Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory



Helping to Secure the Nuclear Stockpile
National Ignition Facility experiments can simulate the conditions that exist in an exploding nuclear weapon.

In the 1990s the United States ceased underground nuclear testing, and the U.S. Department of Energy created the science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program to maintain the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent without full-scale testing.
With decades of world-leading research on lasers and inertial confinement fusion, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was uniquely positioned to meet the challenge of studying the science of nuclear weapons in the absence of underground testing.
And when the nation needed a new scientific instrument to ensure continued confidence in our nuclear stockpile, LLNL provided a solution—the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and highest-energy laser system (see NIF and Stockpile Stewardship).

Elements of Stewardship Science


High energy density experiments on NIF yield information on the characteristics of materials used in nuclear weapons.
NIF’s unique capabilities provide access to regimes previously inaccessible to weapon scientists.
High-yield ignition experiments enable the stewardship program to explore new physical regimes.
NIF experiments are a key tool for testing the survivability of weapon components in hostile environments.
A key goal of the NIF&PS Directorate is developing new competencies to meet the challenges of the future.
NIF’s Discovery Science Program gives scientists powerful tools to explore the science of the cosmos.

Advancing the State of the Art in S&T


Innovating and developing advanced laser and photonics capabilities.
Developing laser systems for the tactical and strategic laser missions of the 21st century.
Enabling scientific advancement and new commercial applications.
Nuclear fusion offers the potential for virtually unlimited safe, clean energy.

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