LLE 2007 Annual Report, October 2006 - September 2007

The laser-fusion research program at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is focused on the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Campaign-10 inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition and experimental support technology, operation of facilities (OMEGA), and the construction of OMEGA EP -- a high energy petawatt laser system. While LLE is the lead laboratory for research into the direct-drive approach to ICF ignition, it also takes a lead role in certain indirect-drive tasks within the National Ignition Campaign. During this past year progress in the laser-fusion research program was made in three principal areas: OMEGA direct drive and indirect-drive experiments and targets; development of diagnostics for experiments on OMEGA, OMEGA EP, and the National Ignition Facility (NIF); and theoretical analysis and design efforts aimed at improving direct-drive-ignition capsule designs and advanced ignition concepts such as fast ignition and shock ignition.