The chirped
pulse amplification (CPA) technique has opened new perspectives in the
radiation-matter interaction studies using ultra-short laser pulses
at ultra-relativistic intensities. In particular the original idea,
proposed by Tajima and Dawson, of accelerating electrons by the huge
electric fields of plasma waves which develop in the wake of a laser
pulse propagating in a plasma, become feasible. Some laboratories all
over the world have produced by such a technique collimated electron
busts of hundreds of MeV along acceleration lengths of a few hundreds
of microns. In other experiments, using thin solid targets, intense
bursts of energetic protons have been at the same time detected. The
proton acceleration mechanism is essentially based on the Coulomb force
appearing at the thin solid target surface as a consequence of the previous
escape of the energetic electrons from the target. In the talk some
experimental results will be presented as well as the opportunities
the INFN PLASMONX project will offer in this research field at LNF.