Physics Division progress report, October 1, 1986--September 30, 1987

This report provides brief accounts of significant progress in development activities and research results achieved by Physics Division personnel during the period October 1, 1986 through September 30, 1987. These efforts are representative of the three main areas of experimental research and development in which the Physics Division serves Los Alamos National Laboratory's and the nation's needs in defense and basic sciences: defense physics, including the development of diagnostic methods for weapons tests, weapon-related high-energy-density physics, and programs supporting the Strategic Defense Initiative; laser physics and applications, especially to high-density plasmas; and fundamental research in nuclear and particle physics, condensed-matter physics, and biophysics. Throughout the report, emphasis is placed on the design, construction, and application of a variety of advanced, often unique, instruments and instrument systems that maintain the Division's position at the leading edge of research and development in the specific fields germane to its mission