The Texas Center for High Intensity Laser Science (TCHILS) was established in July 2003 and from September 2010 TCHILS was transformed into the Center for High Energy Density Science (CHEDS) as an Organized Research Unit within the University of Texas College of Natural Sciences.
CHEDS is presently funded principally by the High Energy Density Science Program in the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Science. CHEDS operates the Texas Petawatt Laser, one of the few Petawatt power lasers operating world-wide and offers user access to this facility through the DOE’s LaserNetUS network.
CHEDS performs research on a wide range of topics involving the interaction of high intensity light with matter and high energy density plasmas. One of its main missions is to train graduate and undergraduate students in these research areas and give them access to state-of-the-art high intensity lasers for their research.