On Dec. 5, 2022, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) launched “The Age of Ignition” with an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) that for the first time produced more energy from a fusion reaction than the energy needed to spark the reaction, a condition known as ignition. This series of articles explains how LLNL made scientific history and what it means for science, national security, and the promise of clean, safe, and abundant energy.
Inside LLNL’s Fusion Breakthrough
Part 1
Star Power: Blazing the Path to Fusion Ignition
Part 2
Designing for Ignition: Precise Changes Yield Historic Results
Part 3
Ignition Experiment Advances Stockpile Stewardship Mission
Part 4
Laser Focused: Power and Finesse Drove Fusion Ignition Success
Part 5
Optics Meet the Demands of Increased Laser Energy
Part 6
Computing Codes, Simulations Helped Make Ignition Possible
Part 7
Diagnostics Were Crucial to LLNL’s Historic Ignition Shot
Part 8
Target Evolution Is a Key to NIF’s Continued Success
Part 9
NIF Sustainment: Ensuring the Next 20 Years of Progress
Part 10
High Performance Computing, AI, and Cognitive Simulation Helped LLNL Conquer Fusion Ignition
Part 11
From “60 Minutes” to “SNL,” Fusion Ignition News Thrusts LLNL into the Zeitgeist
Part 12
Meet the People Behind the Scenes of LLNL’s Historic Ignition Shot