The U.S. Energy Department on Friday dedicated a giant laser system intended to measure the safety and reliability of weapons in the U.S. nuclear stockpile, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, March 31).
"We have invented the world's largest laser system," California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a ceremony marking the completion of the National Ignition Facility.
Work on the system began 12 years ago at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The technology is designed to focus 192 lasers on tiny targets to create the pressures and temperatures needed for nuclear fusion.
"NIF, a cornerstone of the National Nuclear Security Administration's effort to maintain our nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing, will play a vital role in reshaping national security in the 21st century," said NNSA chief Thomas D'Agostino.
"This one-of-a-kind facility is the only place in the world that is capable of providing some of the most critical technical means to safely maintain the viability of the nation's nuclear stockpile," D'Agostino said (Agence France-Presse/Google News, May 30).