Review of the Department of Energy's Inertial Confinement Fusion Program

The National Ignition Facility

Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309057783
eISBN Pdf: 9780309590464
Place of publication: United States
Year of digital publication: 1997
Month: March
Pages: 64
DDC: 530
Language: English

Review of the Department of Energy's Inertial Confinement Fusion Program
Copyright
Preface
Contents
Executive Summary
- BACKGROUND
- RELEVANCE OF THE NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY TO SCIENCE BASED STOCKPILESTEWARDSHIP
- SCIENTIFIC READINESS
- TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS
  - NIF Laser Technology
  - Targets
  - The NIF Project
- REMAINING HURDLES
- FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
  - The NIF Would Make Important Contributions Toward the Stated Long-Term Goals of the SBSS Program
  - The Science and Technology Have Progressed Sufficiently to Allow the NIF Project to Proceed as Planned
1 Background
- THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN
- SCIENCE BASED STOCKPILE STEWARDSHIP
- INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION
  - Scientific Goal
  - Current Facilities
  - The National Ignition Facility
- DEFINITION OF IGNITION
2 Relevance of the National Ignition Facility to Science Based Stockpile Stewardship
- PEOPLE
- CERTIFICATION OF WEAPONS STEWARDS
- CODE VALIDATION AND MATERIALS PROPERTIES
- IGNITION
3 Scientific Readiness
- BACKGROUND
- RESULTS SINCE CRITICAL DECISION 2
- MODELING CAPABILITIES
- CONFIDENCE IN ACHIEVING THE SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
4 Technological Readiness
- NIF LASER TECHNOLOGY
  - NIF Laser Design Goals and Ignition Requirements
  - Beamlet Performance as Validation of the NIF Design
  - Performance, Cost, and Optical Damage
  - Laser Architecture
    - Master Oscillator—Preamplifier
    - Multipass Amplifier-Booster Amplifier
    - Injection
    - Amplification
    - Spatial-mode Filtering
    - Pockels Cell Switch
    - Deformable Mirror
    - Harmonic Generation
  - Related Laser Experience
- TARGETS
  - Hohlraum Design and Fabrication
  - Capsule Fabrication
  - Cryogenic Capsule Technology
- DIAGNOSTICS
- THE NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY PROJECT
  - Project Organization
  - Title I Review
  - Cost Estimates
  - Independent Cost Estimate Review
  - Contingency Analysis
  - Operating Cost
5 Remaining Hurdles
6 Findings and Conclusions
- THE NIF WOULD MAKE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD THE STATED LONG-TERMGOALS OF THE SBSS PROGRAM
- THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE PROGRESSED SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOWTHE NIF PROJECT TO PROCEED AS PLANNED
Appendix A Meeting Agendas and Attendance
- AUGUST 1-2,1996 BECKMAN CENTER, IRVINE CALIFORNIA
  - Agenda
  - Attendees
- SEPTEMBER 19-21,1996 LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY
  - Agenda
  - Attendees
- OCTOBER 16-17,1996 UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, LABORATORY FOR LASERENERGETICS
  - Agenda
  - Attendees
- NOVEMBER 3-5, 1996 LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY, SANDIA NATIONALLABORATORIES
  - Agenda
  - Attendees, Sandia National Laboratories
- DECEMBER 5-6, 1996 WASHINGTON, D.C.
  - Agenda
Appendix B Description of ICF Program and Selected Other Major SBSS Facilities
Appendix C Biographical Information
Appendix D Acronyms and Abbreviations