How LLNL launched ‘The Age of Ignition’ at NIF
How did LLNL make history at the National Ignition Facility by achieving fusion ignition on Dec. 5, 2022?
Our special expanded report, The Age of Ignition, explains how this was accomplished, how it helps strengthen national security, and what it means for science and energy.
Who Works at NIF: The Zen of the Gem
Dec. 18, 2023-
At work, Tayyab Suratwala leads research into grinding and polishing optics for NIF. In his free time, Suratwala immerses himself in faceting brilliant gemstones. Read more...
The Age of Ignition: Anniversary Edition
Dec. 18, 2023-
A 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.
Probing the Temperature of Materials Under Extreme Pressure at NIF
Dec. 12, 2023-
In new LLNL experiments at NIF, scientists measured the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) of copper to probe its temperature under extreme pressure. The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Video: What is Fusion Ignition
Dec. 12, 2023-
In this edition of LLNL’s Inside the Lab video series, science communicator Maren Hunsberger explains what fusion ignition is, how it happened at NIF, and why is it important. Read more...
Ignition at NIF Makes Google’s Most Searched List
Dec. 12, 2023-
What do Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and LLNL have in common? We’re all on Google’s list of most searched for figures and moments. We appear at the 1:53 mark of this 25 years of Google Search video: View video...
LLNL-Led Team Receives DOE Award to Establish Inertial Fusion Energy Hub
Dec. 7, 2023-
The Energy Department awarded a four-year, $16 million project to a multi-institutional team led by LLNL to accelerate IFE science and technology. This effort will be carried out by a newly established hub named STARFIRE.
Physics World Honors LLNL’s Ignition Breakthrough
Dec. 7, 2023-
LLNL’s fusion ignition achievement at NIF earned an honorable mention on Physics World’s 2023 Top 10 scientific breakthroughs list for work performed late last year after the publication picked its 2022 winners. Read more...
LLNL’s NIF Delivers Record Laser Energy
Nov. 16, 2023-
On Oct. 30, LLNL’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) set a new record for laser energy, firing 2.2 megajoules (MJ) of energy for the first time on an ignition target.
