prague

The iodide laser was sold to the Czech Academy of Sciences last spring by the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, near Munich, for a token cost of DM1 (US$0.56). It was one of a series of Asterix lasers developed in Garching and optimized for laser and X-ray plasma experiments. It had additional support from the European Commission, and was used by scientists from many countries.

If financing is maintained, the laser is to be housed in an academy campus on the outskirts of Prague and run by the academy's institutes of physics and plasma physics, which are also on the campus. The Max Planck Institute decided to get rid of the laser after reorienting its research plans. Under its contract with Prague, its scientists will continue to have free access to the laser when in operation.

The Czech academy hopes to maintain the laser's status as an international facility through domestic and foreign sup port. But it knows that if there is too long a delay in getting the laser operational, its circle of users will be lost.