By directing the pulses to millimeter sized targets the chamber generates temperatures of more than 100 million degress and pressures more than 100 billion times the Earth’s atmosphere. According to astrophysicists these conditions are similar to those found in stars, in the cores of large planets and in nuclear weapons.
NIF Nitty Gritty
The components of the NIF system include large precision engineered laser components that make up the laser system, a target area that houses 192 laser beams and includes large mirrors coated for laser wavelength and mounted on 10 story tall structures. A concrete shield 10 m in diameter sits at the center of a 1 million pound target chamber.
