX and experimental parameters, please refer to www.gsi.de/PHELIX-parameters or contact the respective person responsible for the target station of interest:
Petawatt target area (PTA): V. Bagnoud (v.bagnoud(at)gsi.de), P. Neumayer (p.neumayer(at)gsi.de)
X-ray laboratory: V. Bagnoud (v.bagnoud(at)gsi.de), P. Neumayer (p.neumayer(at)gsi.de)
Z6 target area: A. Blazevic (a.blazevic(at)gsi.de), D. Schumacher (de.schumacher(at)gsi.de)
HHT target area: P. Neumayer (p.neumayer(at)gsi.de)
Further contacts:
Details on the laser and laser diagnostics: Vincent Bagnoud (v.bagnoud(at)gsi.de)
PPAC Scientific Secretary: Karin Füssel (k.fuessel(at)gsi.de)
TNA Funding:
Applicants eligible to the European funding program 'Lasers4EU' are encouraged to submit a funding application additionally to 'Lasers4EU' (https://lasers4.eu) for obtaining financial support. Indicating during proposal submission your interest in this funding serves as internal information only and does not replace a dedicated funding application at Lasers4EU. Note that Lasers4EU offers financial support for researchers from Europe, and to some extent also for users from non-EU countries.
GSI-Contact on Lasers4EU: Zsuzsanna Slattery-Major (Z.Slattery-Major(at)gsi.de)
Research Data Management Plan (RDMP):
Currently, a RDMP is not obligatory but recommended for accepted experiment proposals. For more information see:
https://wiki.gsi.de/pub/OpenScience/WebHome/DMP_Proposals_Doc.pdf
(1) All participants of a proposal or experiment need to register themselves and allow being searchable for other users. General Data Protection Regulation GDPR apply according to Art. 13 and 14 DSGVO: Staff Management Board GDPR english
(2) Beamtime is granted at no charge within the framework of the Helmholtz Association: "Rahmenrichtlinie über die Nutzung von Forschungsanlagen der Helmholtz-Zentren durch Dritte” (1.3.2000), §II. 1.2. GSI/FAIR need to report to funding agencies on user operation and user communities in form of statistical data.
Please note that GSI does not cover the consumables and investments necessary for running an experiment.
