NIF and Photon Science
LLNL-Led Team Receives DOE Award to Establish IFE Hub
The Energy Department has awarded a four-year, $16 million project to a multi-institutional team led by LLNL to accelerate inertial fusion energy science and technology. This effort will be carried out by a newly established hub named IFE-STARFIRE.
LLNL HBCU Week’s goal is to increase the number of underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Lab staff presented an overview of LLNL research, culture, and career opportunities.
One year after LLNL achieved fusion ignition at NIF, we have expanded our special report The Age of Ignition with more stories explaining how scientific history was made.
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LLNL set a new record for laser energy at NIF, firing 2.2 megajoules (MJ) of energy for the first time on an ignition target. The experiment achieved ignition for the fourth time and delivered the second-highest neutron yield.
In new LLNL experiments at NIF, LLNL scientists measured the extended x-ray absorption fine structure of copper to probe its temperature under extreme pressure.
At work, Tayyab Suratwala leads research into grinding and polishing optics for NIF. In his free time, Suratwala immerses himself in faceting brilliant gemstones.
LLNL’s National Security Engineering Division and Defense Technologies Engineering Division have long histories of providing infrastructure for NIF’s operations.
With 7,500 large optics, 26,000 small optics, and more than 66,000 control points, NIF is a remarkable engineering and technology success story.
Jeff Wisoff, NIF&PS principal associate director, and Jean-Michel Di Nicola, Laser Science & Technology and Systems Engineering organization co-program director, were selected as Optica fellows.
