NIF breaks megaJoule barrier
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The target positioner and target alignment system precisely locate a target in the NIF target chamber.
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) celebrated another achievement early Tuesday morning, marking a milestone in laser physics history.
On March 10 at 3:15 a.m., NIF became the first laser facility in the world to break the megaJoule barrier, delivering 1.098 MJ of ultraviolet energy to the center of the target chamber.
It’s been just over two weeks since NIF successfully fired all 192 of its laser beams to the center of the 10-meter diameter target chamber.
Although the beam is designed to only last for a few nanoseconds, Tuesday’s pulse precisely matched the shape necessary for achieving ignition.
The main laser delivered 1.952 MJ of infrared energy. Preliminary data indicate that the energy and power balance matched expectations.
"The shot cycle went extremely smoothly," NIF Director Edward Moses said. "Congratulations to all. On to ignition!"
The NIF construction project was scheduled for completion on March 31. It achieved that goal unofficially on Feb. 26 with its first full system shot into the target chamber utilizing all beams. For more, see the Friday, March 6 edition of Newsline .
