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Title: Description of the NIF Laser

Abstract

The possibility of imploding small capsules to produce mini-fusion explosions was explored soon after the first thermonuclear explosions in the early 1950s. Various technologies have been pursued to achieve the focused power and energy required for laboratory-scale fusion. Each technology has its own challenges. For example, electron and ion beams can deliver the large amounts of energy but must contend with Coulomb repulsion forces that make focusing these beams a daunting challenge. The demonstration of the first laser in 1960 provided a new option. Energy from laser beams can be focused and deposited within a small volume; the challenge became whether a practical laser system can be constructed that delivers the power and energy required while meeting all other demands for achieving a high-density, symmetric implosion. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the laser designed and built to meet the challenges for study of high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. This study describes the architecture, systems, and subsystems of NIF. Finally, it describes how they partner with each other to meet these new, complex demands and describes how laser science and technology were woven together to bring NIF into reality.

Authors:
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  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1256427
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-658239
Journal ID: ISSN 1536-1055
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Fusion Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 69; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1536-1055
Publisher:
American Nuclear Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 42 ENGINEERING; ICF; laser; fusion driver; NIF laser

Citation Formats

Spaeth, M. L., Manes, K. R., Kalantar, D. H., Miller, P. E., Heebner, J. E., Bliss, E. S., Spec, D. R., Parham, T. G., Whitman, P. K., Wegner, P. J., Baisden, P. A., Menapace, J. A., Bowers, M. W., Cohen, S. J., Suratwala, T. I., Di Nicola, J. M., Newton, M. A., Adams, J. J., Trenholme, J. B., Finucane, R. G., Bonanno, R. E., Rardin, D. C., Arnold, P. A., Dixit, S. N., Erbert, G. V., Erlandson, A. C., Fair, J. E., Feigenbaum, E., Gourdin, W. H., Hawley, R. A., Honig, J., House, R. K., Jancaitis, K. S., LaFortune, K. N., Larson, D. W., Le Galloudec, B. J., Lindl, J. D., MacGowan, B. J., Marshall, C. D., McCandless, K. P., McCracken, R. W., Montesanti, R. C., Moses, E. I., Nostrand, M. C., Pryatel, J. A., Roberts, V. S., Rodriguez, S. B., Rowe, A. W., Sacks, R. A., Salmon, J. T., Shaw, M. J., Sommer, S., Stolz, C. J., Tietbohl, G. L., Widmayer, C. C., and Zacharias, R. Description of the NIF Laser. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.13182/FST15-144.
Spaeth, M. L., Manes, K. R., Kalantar, D. H., Miller, P. E., Heebner, J. E., Bliss, E. S., Spec, D. R., Parham, T. G., Whitman, P. K., Wegner, P. J., Baisden, P. A., Menapace, J. A., Bowers, M. W., Cohen, S. J., Suratwala, T. I., Di Nicola, J. M., Newton, M. A., Adams, J. J., Trenholme, J. B., Finucane, R. G., Bonanno, R. E., Rardin, D. C., Arnold, P. A., Dixit, S. N., Erbert, G. V., Erlandson, A. C., Fair, J. E., Feigenbaum, E., Gourdin, W. H., Hawley, R. A., Honig, J., House, R. K., Jancaitis, K. S., LaFortune, K. N., Larson, D. W., Le Galloudec, B. J., Lindl, J. D., MacGowan, B. J., Marshall, C. D., McCandless, K. P., McCracken, R. W., Montesanti, R. C., Moses, E. I., Nostrand, M. C., Pryatel, J. A., Roberts, V. S., Rodriguez, S. B., Rowe, A. W., Sacks, R. A., Salmon, J. T., Shaw, M. J., Sommer, S., Stolz, C. J., Tietbohl, G. L., Widmayer, C. C., & Zacharias, R. Description of the NIF Laser. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST15-144
Spaeth, M. L., Manes, K. R., Kalantar, D. H., Miller, P. E., Heebner, J. E., Bliss, E. S., Spec, D. R., Parham, T. G., Whitman, P. K., Wegner, P. J., Baisden, P. A., Menapace, J. A., Bowers, M. W., Cohen, S. J., Suratwala, T. I., Di Nicola, J. M., Newton, M. A., Adams, J. J., Trenholme, J. B., Finucane, R. G., Bonanno, R. E., Rardin, D. C., Arnold, P. A., Dixit, S. N., Erbert, G. V., Erlandson, A. C., Fair, J. E., Feigenbaum, E., Gourdin, W. H., Hawley, R. A., Honig, J., House, R. K., Jancaitis, K. S., LaFortune, K. N., Larson, D. W., Le Galloudec, B. J., Lindl, J. D., MacGowan, B. J., Marshall, C. D., McCandless, K. P., McCracken, R. W., Montesanti, R. C., Moses, E. I., Nostrand, M. C., Pryatel, J. A., Roberts, V. S., Rodriguez, S. B., Rowe, A. W., Sacks, R. A., Salmon, J. T., Shaw, M. J., Sommer, S., Stolz, C. J., Tietbohl, G. L., Widmayer, C. C., and Zacharias, R. 2017. "Description of the NIF Laser". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST15-144. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1256427.
@article{osti_1256427,
title = {Description of the NIF Laser},
author = {Spaeth, M. L. and Manes, K. R. and Kalantar, D. H. and Miller, P. E. and Heebner, J. E. and Bliss, E. S. and Spec, D. R. and Parham, T. G. and Whitman, P. K. and Wegner, P. J. and Baisden, P. A. and Menapace, J. A. and Bowers, M. W. and Cohen, S. J. and Suratwala, T. I. and Di Nicola, J. M. and Newton, M. A. and Adams, J. J. and Trenholme, J. B. and Finucane, R. G. and Bonanno, R. E. and Rardin, D. C. and Arnold, P. A. and Dixit, S. N. and Erbert, G. V. and Erlandson, A. C. and Fair, J. E. and Feigenbaum, E. and Gourdin, W. H. and Hawley, R. A. and Honig, J. and House, R. K. and Jancaitis, K. S. and LaFortune, K. N. and Larson, D. W. and Le Galloudec, B. J. and Lindl, J. D. and MacGowan, B. J. and Marshall, C. D. and McCandless, K. P. and McCracken, R. W. and Montesanti, R. C. and Moses, E. I. and Nostrand, M. C. and Pryatel, J. A. and Roberts, V. S. and Rodriguez, S. B. and Rowe, A. W. and Sacks, R. A. and Salmon, J. T. and Shaw, M. J. and Sommer, S. and Stolz, C. J. and Tietbohl, G. L. and Widmayer, C. C. and Zacharias, R.},
abstractNote = {The possibility of imploding small capsules to produce mini-fusion explosions was explored soon after the first thermonuclear explosions in the early 1950s. Various technologies have been pursued to achieve the focused power and energy required for laboratory-scale fusion. Each technology has its own challenges. For example, electron and ion beams can deliver the large amounts of energy but must contend with Coulomb repulsion forces that make focusing these beams a daunting challenge. The demonstration of the first laser in 1960 provided a new option. Energy from laser beams can be focused and deposited within a small volume; the challenge became whether a practical laser system can be constructed that delivers the power and energy required while meeting all other demands for achieving a high-density, symmetric implosion. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the laser designed and built to meet the challenges for study of high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. This study describes the architecture, systems, and subsystems of NIF. Finally, it describes how they partner with each other to meet these new, complex demands and describes how laser science and technology were woven together to bring NIF into reality.},
doi = {10.13182/FST15-144},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1256427}, journal = {Fusion Science and Technology},
issn = {1536-1055},
number = 1,
volume = 69,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Thu Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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Cited by: 166 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

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