C.R. Wuest

The National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a stadium-sized facility that, when completed in 2008, will contain a 192-beam, 1.8-megajoule, 500-terawatt, ultraviolet laser system together with a 10-m-diam target chamber and room for 100 diagnostics. NIF is the worlds largest and most energetic laser ex- perimental system and will provide a scientific center to study inertial confinement fusion and matter at extreme energy densities and pres- sures. NIFs energetic laser beams will compress fusion targets to con- ditions required for thermonuclear burn, liberating more energy than re- quired to initiate the fusion reactions. Other NIF experiments will study physical processes at temperatures approaching 10 8 K and 10 11 bar, conditions that exist naturally only in the interior of stars and planets. NIF has completed the first phases of its laser commissioning program. The first four beams of NIF have generated 106 kJ in 23-ns pulses of infrared light and over 16 kJ in 3.5-ns pulses at the third harmonic (351 nm). NIFs target experimental systems are being commissioned and experi- ments have begun. This work provides a detailed look at the NIF laser systems, laser and optical performance, and results from recent laser commissioning shots. We follow this with a discussion of NIFs high- energy-density and inertial fusion experimental capabilities, the first ex- periments on NIF, and plans for future capabilities of this unique facility.

The National Ignition Facility: enabling fusion ignition for the 21st century

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, when completed in 2008, will contain a 192-beam, 1.8?MJ, 500?TW, ultraviolet laser system together with a 10?m diameter target chamber and room for 100 diagnostics. NIF is housed in a 26?000?m2 environmentally controlled building and is the worlds largest and most energetic laser experimental system. NIF provides a scientific centre for the study of inertial confinement fusion and the physics of matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. NIFs energetic laser beams will compress fusion targets to conditions required for thermonuclear burn, liberating more energy than required to initiate the fusion reactions. Other NIF experiments will study physical processes at temperatures and pressures approaching 108?K and 1011?bar, respectively, conditions that exist naturally only in the interior of stars and planets. NIF is currently configured with four laser beams activated in late 2002. These beams are being regularly used for laser performance and physics experiments, and to date nearly 250 system shots have been conducted. NIFs laser beams have generated 106?kJ in 23?ns pulses of infrared light and over 16?kJ in 3.5?ns pulses at the third harmonic (351?nm). A number of target experimental systems are being commissioned in support of experimental campaigns. This paper provides a detailed look at the NIF laser systems, laser and optical performance, and results from laser commissioning shots. We also discuss NIFs high-energy density and inertial fusion experimental capabilities, the first experiments on NIF, and plans for future capabilities of this unique facility.

The National Ignition Facility: Laser Performance and First Experiments

Abstract The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a stadium-sized facility containing a 192-beam, 1.8-Megajoule, 500-Terawatt, ultraviolet laser system together with a 10-meter diameter target chamber with room for nearly 100 experimental diagnostics. NIF will be the world’s largest and most energetic laser experimental system, providing a scientific center to study inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. NIF’s energetic laser beams will compress fusion targets to conditions required for thermonuclear burn, liberating more energy than required to initiate the fusion reactions. Other NIF experiments will study physical processes at temperatures approaching 108 K and 1011 bar, conditions that exist naturally only in the interior of stars, planets and in nuclear weapons. NIF has successfully activated, commissioned, and utilized the first four beams of the laser system to conduct over 300 shots between November 2002 and August 2004. NIF laser scientists have established that the laser meets nearly all performance requirements on a per beam basis for energy, uniformity, timing, and pulse shape. Using these four beams, ICF and high-energy-density physics researchers have conducted a number of experimental campaigns resulting in high quality data that could not be reached on any other laser system. We discuss the successful NIF Early Light Program including details of laser performance, examples of experiments performed to date, and recent advances in the ICF Program that enhance prospects for successful achievement of fusion ignition on NIF.

The National Ignition Facility: Status and Plans for Laser Fusion and High-Energy-Density Experimental Studies

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), currently under construction at the University of California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is a stadium-sized facility containing a 192-beam, 1.8-MJ, 500-TW, 351-nm laser system and a 10-m-diam target chamber with room for nearly 100 experimental diagnostics. NIF is being built by the National Nuclear Security Administration and when completed will be the world’s largest laser experimental system, providing a national center to study inertial confinement fusion and the physics of matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. NIF will provide 192 energetic laser beams that will compress small fusion targets to conditions where they will ignite and burn, liberating more energy than is required to initiate the fusion reactions. NIF experiments will allow the study of physical processes at temperatures approaching 100 million K and 100 billion times atmospheric pressure. These conditions exist naturally only in the interior of stars and in nuclear weapons explosions. In the course of designing the world’s most energetic laser system, a number of significant technology breakthroughs have been achieved. Research is also underway to develop a shorter pulse capability on NIF for very high power and extreme electromagnetic field research and applications. We discuss here the technology challenges and solutions that have made NIF possible, along with enhancements to NIF’s design that could lead to near-exawatt power levels.

The National Ignition Facility: the world's largest optics and laser system

The National Ignition Facility, a center for the study of high energy density plasma physics and fusion energy ignition, is currently under construction at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The heart of the NIF is a frequency tripled, flashlamp-pumped Nd:glass laser system comprised of 192 independent laser beams. The laser system is capable of gen-erating output energies of 1.8MJ at 351nm and at peak powers of 500 TW in a flexible temporal pulse format. A descrip-tion of the NIF laser system and its major components is presented. We also discuss the manufacture of nearly 7500 pre-cision large optics required by the NIF including data on the manufactured optical quality vs. specification. In addition, we present results from an on-going program to improve the operational lifetime of optics exposed to high fluence in the 351-nm section of the laser.

Further results on cerium fluoride crystals

Abstract A systematic investigation of the properties of cerium fluoride monocrystals has been performed by the “Crystal Clear” collaboration in view of a p

IMB-3: a large water Cherenkov detector for nucleon decay and neutrino interactions

Abstract The IMB experiment, a large water Cherenkov detector which began data collection in September 1982, has undergone several upgrades to improve light collection, on-line processing power, data throughput and buffering, calibration, and operating efficiency. The current device, known as IMB-3, enjoys a factor of four light collection advantage over its precursor. Since May 1986, it has been used to search for such diverse phenomena as nucleon decay, dark matter, neutrino oscillation, and magnetic monopoles, and to study stellar collapse and cosmic rays. Due to its large size and long exposure time IMB presents unique challenges. The design and operation of the IMB-3 detector are described in detail.

A waveshifter light collector for a water Cherenkov detector

Abstract A device has been developed which is capable of doubling the light collection capability of a 5 inch hemispherical photomultiplier tube. Known as a “waveshifter plate”, its geometry is adaptable to various applications. Its marginal cost is small with respect to that of a phototube, it is readily removable, and it has minimum effect upon dark noise and timing resolution.

Tests of Cathode Strip Chamber Prototypes

Abstract We report on the results of testing two six-layer 0.6 × 0.6 m 2 cathode strip chamber (CSC) prototypes in a muon beam at CERN. The prototypes were designed to simulate sections of the end-cap muon system of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector which will be installed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We measured the spatial and time resolutions of each chamber for different gains, different orientations with respect to the beam direction and different strength magnetic fields. The single-layer spatial resolution of a prototype with a strip pitch of 15.88 mm ranged from 78 to 468 μm, depending on whether the particle passed between two cathode strips or through the center of a strip; its six-layer resolution was found to be 44 μm. The single-layer spatial resolution of a prototype with a strip pitch of 6.35 mm ranged from 54 to 66 μm; its six-layer resolution was found to be 23 μm. The efficiency for collecting an anode wire signal from one of six layers within a 20 ns time window appropriate for the LHC was found to be greater than 95% in normal running conditions.

The IMB photomultiplier test facility

Abstract An automatic system for testing up to 32 photomultiplier tubes (PMs) simultaneously under single photon counting conditions has been used to measure characteristics of more than 2500 PMs for use in the Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven (IMB) proton decay experiment, 2048 tubes (64 EMI 9834B 8″ diameter, and 1984 EMI 9870B 5″ diameter) were selected for use in the 8000 m3 IMB water Cherenkov detector, now in operation for over a year. The PM test system is described and results of testing are presented along with PM performance in the IMB detector over the last year. In general, we find that the tube characteristics have smaller fluctuations than expected and that the tubes have proven to be reliable under rugged handling and operating conditions. On the basis of our experience, we make suggestions as to new industry standards for PMs to be used in particle counting.