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(IF/3) The National Ignition Facility

W. J. Hogan¹⁾, E. Moses¹⁾, B. Warner¹⁾, M. Sorem²⁾, J. M. Soures^3)
 
1) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
²⁾ Los Alamos National Laboratory
³⁾ University of Rochester

Abstract.  The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is the largest construction project ever undertaken at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). NIF consists of 192 forty-centimeter-square laser beams and a 10-m-diameter target chamber. NIF is being designed and built by an LLNL-led team from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the University of Rochester, and LLNL. Physical construction began in 1997. The Laser and Target Area Building and the Optics Assembly Building were the first major construction activities, and despite several unforeseen obstacles, the buildings are now 92% complete and have been done on time and within cost. Prototype component development and testing has proceeded in parallel. Optics vendors have installed full-scale production lines and have done prototype production runs. The assembly and integration of the beampath infrastructure has been reconsidered and a new approach has been developed. This paper will discuss the status of the NIF project and the plans for completion.

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