News

Observation of a Reflected Shock in a NIF Implosion

LLNL researchers and collaborators reported the first detailed observation of the second phase of a NIF spherical implosion in a Physical Review Letters paper published online on June 4.

NIF X-ray Spectrometers Commissioned

In early June the NIF Team conducted two successful x-ray shots to performance-commission two of the new NIF x-ray spectrometers (NXS’s) funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and built by the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester.

First Isotope-Specific Radiograph Using MEGa-rays Produced

LLNL and its partners have conducted a series of experiments to validate the performance of the LLNL-patented Dual Isotope Notch Observation (DINO) detector system.

Plans to Increase NIF’s Shot Rate Capability Described

Planning, scheduling, and efficiency changes designed to increase NIF’s productivity were discussed by Acting NIF&PS Principal Associate Director Jeff Wisoff in Directorate All-Hands meetings on March 12.

HAPLS Diode Power Delivery System Components Demonstrated

The first demonstration of components of the short-pulse diode-pumped solid-state laser system (DPSSL) for the High Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System has been conducted. A key component of a DPSSL is the diode power conditioning required to drive the 3.2 megawatts of diode light used to pump the gain media of the laser.

Nature Article Reports on Fuel Gain Achieved In NIF High-Foot Experiments

An article in the Feb. 12 online issue of the journal Nature reports that through the use of the “high-foot” implosion process developed by the NIF/Weapons and Complex Integration team, fusion fuel gains exceeding unity have been achieved for the first time on any facility.

Successful ‘Mini-Campaigns’ Demonstrate New NIF Shot Cycle Efficiencies

The NIF Operations Team conducted a series of 10 back-to-back shots, including seven target shots, during the first week of February.

Lasers Provide Insights Into Formation of Galactic Magnetic Fields

The use of high-power lasers to study the mysterious origins of huge magnetic fields that span the galaxies was described by Gianluca Gregori of the University of Oxford at an Aug. 9 High Energy Density Science Seminar.

Reducing the Time to Grow Good Cryogenic Layers

One of the most demanding aspects of preparing targets for NIF ignition experiments is growing the wafer-thin layer of solid deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel in the target capsule. Only 69 microns wide–about two-thirds the average width of a human hair–and frozen to 18.5 kelvins (minus-426 degrees Fahrenheit), the "DT ice" layer must be extremely smooth and free of grooves or other defects before...

MIT Plasma Science Lab Develops NIF Diagnostics

A typical NIF experiment is over in a few billionths of a second. Obtaining meaningful information about what occurs during this extremely brief time period, in and around a tiny target, has required the design and development of a new breed of detectors, cameras, and other diagnostic instruments, many of which have been created through partnerships with universities and national laboratories...

Photons & Fusion Newsletter - September 2011

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has signed a memorandum of agreement with two long-term partners from the United Kingdom