The National Ignition Facility (NIF) User Program

The 192-beam National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL is now operational and conducting experiments in ICF ignition and other areas of high energy density science. The NIF ignition program is conducted by the National Ignition Campaign (NIC). In addition to execution of the ignition program, the NIC will also provide the necessary infrastructure for operation of NIF as a user facility. As a user facility, NIF will execute experiments in support of stockpile stewardship/national security, fundamental science, and inertial fusion energy. An overview of the multi-mission NIF experimental program, with emphasis on development of fundamental science at NIF and the process for accessing NIF facility time, will be presented.