National Ignition Facility faces an uncertain future
As
its budget declines, Lawrence Livermore’s $3.5 billion laser fusion
facility is refocusing on experiments in support of nuclear weapons
science.
David Kramer
Citation: Phys. Today 66(6), 20 (2013); doi: 10.1063/PT.3.2006
View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/PT.3.2006
View Table of Contents: http://www.physicstoday.org/resource/1/PHTOAD/v66/i6
Published by the American Institute of Physics.
You
need to have a subscription to the journal to access this. But you can
read about some of the "planetary science" experiments that are under
threat of getting the axe.
A brief snipet:
In
addition to its ignition efforts, NIF contributes to the scientific
underpinnings, largely through equation-of-state experiments, of nuclear
weapons.
Be prepared to see topics about SNM EoS shots on
NIF brought up again. You have to ask yourself how you support these
experiments when you can't even do "simple" materials and fluids.
24 comments:
NIF is just horrible. They use all sorts of quote from Jeanloz and Betti, both of whom have serious conflicts of interest because they serve on committees propping NIF up while at the same time they are beneficiaries of NNSA research grants and multiple subsidized 1million dollar shots on the machine. This is like the NNSA paying out taxpayer money so these guys can screw around in their sandbox without any regard to the cost element.
No project, No group, and No science is guaranteed a specific budget in perpetuity.
It's of bit arrogant to assume so.
It's a bit reckless (if not unethical)to squeeze money out of other programs.
Learn responsible program management. It will go a long way in earning pack some of the respect you've lost.
NIF got in budget trouble early on, and the get well plan was carte blanche to raid overhead, and other budgets. Selling NIF as a cure for energy (a hidden agenda for weapons always existed). Now that the overhead has been squeezed for a decade, and direct sponsor money for the failed mission of fusion goes away, it is only natural to raid the remaining revenue stream of weapons. Heck if NIF could get a project from Fresnso it would go LVOC. No money is sacred. All NIF funding is like Chinese food, they eat it and an hour later they are hungry. Parney made a passing comment in one of his presentations that NIF is only a factor of 10 way from fusion. Well, that would require 900 more lasers, look out!
The agenda for weapon physics covered by ICF funding has never been hidden. Only the dimmest of bulbs wouldn't have caught on even in the 1960's.
It is a non-Livermoron strategy to say they are 10x off. The true Livermoron would have lied and said they are 1.5-2x off and that they are close and need an upgrade, another 3B and 3 years while the machine is shut down half the time for new equipment. 10x is still so far off and that doesn't take into account all the unknowns from such a thin shell driving against the instability. 10x means a new facility and technology not yet invented. If we are really going to keep pursuing laser ICF, just do it somewhere else, like at Rochester or some other academic environment. That way we can rest better knowing there isn't some bait and switch to only do weapons work of dubious quality.
What a riduculous post.
Telling us what a "true livermoron would have done."
Another dip from the cesspool of negativity.
Yeah you people need to talk more about the positive aspects of fabricating data and lying to your customer, to congress, and to NNSA.
3 LLNL data sets all sitting on top if each other on the wrong EoS for deuterium. The "explanation" does not add up. But we can move to more recent experiments on EoS. Lets talk about that tantalum phase transition that LLNL was bragging about. Real transition? Yes or no?
It's the Bitter EOS Troll!
"That dog next door barked all night again. He must be one of those #@$!% EOS scientists."
I see nothing "bitter" about pointing out major unresolved (or maybe covered-up) discrepancies in important data obtained from taxpayer-funded experiments.
It's the Bitter EOS TRoll again!
"I spilled coffee on my shirt, must be because those dastardly evil EOS scientists are covering up the truth"
You know you hit a nerve when the only counter response looks like that of June 5, 2013 at 8:48 AM and June 5, 2013 at 11:57 AM. Though to be somewhat balanced, going after LLNL's Laser EOS is like slicing the knife across the jugular.
Not necessarily covering up - but a better explanation is called for. Blind, unquestioning loyalty to the NIF data is worse than seeking the real truth. Science as religion.
The world runs according to group think and confirmation bias. Psy is a star because of the mass groupthink called "going viral." The NIF media campaign was just that - to get it to be the viral YouTube hit of big government projects, like the fanfare prior to sending a man to the moon. Psy atleast delivers.
Here are some words from the wise lyricist Lily Ellen directed to all you ahole LLNL laser EoS haters. By the was, the movie "perfect pitch" has a very well done acapella version of it. All you people who keep bringing up deuterium EoS and laser EoS and tantalum, and ignition problems, well these words are for you, from all of our hearts.
Look inside, look inside your tiny mind
and look a bit harder
cause we’re so uninspired
so sick and tired
of all the hatred you harbor
so you say it’s not okay to be gay
well I think you’re just evil
you’re just some racist who can’t tie my laces
you’re point of view is medieval
F-you, f-you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch
f-you, f-you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch
do you get, do you get a little kick out of being small-minded?
you want to be like your father
it’s approval you’re after
well that’s not how you’ll find it
do you, do you really enjoy living a life that’s so hateful
cause there’s a hole where your soul should be
you’re losing control of it
and it’s really distasteful
F-you, f- you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch
F-you, f-you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch
Look inside, look inside your tiny mind
and look a bit harder
cause we’re so uninspired
so sick and tired
of all the hatred you harbor
F-you, f-you very very much
cause we hate what you do
and we hate your whole crew
so please don’t stay in touch
F-you, f- you very very much
cause your words don’t translate
and it’s getting quite late
so please don’t stay in touch
It's not a conspiracy or coverup. And it's not that they are individually stupid. Take a team of 125+ IQ people in an organization with poor values and an unhealthy culture of loyalty, obedience, and cronyism, and voila, your team effectively produces work representative of 85 IQ. Laser EoS at LLNL is the way it is for this reason. They are unable to set higher scientific standards if it amounts to disloyalty for questioning even technical matters with those possessing "power." Right and wrong is dictated by ego, not by competition of evidence, logic or inference. The contribution by the group is clearly much smaller than the sum of the individuals. LLNL needs to knock it off when it comes to setting up predetermined winners for what amounts to a cult of personality.
Here are some words from the wise lyricist Lily Ellen directed to all you ahole LLNL laser EoS haters.
June 6, 2013 at 1:26 AM
"Haters"??? Wow, we are just a bit touchy aren't we? Treating dissent or questioning as "hate" is just exactly what June 6, 2013 at 2:13 AM is talking about. Pretty sad. Don't you just hate those haters?
Haha you can you tube a vid of that song
The sockapella version is so well done
Oh my, the neighbor';s dog pooped on my lawn. It must be a part of that EOS cult of personality.
LLNL's laser EoS is fraudulent! Or so they say. The only question they ask is "how to hide that information from the public?"
Bitter EOS troll: "my hair is getting thin. It's those evil EOS scientists again."
Bitter EOS troll: "my hair is getting thin. It's those evil EOS scientists again."
June 11, 2013 at 12:19 PM
"Fearing not I'd become my enemy, in the instant that I speak..." Troll.
Dylan. Nice.
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