Jason Harke

Intelligence Summary: Jason Harke

Node Identity: Jason Harke serves as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) technical coordinator for the US-France Stockpile Stewardship Agreement, the 2002 government-to-government accord between DOE/NNSA and CEA/DAM enabling extensive collaboration on unclassified fundamental plasma physics supporting nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship.

Strategic Relevance: Harke's role is strategically significant as the primary LLNL interface for a collaboration framework that has processed approximately 125 research proposals over 20+ years, with 20-30 active projects at any given time. LLNL operates the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the US direct analog to France's LMJ — both facilities use indirect-drive ICF (hohlraum + DT capsule) for weapons physics simulation. As LLNL coordinator, Harke facilitates the exchange of hohlraum design data, laser-plasma instability research (stimulated Brillouin scattering, cross-beam energy transfer, Raman scattering), and radiation-hydrodynamics code validation between the two nations' premier ICF weapons facilities. A 1996 Washington Post article revealed the US agreed to share with France "a vast amount of computer data drawn from simulated explosions" — information previously shared only with Britain. Harke's position makes him a key node in this elevated data-sharing relationship.

Technical Focus / Capabilities: The agreement covers three technical domains: Materials in Extreme Conditions, Nuclear Physics, and Atomic and Plasma Physics. Harke coordinates LLNL-side projects spanning laser-plasma interaction physics, high-energy-density physics, atomic physics for weapons codes, and ICF target design. The collaboration includes joint experiments, code benchmarking, and scientist exchanges. General Meetings occur every two years alternating between US and French sites, with annual Steering Committee meetings.

Network Linkage: Harke coordinates the US-France Stockpile Stewardship Agreement (direct edge). Through this agreement he is linked to LLNL (his home lab), CEA/DAM (French counterpart), and the three other technical coordinators: James Colgan (LANL), Thomas Mattsson (SNL), and Cyrille De Saint Jean (CEA/DAM). The Steering Committee co-chairs are Olivier Vacus (CEA/DAM) and Njema Frazier (NNSA).

Source Documents: Evidence compiled from: FINDINGS_FROM_research-prompts-round70.md (L3: US-France Stockpile Stewardship Agreement).