The goal of the Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield project is to develop laboratory capabilities to create and measure extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, and radiation - including the thermonuclear burn conditions approaching those in a nuclear explosion - that are relevant to a nuclear weapon’s performance.  NNSA conducts the related weapons research in these particular environments, which are known as high energy density physics.

This project has four strategic objectives related to the study of these high energy density conditions:

1. Achieve ignition, or fusion reactions, in the laboratory and develop it as a scientific tool for stockpile stewardship and maintenance;
2. Execute the high energy density experiments that are necessary to provide advanced assessment capabilities for stockpile stewardship and maintenance;
3. Develop advanced technology capabilities that support the long-term needs of NNSA; and
4. Maintain a robust infrastructure and scientific talent in the high energy density physics field across NNSA’s nuclear weapons complex.

Demonstration of thermonuclear ignition in the laboratory is a critical goal for NNSA.  An ignition provides a unique capability to access the burning plasma conditions of a nuclear weapon in a laboratory setting without having to conduct an underground test.  Achieving ignition and then being able to assess and study it will allow NNSA to effectively address many weapon performance issues related to thermonuclear burn.

In order to demonstrate ignition, NNSA is building the world’s most powerful laser – the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Construction on NIF started in 1997, and NNSA continues to provide the necessary research, technology development, procurement, engineering, and integration of hardware to perform a credible first ignition experiment on NIF  The achievement of laboratory ignition on NIF, together with the contributions from other facilities of the NNSA nuclear weapons complex, will provide an important and critical component of the science basis for nuclear warhead design, assessment and certification.

Once completed, NIF will be a 192-beam laser system and a 10-meter diameter target chamber that will be able to conduct repeatable, controlled laboratory experiments.  These experiments will address high energy density and fusion aspects of the performance of the critical components of nuclear weapons.  NIF will provide NNSA with the principle experimental capability to achieve thermonuclear fusion burn – a key part of the operation of a nuclear weapons weapon.

In addition to NIF, NNSA utilizes two other world-class research facilities that are now in final stages of completion: the Z Refurbishment pulsed power facility at NNSA’s Sandia National Laboratories and the OMEGA Extended Performance at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics.  These facilities will be used to supplement the activities conducted at the NIF and are being used now to conduct experiments in support of stockpile stewardship.

While providing essential services for the country’s nuclear security, the academic community will be able to use each of these three facilities as well.

This project will enable the implementation of NNSA’s future vision by providing a major piece of the scientific and technological base necessary to respond quickly to stockpile changes or evolving national requirements.  In addition, the efforts at NIF are particularly important experiments that will be used for integrated tests of the advanced simulation tools used in stockpile assessment and certification.