Progress in inertial confinement fusion at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The goals of the Inertial Fusion Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are to study matter under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure and to produce fusion energy from inertially confined fusion fuel. With the conclusion of recent multi-kilojoule 0.53 ..mu..m experiments on Novette, we have demonstrated vastly improved plasma conditions compared to those previously obtained at LLNL with similar energies at 1.06 ..mu..m and elsewhere with 10 ..mu..m radiation. The lower preheat environment obtainable with short wavelength light has led to 3X improvements in the compression of targets on Novette compared to similar targets on Shiva with 1.06 ..mu..m. Subsequent experiments on Nova with short wavelength light will begin in 1985. They are expected to demonstrate the necessary compression conditions required for high gain fusion to occur when irradiated with a multi-megajoule driver. These recent results, together with improved calculations, and innovations in driver and reactor technology, indicate that high gain inertial fusion will occur and is a viable candidate for fusion power production in the future.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6617833
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-90558; CONF-840910-11; ON: DE84016227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Progress in inertial fusion at LLNL
Progress in inertial fusion at LLNL
Related Subjects
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
AMPLIFICATION
CONFINEMENT
DOCUMENT TYPES
GAIN
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LASERS
NEODYMIUM LASERS
NOVA FACILITY
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVIEWS
SOLID STATE LASERS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS