NIF exceeds the Lawson criterion for ignition
A NIF implosion produced approximately 1.35 MJ of fusion yield, reported in Physical Review Letters as the first inertial fusion experiment to exceed the Lawson criterion for ignition. The shot did not achieve target gain above one: the yield remained below the roughly 1.9 MJ of laser energy delivered. It is the intermediate step that makes the 2022 result legible as physics rather than as a surprise.
Observed — measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.
Subjects
- National Ignition Facility · research facility · United States
- Inertial confinement fusion · confinement concept · not located
- Lawson criterion · physical criterion · not located
- Fusion triple product (n·T·τ_E) · physical condition · not located
Evidence
Verified — Every field is supported by a cited authoritative source.
Lawson Criterion for Ignition Exceeded in an Inertial Fusion Experiment
The 8 August 2021 NIF shot produced about 1.35 MJ of fusion yield and exceeded the Lawson criterion for ignition without reaching target gain above unity
Physical Review Letters (American Physical Society) · 2022-08-08 · Verified
H. Abu-Shawareb et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 075001 (2022), DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.075001
Recorded on National Ignition Facility
- NIF exceeds the Lawson criterion for ignition
- NIF achieves target gain greater than unity for the first time
- NIF repeats target gain and raises the yield to 3.88 MJ
- NIF achieves ignition for the sixth time
- EAST sustains a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds
- NIF reaches 8.6 MJ yield and a target gain of 4.13
- Wendelstein 7-X sets a triple product record for long-duration plasmas
Related
Related because they share a subject in the Atlas — never because the text looks similar.
- Wendelstein 7-X sets a triple product record for long-duration plasmas · 2025-05-22
- NIF reaches 8.6 MJ yield and a target gain of 4.13 · 2025-04-07
- EAST sustains a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds · 2025-01-20
- NIF achieves ignition for the sixth time · 2024-11-18
- NIF repeats target gain and raises the yield to 3.88 MJ · 2023-07-30
- NIF achieves target gain greater than unity for the first time · 2022-12-05