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Strategic Deterrence
NNSA Administrator Williams visits LLNL to discuss stockpile modernization, AI and future deterrence
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Brandon Williams visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Feb. 9 for briefings and tours focused on stockpile modernization, AI, supercomputing and the future of deterrence. During the visit, Williams met with LLNL…
National Academy of Engineering elects LLNL Director Kim Budil to 2026 class
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Director Kim Budil has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional distinctions in the field. Recognized for “advancing nuclear deterrence through technical contributions, laboratory leadership and advice to the government,” Budil joins only 2,890 NAE members worldwide…
When lasers cross: LLNL finds a brighter way to measure plasma
Measuring conditions in volatile clouds of superheated gases known as plasmas are central to pursuing greater scientific understanding of how stars, nuclear detonations and fusion energy work. For decades, scientists have relied on a technique called Thomson scattering, which uses a single laser beam to scatter from plasma waves as a way to measure critical information…
Lab physicist receives Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize
Staff scientist Elizabeth Grace of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been awarded the 2026 European Physical Society-Plasma Physics Division (EPS-PPCF) Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize. “I am very honored to receive this award,” Grace said. “I appreciate the support from my mentors and the opportunities at LLNL, which made this work possible.” She was…
LLNL releases Generalized Economics Model for fusion energy
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has released a new tool designed to help the fusion energy industry assess the economic impact of plant operation and design trade-offs for building an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. The Generalized Economics Model (GEM) for Fusion Technology is now available to download. “GEM helps the fusion industry understand how…
Fusion Power Associates honor NIF target innovator Abbas Nikroo
Abbas Nikroo, deputy director for physics integration at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF), received the 2025 Distinguished Career Award by Fusion Power Associates (FPA). The FPA board of directors honored Nikroo for his “outstanding decades of unwavering commitment and leadership in scientific and management of the…
Two LLNL scientists elected as 2026 Optica fellows
Optica recently elected 121 members from 23 countries to the society’s 2026 fellow class. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists Mark Henesian and Brent Stuart were among those honored by the scientific society. Optica fellows are selected based on outstanding contributions to research, business, education, engineering and service to Optica and the optics…
Precision and partnership: JASPER surpasses 200 experimental shots
The Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) facility recently surpassed 200 full-containment experimental shots, marking more than two decades of precision operations, scientific advancement and collaboration in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) stockpile modernization programs. Since its first actinide experiment in 2003,…
LLNL’s designs enable delivery of W80-4 subassembly First Production Unit ahead of schedule
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced the diamond stamping of the first production unit (FPU) of a canned subassembly (CSA) for the W80-4 Life Extension Program, achieved 18 months ahead of schedule at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As design agency for the W80-4, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)…
Contained Firing Facility marks 200th explosive experiment
The Contained Firing Facility (CFF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently marked a major milestone: its 200th explosive experiment. This milestone was achieved with a three-in-one event as shots 198, 199 and 200 were conducted simultaneously. In these hydrodynamic experiments, known as “shots,” researchers observe how test materials move in the…
LLNL to host EFCOG Meeting focused on safety, quality assurance and operational excellence
The Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) will host its Quality Assurance, Integrated Safety Management, and Contractor Assurance System (QA/ISM/CAS) Communities of Practice Meeting at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) from March 31 to April 3. This event will bring together professionals from across the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear…
New program aims to fast-track energetic materials education for researchers
More than 80 physicists, chemists, material scientists and engineers participated in a new educational program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) during 2024, developed and delivered by the Lab’s energetic materials experts. As hiring at LLNL accelerated in recent years, Lab leaders recognized the growing need to provide specialized training for newer members…
Strategic Deterrence Academic Collaboration Team grants four awards to support collaborative research
Four teams at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) were recently granted awards through the Lab’s Fiscal Year 2025 Academic Collaboration Team (ACT) annual call for proposals. Awards support university research partners for up to three years to perform research in collaboration with Lab scientists and offer an important way to build long-term connections with…
LLNL researchers quantify metal strength uncertainty in high-explosives models
For the first time, a team of researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) quantified and rigorously studied the effect of metal strength on accurately modeling coupled metal/high explosive (HE) experiments, shedding light on an elusive variable in an important model for national security and defense applications. The team used a Bayesian approach to…
Big Ideas Lab Podcast explores legacy and innovation of Site 300
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has released a compelling new episode of the Big Ideas Lab Podcast, focusing on the storied history and groundbreaking advancements of the Site 300 Experimental Test Site. Listen on Apple or Spotify. Situated on 7,000 acres in the rural foothills approximately six miles southwest of downtown Tracy and 15 miles southeast of…
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s El Capitan verified as world's fastest supercomputer
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and AMD, have officially unveiled El Capitan as the world's most powerful supercomputer and first exascale system dedicated to national security. Verified at 1.742 exaFLOPs (1.742 quintillion calculations per second) on…
Three Lab scientists named 2024 APS Fellows
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists Daniel Casey, Daniel Clark and Raymond Smith have been named 2024 American Physical Society (APS) Fellows. Casey was selected for “outstanding contributions to the understanding of the stagnation conditions required to achieve ignition.” Clark was honored for “extensive contributions to inertial confinement fusion…
LLNL’s Kritcher receives Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award
Annie Kritcher, design physicist and lead for integrated modeling in the Inertial Confinement Fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has been awarded the 2024 David J. Rose Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award by Fusion Power Associates (FPA). Presented annually since 1987 in memory of MIT Professor David J. Rose, the award honors early-career…
Franklin Miller awarded Livermore’s 2024 John S. Foster Medal
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Director Kim Budil today announced that the 2024 John S. Foster, Jr. Medal is awarded to Franklin Miller, a principal at The Scowcroft Group. The ninth recipient of the prestigious Foster Award, Miller is recognized for his exceptional and inspirational career dedicated to national security, defense policy and international…
All ears on the Big Ideas Lab podcast
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has big ideas and is showing the world in the Big Ideas Lab weekly podcast that takes listeners behind the fences and into its heart. “This is where big ideas come to life,” said Lab Director Kim Budil. “To do this, we bring together dynamic teams of many different disciplines — laser physicists and materials scientists and…
