scholarly journals Comparison of the recently proposed super-Marx generator approach to thermonuclear ignition with the deuterium-tritium laser fusion-fission hybrid concept by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 053103 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Winterberg
Keyword(s):  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Marx Generator ◽  
Hybrid Concept ◽  
Thermonuclear Ignition

scholarly journals The National Ignition Facility: the path to a carbon-free energy future

2012 ◽  
Vol 370 (1973) ◽  
pp. 4115-4129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Stolz
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Basic Science ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Laser System ◽  
Energy Gain ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
Thermonuclear Ignition

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and most energetic laser system, is now operational at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The NIF will enable exploration of scientific problems in national strategic security, basic science and fusion energy. One of the early NIF goals centres on achieving laboratory-scale thermonuclear ignition and energy gain, demonstrating the feasibility of laser fusion as a viable source of clean, carbon-free energy. This talk will discuss the precision technology and engineering challenges of building the NIF and those we must overcome to make fusion energy a commercial reality.

Laser nuclear fusion: current status, challenges and prospect

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 729-738
Author(s):  
J. Badziak
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spot ◽  
Nuclear Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Thermonuclear Reactor ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Beam Laser

Abstract In 2009, in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, National Ignition Facility (NIF) - the largest thermonuclear fusion device ever made was launched. Its main part is a multi-beam laser whose energy in nanosecond pulse exceeds 1MJ (106 J). Its task is to compress DT fuel to the density over a few thousand times higher than that of solid-state DT and heat it to 100 millions of K degrees. In this case, the process of fuel compression and heating is realized in an indirect way - laser radiation (in UV range) is converted in the so-called hohlraum (1 cm cylinder with a spherical DT pellet inside) into very intense soft X radiation symmetrically illuminating DT pellet. For the first time ever, the fusion device’s energetic parameters are sufficient for the achieving the ignition and self-sustained burn of thermonuclear fuel on a scale allowing for the generation of energy far bigger than that delivered to the fuel. The main purpose of the current experimental campaign on NIF is bringing about, within the next two-three years, a controlled thermonuclear ‘big bang’ in which the fusion energy will exceed the energy delivered by the laser at least ten times. The expected ‘big bang’ would be the culmination of fifty years of international efforts aiming at demonstrating both physical and technical feasibility of generating, in a controlled way, the energy from nuclear fusion in inertial confined plasma and would pave the way for practical realization of the laser-driven thermonuclear reactor. This paper briefly reviews the basic current concepts of laser fusion and main problems and challenges facing the research community dealing with this field. In particular, the conventional, central hot spot ignition approach to laser fusion is discussed together with the more recent ones - fast ignition, shock ignition and impact ignition fusion. The research projects directed towards building an experimental laser-driven thermonuclear reactor are presented as well

scholarly journals Direct-drive laser fusion: status, plans and future

2020 ◽  
Vol 379 (2189) ◽  
pp. 20200011 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Campbell ◽  
T. C. Sangster ◽  
V. N. Goncharov ◽  
J. D. Zuegel ◽  
S. F. B. Morse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Plasma ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Energy Coupling ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Laser Fusion ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Direct Drive

Laser-direct drive (LDD), along with laser indirect (X-ray) drive (LID) and magnetic drive with pulsed power, is one of the three viable inertial confinement fusion approaches to achieving fusion ignition and gain in the laboratory. The LDD programme is primarily being executed at both the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. LDD research at Omega includes cryogenic implosions, fundamental physics including material properties, hydrodynamics and laser–plasma interaction physics. LDD research on the NIF is focused on energy coupling and laser–plasma interactions physics at ignition-scale plasmas. Limited implosions on the NIF in the ‘polar-drive’ configuration, where the irradiation geometry is configured for LID, are also a feature of LDD research. The ability to conduct research over a large range of energy, power and scale size using both Omega and the NIF is a major positive aspect of LDD research that reduces the risk in scaling from OMEGA to megajoule-class lasers. The paper will summarize the present status of LDD research and plans for the future with the goal of ultimately achieving a burning plasma in the laboratory. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

Lattice QCD on GPU clusters, using the QUDA library and the Chroma software system

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 386-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bálint Joó ◽  
Mike A. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Chromodynamics ◽  
Graphics Processing Units ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Application Framework ◽  
Software System ◽  
Nuclear Forces ◽  
Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics ◽  
Lattice Quantum ◽  
Strong Scaling

The QUDA library for optimized lattice quantum chromodynamics using GPUs, combined with a high-level application framework such as the Chroma software system, provides a powerful tool for computing quark propagators, a key step in current calculations of hadron spectroscopy, nuclear structure, and nuclear forces. In this contribution we discuss our experiences, including performance and strong scaling of the QUDA library and Chroma on the Edge Cluster at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and on various clusters at Jefferson Lab. We highlight some scientific successes and consider future directions for graphics processing units in lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations.

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