Department of Energy FY 2012 Congressional ... - The FIRE Place

(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010
Actual
Approp
FY 2011
Request
FY 2012
Request
In FY 2012, this subprogram will continue to support the early stages of development of advanced
radiographic technologies, especially as required for hydrodynamic experiments, dynamic
plutonium experiments, and scaling and surrogacy experiments, as defined in the Primary
Assessment Plan. The subprogram will also continue the development of the next-generation
camera for the pRad facility at LANSCE.
Secondary Assessment Technologies 77,581 81,949 86,061
Secondary Assessment Technologies provides capabilities underpinning improved assessment for
stockpile secondaries. These improvements are used to strengthen the certification process, to
enable consideration of a broad range of options for future LEPs, and to provide a sound basis for
quantifying threats posed by non-stockpile weapons.
In 2012, one major focus of the subprogram includes the successful completion of the longstanding
energy balance problem with validation experiments at NIF and Z. The focus is now
beginning to shift to developing and validating other aspects of performance. Over the next few
years, starting in 2012, a series of experiments described in the three year High Energy Density
Physics experimental plan will be conducted. These experiments are aimed at reducing key
uncertainties in secondary performance through improvements in fundamental physical data used
by simulation codes. Improved computational models of secondary performance will be
developed and used to reduce uncertainties in calculations of critical aspects of performance. Our
ability to quantitatively predict weapons outputs will be strengthened through updating models
based on historical tests and quantifying key science uncertainties and their impact on these
assessments. Finally the secondary assessment plan will be updated to reflect the significant
progress over the past two years.
Total, Science Campaign 294,548 365,222 405,939
Weapons Activities/
Science Campaign Page 90
FY 2012 Congressional Budget