Four years beyond the original deadline for reaching its goal, and more than seven years since it was commissioned, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) has yet to produce fusion energy greater than what’s delivered to initiate the laser-driven reaction. But even as scientists at the $3.5 billion Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory facility continue their quest for ignition, a small but growing band of academic researchers has been harnessing the unmatched compression and other diagnostic capabilities of the 1.8 MJ laser to explore fundamental questions in condensed matter, astrophysics, planetary science, and other areas (see “NIF may never ignite, DOE admits,” June 2016, Physics Today online).
“We’re trying to grow the community and get more basic science from NIF,” says Bruce Remington, program leader for NIF discovery science. The number of shots at NIF devoted to academic research has increased almost fivefold in just two years, to 38 last...
