NIF Laser Delivers Record Shot
Fox News reported on the 500 terrawatt laser shot delivered at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which was delivered by the most powerful laser in the world. NIF is undergoing research to advance the commercialization of fusion energy, and the July 5th milestone marks an important achievement on that journey. NIF used 192 lasers to deliver a record amount of energy, which is 1,000 times the amount of power that is used in the entire U.S. at any moment in time, in an attempt to fuse together two hydrogen isotopes. From the article:
“The test bested a record set March 15, when NIF unleashed a record-setting 1.8-megajoule blast into a target chamber. In the historic test, NIF’s 192 lasers fired within a few trillionths of a second of each other onto a 2-millimeter-diameter target. Beyond its sheer power, the beam-to-beam uniformity was within 1 percent, making NIF not only the highest energy laser of its kind but the most precise and reproducible.”
