A Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNLL) team held an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to test the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets. The experiment demonstrated the capability to analyze nuclear materials under extreme conditions, advancing the modernization of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The experiment saw weapons-grade plutonium exposed to intense, pulsed thermonuclear neutron radiation in a safe and controlled laboratory setting at NIF. The conditions simulated some of the conditions that a U.S. weapon could encounter from enemy defense systems, and provides data to assess the resilience of strategic weapons such was the W87-1 warhead in hostile threat environments. During the experiment, 2.06 MJ of laser energy were delivered to a target, resulting in a fusion yield of 3.6 MJ. The results showed the consistency of the ignition platform and demonstrated its use as an intense neutron source for survivability studies. The cryogenic-compatible x-ray, neutron, and blast snout safely houses material samples to be subjected to fusion ignition irradiation environments inside a solid double containment enclosure during a NIF experiment. Courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). "After multiple successful ignition experiments we have made significant progress in using this incredible capability to advance our mission. By directly exposing these plutonium samples to extreme environments that are only possible at NIF, we are producing unmatched scientific data that will guide the future of the deterrent,” said Kim Budil, director of LLNL. A plutonium pit is a core component of a nuclear warhead. For this experiment, researchers used small samples from a legacy W87-0 warhead pit produced in the late 1980s and a newly manufactured W87-1 pit produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The gram-quantity samples were securely sealed within specialized hardware and safely subjected to a high-fluence 14 MeV neutron environment. Following the experiment, the samples were removed and analyzed under strict safety protocols. Central to this experiment was the cryogenic-compatible x-ray, neutron, and blast snout (CryoXNBS), a diagnostic enclosure that safely positions materials near the igniting capsule. Built to endure the intense conditions of an ignition shot, the CryoXNBS features a 22-kg steel case that protects against x-rays and debris, allowing researchers to expose materials and electronics to the highest thermonuclear fusion neutron fluences available. Inside, containment vessels securely hold the material samples and instruments. The CryoXNBS also integrates real-time diagnostics that provide nearly instant indications of shot performance. After each experiment, the system is retracted for safe disassembly and sample analysis, expanding what researchers learn from every experiment. Collected data will refine predictive models and inform how nuclear components perform under the combined stresses of heat, shock and radiation.