Nuclear Imaging Capabilities at the National Ignition Facility

The Nuclear Imaging System (NIS), located at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), captures neutron, X-ray and gamma-ray images of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) driven implosions. Today, the nuclear imaging suite consists of three nearly orthogonal lines of sight (LoS) allowing 3D reconstruction of neutron source distributions. Furthermore, two of those LoS are equipped to capture gamma-ray images which can help characterize the remaining ablator of the fuel capsule. With its neutron, X-ray and gamma-ray image reconstruction capabilities, NIS can provide critical information on the mechanisms that may limit implosion performance.