A committee will be formed to prepare a report that will:
1. Survey high intensity science and related technology, including the following:

• Identify science opportunities opened up by ultrafast, high peak power lasers at the frontiers of peak power and average power (“high intensity science”).
• Assess the potential impact of applications associated with high intensity science.
• Assess the status of laser engineering and technology in the United States associated with high intensity science.

2. Review the framework in which high intensity science and the development of related technology is conducted in the United States. Such review should take place in an international context, with efforts in Europe to serve as a benchmark. In doing so, the committee is to address the following questions:

• Is there an explicit or implicit national strategy for stewarding high intensity science in the United States? If not, can one be formulated and if so what would be an appropriate structure for such a strategy?
• Is there a case for a large-scale initiative to coordinate, accelerate, and steward high intensity science at peak and average power well beyond the current state of the art?
• Is there a compelling science case for the construction of a forefront U.S. facility or a staged sequence of facilities in high intensity science at peak powers of 1 petawatt to 1 exawatt? If so, what should the parameters be and what capabilities should be included in such a facility or sequence of facilities?
• Is high peak power laser technology development in the United States being well stewarded? If not, what roadmap should the United States follow for coherently supporting the development of this technology and what new technologies, if any, should be pursued?