The Russians are better at pulsed power. They are planning a new machine that will dwarf Z and might actually get to ignition. The Sandia ICF program is a joke. They have this new contraption called MagLIF that produced a measly amount of neutrons and, of course, requires a billion dollar machine to ignite.
On the other hand, the Sandia EOS effort is excellent and has been what has saved the Z machine from being shut down. Sandia should focus their efforts more on dynamic materials and leave ICF to NIF or maybe even the Russians.
The Russians are better at pulsed power. They are planning a new machine that will dwarf Z and might actually get to ignition. The Sandia ICF program is a joke. They have this new contraption called MagLIF that produced a measly amount of neutrons and, of course, requires a billion dollar machine to ignite.
On the other hand, the Sandia EOS effort is excellent and has been what has saved the Z machine from being shut down. Sandia should focus their efforts more on dynamic materials and leave ICF to NIF or maybe even the Russians.
Sandia sees an opportunity with ICF, since NIF failed at ignition and created unfulfilled expectations that might translate to funding. Anything that keeps the dream alive, but is not NIF or more LLNL smoke and lies, is going to be attractive.
NIF proved beyond a reasonable doubt that ICF at the Laboratory scale is not possible. Hydro instabilities in the 50 micron diameter imploding core are too severe to achieve ignition. So let's get over it and move on. No other driver will do any better, and the Russians and Chinese are not even going to try. They don't have the "balls" or the "bucks".
6 comments:
No they won't, and those in the know do know it. It's publicity and waving the flag.
Z should be shut down. That facility is an abomination. The Russians do far better.
The Russians are better at pulsed power. They are planning a new machine that will dwarf Z and might actually get to ignition. The Sandia ICF program is a joke. They have this new contraption called MagLIF that produced a measly amount of neutrons and, of course, requires a billion dollar machine to ignite.
On the other hand, the Sandia EOS effort is excellent and has been what has saved the Z machine from being shut down. Sandia should focus their efforts more on dynamic materials and leave ICF to NIF or maybe even the Russians.
The Russians are better at pulsed power. They are planning a new machine that will dwarf Z and might actually get to ignition. The Sandia ICF program is a joke. They have this new contraption called MagLIF that produced a measly amount of neutrons and, of course, requires a billion dollar machine to ignite.
On the other hand, the Sandia EOS effort is excellent and has been what has saved the Z machine from being shut down. Sandia should focus their efforts more on dynamic materials and leave ICF to NIF or maybe even the Russians.
Sandia sees an opportunity with ICF, since NIF failed at ignition and created unfulfilled expectations that might translate to funding. Anything that keeps the dream alive, but is not NIF or more LLNL smoke and lies, is going to be attractive.
NIF proved beyond a reasonable doubt that ICF at the Laboratory scale is not possible. Hydro instabilities in the 50 micron diameter imploding core are too severe to achieve ignition. So let's get over it and move on. No other driver will do any better, and the Russians and Chinese are not even going to try. They don't have the "balls" or the "bucks".
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