Ignition on the National Ignition Facility

Abstract

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and most powerful laser system for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and experiments studying high energy density (HED) science, is nearing completion at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). NIF is a 192-beam Nd-glass laser facility that will produce 1.8 MJ, 500 TW of ultraviolet light, making it over fifty times more energetic than present ICF facilities. The NIF Project, begun in 1995, is over 90% complete and is scheduled for completion in 2009. The building and the entire beam path have been completed. The Project is presently installing the optics and electronics to build out the beams and is commissioning them in the laser bays. By September 2007, all of the lasers in one of the two laser bays will be commissioned with the capability of producing over 2 MJ of 1ω (1.05 μm) light, making NIF the world's first mega Joule laser system. A year later, the laser system will be essentially complete. Experiments using one beam in the Precision Diagnostic System (PDS) have shown that NIF can meet all of its 3ω light performance goals including energy, power, focusing, and shot rate and has the precision and accuracy required for ignition pulse performance. The plan is to have half of the beams commissioned to the target chamber in a symmetric geometry to begin 96-beam symmetric indirect-drive experiments. These first ICF experiments using more than 200 kJ of 3ω light will have an order of magnitude more energy than presently available and represent the beginning of experiments preparing for ignition. This national effort for ignition experiments is coordinated through a detailed plan called the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) that includes the science, technology, and equipment such as diagnostics, cryogenic target manipulator, and user optics required for ignition experiments. The goal is to have all of the equipment operational and integrated into the facility soon after Project completion to begin ignition experiments in 2010. In addition, experiments will begin to investigate HED science for defense and basic science applications. With over 50 times more energy than present facilities and the ability to produce ignition, NIF will explore new physics regimes. Following project completion in 2009, facility time at NIF will be allocated to the broad user community using the process outlined in a formal governance plan. A NIF User Office has been established to coordinate use of NIF by the national security and other user communities.