scholarly journals Remote Attenuation System Target Diagnostics National Ignition Facility Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Clancy
Keyword(s):  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
National Ignition Facility

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.

scholarly journals Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in high-energy density settings on the National Ignition Facility

2018 ◽  
Vol 116 (37) ◽  
pp. 18233-18238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Remington ◽  
Hye-Sook Park ◽  
Daniel T. Casey ◽  
Robert M. Cavallo ◽  
Daniel S. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Material Strength ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
Rt Instability

The Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability occurs at an interface between two fluids of differing density during an acceleration. These instabilities can occur in very diverse settings, from inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions over spatial scales of∼10−3−10−1cm (10–1,000 μm) to supernova explosions at spatial scales of∼1012cm and larger. We describe experiments and techniques for reducing (“stabilizing”) RT growth in high-energy density (HED) settings on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Three unique regimes of stabilization are described: (i) at an ablation front, (ii) behind a radiative shock, and (iii) due to material strength. For comparison, we also show results from nonstabilized “classical” RT instability evolution in HED regimes on the NIF. Examples from experiments on the NIF in each regime are given. These phenomena also occur in several astrophysical scenarios and planetary science [Drake R (2005)Plasma Phys Controlled Fusion47:B419–B440; Dahl TW, Stevenson DJ (2010)Earth Planet Sci Lett295:177–186].

scholarly journals Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's activities to achieve ignition by X-ray drive on the National Ignition Facility

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. KILKENNY ◽  
T.P. BERNAT ◽  
B.A. HAMMEL ◽  
R.L. KAUFFMAN ◽  
O.L. LANDEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Sandia National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Naval Research ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Omega Laser

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a MJ-class glass laser-based facility funded by the Department of Energy which has achieved thermonuclear ignition and moderate gain as one of its main objectives. In the summer of 1998, the project was about 40% complete, and design and construction was on schedule and on cost. The NIF will start firing onto targets in 2001, and will achieve full energy in 2004. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) together with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have the main responsibility for achieving X-ray driven ignition on the NIF. In the 1990s, a comprehensive series of experiments on Nova at LLNL, followed by recent experiments on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester, demonstrated confidence in understanding the physics of X-ray drive implosions. The same physics at equivalent scales is used in calculations to predict target performance on the NIF, giving credence to calculations of ignition on the NIF. An integrated program of work in preparing the NIF for X-ray driven ignition in about 2007, and the key issues being addressed on the current Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) facilities [(Nova, Omega, Z at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and NIKE at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)], are described.

Inertial Confinement Fusion Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: The National Ignition Facility, Inertial Fusion Energy, 100–1000 TW Lasers, and the Fast Igniter Concept

1997 ◽  
Vol 06 (04) ◽  
pp. 507-533
Author(s):  
W. Howard Lowdermilk
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Peak Power ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
Confinement Fusion

The ultimate goal of worldwide research in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is to develop fusion as an inexhaustible, economic, environmentally safe source of electric power. Following nearly thirty years of laboratory and underground fusion experiments, the next step toward this goal is to demonstrate ignition and propagating burn of fusion fuel in the laboratory. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project is being constructed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for just this purpose. NIF will use advanced Nd-glass laser technology to deliver 1.8 MJ of 0.35 μm laser light in a shaped pulse, several nanoseconds in duration, achieving a peak power of 500 TW. A national community of U.S. laboratories is participating in this project, now in its final design phase. France and the United Kingdom are collaborating on development of required technology under bilateral agreements with the US. This paper presents key aspects of the laser design, and descriptions of principal laser and optical components. Follow-on development of lasers to meet the demands of an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant is reviewed. In parallel with the NIF Project and IFE developments, work is proceeding on ultrashort pulse lasers with peak power in the range of 100–1000 TW. A beamline on the Nova laser at LLNL recently delivered nearly 600 J of 1 μm light in a 0.5 ps duration pulse, for a peak power in excess of a petawatt (1015 W). This beamline, with advanced adaptive optics, will be capable of focused intensities in excess of 1021 W/cm2. Its primary purpose will be to test technological and scientific aspects of an alternate ignition concept, called the "Fast Igniter", that has the potential to produce higher fusion gain than conventional ICF.

scholarly journals Clean Construction Protocol for the National Ignition Facility Beampath and Utilities

2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Sommer ◽  
Irving Stowers ◽  
David Van Doren
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
National Ignition Facility ◽  
Optical Components ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Utility Systems ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
Laser Induced Damage

When the stadium-size National Ignition Facility (NIF) is fully operational at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), its 192 laser beams will deliver 1.8 megajoules (500 terawatts) of energy onto a target to create extremely high temperatures and pressures for inertial confinement fusion research as part of the Stockpile Stewardship Program. Due to the performance threshold and requirements of the NIF optical components, the optics and their surrounding beampath as well as the supporting utility systems must be fabricated, cleaned, assembled, and commissioned for precision cleanliness. This paper will provide an overview of the NIF cleanliness requirements, the Clean Construction Protocol (CCP) specifications for the beampath and clean utilities, and techniques for verifying the CCP specifications. The NIF cleanliness requirements define limits for molecular and particulate contamination. The goal of these limits is to prevent contamination of optical components. To prevent laser-induced damage and poor laser quality in the optical components, requirements for cleaning, assembly, installation, and commissioning in terms of particle and nonvolatile residue (NVR) levels are defined. The airborne cleanliness requirements in the interior of the beampath are Class 1 (ISO Class 3) particulate levels and a few parts-per-billion (ppb) airborne molecular contamination (AMC) (SEMI F21-95 MC-1,000). To achieve the cleanliness requirements for the beampath interior, a graded CCP approach is used as the NIF beampath and utilities are being constructed by a partnership between LLNL and the construction contractor, Jacobs Facilities Inc. (JFI) in a stadium-size Class 100,000 (ISO Class 8) building. Installation of the beampath components utilizes localized mini-environments of Class 100 (ISO Class 5) or better, with budgets of cleanliness exposure or "class-hours" for each clean connection. Garment, equipment, and operational considerations are evaluated with process verification. Verification of the beampath and utility cleanliness is performed with cleanliness exposure monitoring, evaluating particulates with "swipes" and the LLNL-developed Precision Cleanliness Verification System (PCVS), and measuring nonvolatile residues (NVRs) and AMCs with analytical chemistry techniques. Cleanliness verification results demonstrate that the CCP specifications are achieving the NIF cleanliness requirements for the beampath and clean utilities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document