High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas

High energy-density (HED) science is central to many aspects of nuclear weapons, and maintaining a strong HED academic community in this unique field will be critical for future needs of a modern nuclear stockpile. The High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas Program (HEDLP) is designed to steward the study of laboratory HED plasma physics by funding academic research of ionized matter in laboratory experiments where the stored energy reaches approximately 100 billion joules per cubic meter (i.e., pressures of approximately 1 million atmospheres).

The program has three primary elements:

• Individual Investigator Research Grants
• Centers of Excellence
• Facility Access and Community Development Programs

Individual Investigator Grants: NNSA’s Office of Experimental Sciences partners with the DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences to issue an annual joint solicitation for HED Laboratory Plasmas research. The coordination across agencies enables the support of a strong and broad academic presence in HED science, leveraging common interests while assuring NNSA specific interests in this area remain vibrant. Competitively awarded research grants are selected through the joint solicitation conducted in coordination with the Office of Science.

Centers of Excellence: The HEDLP Program also provides funding support towards the HED Centers of Excellence selected under the competitive SSAA Centers process. Centers of Excellence are an integrated multi-institutional collaborative effort focused on a central problem or theme. These Centers work closely with NSE scientists and maintain a core set of academic expertise in key technical areas.

Facility Access and Community Development Programs: The Facility Access Program provides travel support for researchers who have been granted shot time at the Omega Laser Facility or other NNSA facilities. The Omega Laser Facility houses both the OMEGA and OMEGA EP lasers and allows for hands-on research experience to academic and industrial partners. The HEDLP program also provides funding for student travel to attend the High Energy Density Science summer school and various facility workshops.