LANL Fusion Capabilities 2019
Executive Summary
System Metadata
Source ID
DOC-LANL_FUS
Process Date
3/3/2026
Integrity Hash
SHA256-5j02eeuikju...
Indexer Status
COMPLETE
INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS
Layman's Executive Summary
This document outlines Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL) research and development capabilities in nuclear fusion, including their history with plasma physics and current experimental projects. It details how the lab collaborates with government agencies and private partners to advance fusion energy, weapons technology, and basic science.
Document Origin
The document was produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), specifically the P-24 Plasma Physics Team, and managed by Triad National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s NNSA. It was prepared for the INFUSE workshop.
Research Purpose
The purpose was to brief participants of the INFUSE workshop on LANL's fusion capabilities to foster collaboration. The research aims to solve technical challenges in high-beta plasmas, magnetized target fusion, and plasma diagnostics for both energy production and national security applications.
Relevancy Analysis
" The document is highly relevant due to its focus on Field-Reversed Configurations (FRC) and high-beta plasmas, which are central to both compact fusion energy and advanced aerospace propulsion concepts. It explicitly links the Physics and Theory Divisions with the 'X Division' (Weapons), illustrating the dual-use nature of plasma research. Furthermore, the involvement of ARPA-E (ALPHA project) and NNSA connects civilian energy innovation with strategic defense funding streams. "
Extracted Verifiable Claims
- › Dr. John Kline served as the Fusion Energy Sciences and Inertial Fusion program manager at LANL in 2019.
- › The Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) utilized 18 plasma guns in a hemispherical geometry on a 2.75 meter diameter chamber in early 2019.
- › Glen Wurden was the Team Leader for the Magnetized Plasma Team in the P-24 division at the time of the workshop.
- › LANL provided high-resolution imaging for the W7-X stellarator using a reentrant endoscope equipped with a FLIR Infrared camera (512 x 512 pixels at 310 Hz).
- › The document identifies Triad National Security, LLC as the management entity for LANL on behalf of the Department of Energy’s NNSA.
Technical Contribution
This document provides a detailed organizational map of LANL’s fusion leadership, including specific program managers, team leaders, and the exact hardware specifications for the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) and W7-X diagnostic tools.