lasers.llnl.govNIF and Photon Science

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory National Ignition Facility & Photon Science About What Is NIF? The Seven Wonders of NIF How NIF Works Anatomy of a NIF Shot Power Conditioning System Injection Laser System Amplifiers Beam Transport Final Optics Target Chamber Keys to Our Success Facility Operations Power and Energy Control Systems Optics Targets Diagnostics Efficiency Improvements A Legacy of Lasers Who Works for NIF&PS? People Profiles Management Developing the Workforce Who Partners with NIF&PS? Enduring Partnerships Technology Transfer Careers FAQs Visit Us Science NIF and Stockpile Stewardship High Energy Density Science Advancing Weapon Physics Achieving Fusion Ignition National Security Applications Developing New Capabilities Discovery Science Lab Astrophysics Nuclear Astrophysics Planetary Physics Plasma Physics Expanding Photonics Frontiers DOD Technologies Advanced Optical Technologies Advanced Photon Technologies Advanced Laser Systems Fiber Lasers Materials for Laser Systems Exploring Energy Security Journal Articles Inertial Fusion Energy References NIF Users NIF User Portal User Guide Experimental Capabilities Shot RI Resources Call for Proposals Prior Year Awards 2022 Awarded Campaigns 2021 Awarded Campaigns 2020 Awarded Campaigns 2019 Awarded Campaigns 2018 Awarded Campaigns 2017 Awarded Campaigns 2016 Awarded Campaigns 2015 Awarded Campaigns 2014 Awarded Campaigns NIF User Group Bylaws Executive Board NIF Calendar Target Shot Metrics Conflict of Interest Policy Jupiter Laser Facility Multimedia Photo Gallery Poster Gallery Video Gallery Education How Lasers Work How to Make a Star Outreach Scholar Internship Program Seminars Student Spotlight Tours Glossary External Resources Newsroom The Age of Ignition Experimental Highlights Efficiency Improvements Science & Technology Meetings and Workshops Papers and Presentations NIF&PS People In the News Press Kit Careers Contact home /How LLNL launched ‘The Age of Ignition’ at NIF How did LLNL make history at the National Ignition Facility by achieving fusion ignition on Dec. 5, 2022? Our special expanded report, The Age of Ignition , explains how this was accomplished, how it helps strengthen national security, and what it means for science and energy. Download PDFComic Book Tells the Story of Ignition LLNL illustrator John Jett used comic book art as another way to tell the story of how a Lab experiment at NIF made history. Ignition Takes Center Stage at NIF-JLF Ignition—the word and the subject—remained the dominant theme at this year’s NIF and JLF User Groups Meeting. A Modern Renaissance Woman NIF Shot Data Systems software engineer Carolyn Albiston was curious about everything while growing up—sharks, fungi, the science of color—and about how different topics fit together. Raspberry Simpson Named Kavli Fellow Raspberry Simpson, a Lawrence Fellow in the NIF&PS Directorate, has been named a National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow. Throwing Shade on Optics Damage If the sun’s too bright, you don sunglasses to prevent glare from damaging your eyes. LLNL researchers are using this same strategy to mitigate damage to valuable optics at NIF. The Sluggish Pace of Star Formation To search for solutions to a puzzle of why the star formation rate is declining, an international team of researchers has turned to the unprecedented capabilities of NIF. Supercomputer Sims of Super-Diamond Another form of carbon has been predicted to be even tougher than diamond. The challenge, which inspires ongoing experiments at NIF, is how to create it on Earth. Annie Kritcher: Tackling Big Challenges Here’s the story behind how Annie Kritcher became the principal designer on the LLNL team that achieved one of science’s biggest challenges—fusion ignition. Ignition Breakthrough Published in PRL Physical Review Letters (PRL) published one of the first peer-reviewed papers detailing LLNL’s historic achievement of fusion ignition at NIF, with companion papers in PRL and Physical Review E . The Age of Ignition Download The Age of Ignition , our expanded report on how scientific history was made. Download PDFLLNL Achieves Fusion Ignition The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration announced the achievement of fusion ignition at NIF on Dec. 5.Video: The Beamline to Ignition Follow the journey of NIF’s laser beams as they dramatically increase in energy on their way to the center of the Target Chamber.More News » Watch: DOE Press Conference Watch: LLNL Experts Panel Q&A What Is NIF? Our People Our Partners Join Our Team Our Science Stockpile Stewardship High Energy Density Science Advancing Weapon Physics Pursuing Fusion Ignition National Security Applications Developing New Capabilities Discovery Science Expanding Photonics Frontiers Exploring Energy Security Journal Articles × Subscribe to our News Alerts * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name About What Is NIF? The Seven Wonders of NIF How NIF Works Anatomy of a NIF Shot Power Conditioning System Injection Laser System Amplifiers Beam Transport Final Optics Target Chamber Keys to Our Success Facility Operations Power and Energy Control Systems Optics Targets Diagnostics Efficiency Improvements A Legacy of Lasers Who Works for NIF&PS? People Profiles Management Developing the Workforce Who Partners with NIF&PS? Enduring Partnerships Technology Transfer Careers FAQs Visit Us Science NIF and Stockpile Stewardship High Energy Density Science Advancing Weapon Physics Achieving Fusion Ignition National Security Applications Developing New Capabilities Discovery Science Lab Astrophysics Nuclear Astrophysics Planetary Physics Plasma Physics Expanding Photonics Frontiers DOD Technologies Advanced Optical Technologies Advanced Photon Technologies Advanced Laser Systems Fiber Lasers Materials for Laser Systems Exploring Energy Security Journal Articles Inertial Fusion Energy References NIF Users NIF User Portal User Guide Experimental Capabilities Shot RI Resources Call for Proposals Prior Year Awards 2022 Awarded Campaigns 2021 Awarded Campaigns 2020 Awarded Campaigns 2019 Awarded Campaigns 2018 Awarded Campaigns 2017 Awarded Campaigns 2016 Awarded Campaigns 2015 Awarded Campaigns 2014 Awarded Campaigns NIF User Group Bylaws Executive Board NIF Calendar Target Shot Metrics Conflict of Interest Policy Jupiter Laser Facility Multimedia Photo Gallery Poster Gallery Video Gallery Education How Lasers Work How to Make a Star Outreach Scholar Internship Program Seminars Student Spotlight Tours Glossary External Resources Newsroom The Age of Ignition Experimental Highlights Efficiency Improvements Science & Technology Meetings and Workshops Papers and Presentations NIF&PS People In the News Press Kit Careers Contact Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory • 7000 East Avenue • Livermore, CA 94550 Operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. 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