National Ignition Facility Fires Record-Setting 2-Megajoule Laser
The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab designed its super laser to fire powerful laser shots at intensities up to 1.8 megajoules, but researchers aren't stopping there. This week the NIF combined 192 lasers to fire a single 1.875-megajoule shot into a test chamber, and by the time it passed through its final focusing lens the shot had reached 2.03 megajoules, setting a new record for ultraviolet lasers. That's significant for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the NIF is now home to the world's first 2-megajoule UV laser. In and of itself, that's remarkable. But it also proved that it can surpass its own 1.8-megajoule design parameters without, you know, melting down or exploding or whatever super-powerful lasers do when they test to failure. This allowed it to fire a second shot just a day and a half later, another significant feat. Related ArticlesBig Science: The National Ignition Facility, a...