Major Inertial Confinement Fusion Experiments

Branch of fusion energy research.

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is a type of fusion energy research that uses high-energy lasers to heat and compress a small pellet of fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place. This approach has been the focus of several major experiments worldwide, each contributing to our understanding and development of ICF as a potential energy source.

National Ignition Facility (NIF), USA

The National Ignition Facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, is the world's largest and most energetic laser facility ever built. NIF's 192 powerful laser beams, housed in a ten-story building the size of three football fields, can deliver more than 60 times the energy of any previous laser system. The goal of NIF is to achieve ignition, the point at which the fusion reactions themselves provide enough heat to keep the reaction going without the need for additional laser energy.

Laser Mégajoule (LMJ), France

The Laser Mégajoule, located near Bordeaux in France, is a major European facility for ICF research. Similar in design to NIF, LMJ uses lasers to compress and heat fusion fuel. However, LMJ also has a strong focus on nuclear weapons research, using ICF to simulate the conditions inside a detonating nuclear weapon.

OMEGA Laser Facility, USA

The OMEGA Laser Facility, located at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics in New York, is one of the leading facilities for ICF research in the United States. OMEGA's 60 laser beams can deliver a total of 30 kilojoules of energy, making it one of the most powerful lasers in the world. OMEGA is used for a wide range of research, including fusion energy, astrophysics, and materials science.

HIγS (High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source) Facility, Duke University

The High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source (HIγS) facility at Duke University is a unique facility for ICF research. Instead of using lasers to compress and heat the fusion fuel, HIγS uses a high-intensity gamma-ray beam. This approach, known as photo-nuclear fusion, offers a different way to achieve the conditions necessary for fusion.

Each of these facilities has made significant contributions to our understanding of ICF and the challenges that must be overcome to make fusion energy a reality. Through continued research and experimentation, these facilities are helping to pave the way for a future powered by fusion energy.