Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility: Difference between revisions

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'''Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility (DARHT)''' is a facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that uses advanced radiographic technology to study the behavior of materials under conditions similar to those in nuclear weapons without actual nuclear explosions. It supports the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship by providing high-resolution images of imploding materials at high speeds, aiding in the assessment and maintenance of nuclear weapons without conducting tests.

The '''Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility''' ('''DARHT''') is a facility at [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]] which is part of the [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]]'s [[stockpile stewardship]] program. It uses two large [[X-ray]] machines to record three-dimensional interior images of materials. In most experiments, materials undergo hydrodynamic shock to simulate the [[Nuclear weapon design|implosion]] process in nuclear bombs and/or the effects of severe hydrodynamic stress. The tests are described as "full-scale mockups of the events that trigger the nuclear detonation".<ref name="1663news">{{cite news|title=A New Hydrodynamic Test Facility for Stockpile Stewardship|url=http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/1663.article/d/20075/id/10936|accessdate=19 September 2010|newspaper=LANL 1663 News|date=May 2007}}<br /> This article incorporates material from LANL: © Copyright 2010 Los Alamos National Security, LLC All rights reserved. ''Copyright Notice''. Unless otherwise indicated, this information has been authored by an employee or employees of the Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), operator of the Los Alamos National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government has rights to use, reproduce, and distribute this information. The public may copy and use this information without charge, provided that this Notice and any statement of authorship are reproduced on all copies</ref> The powerful pulsed X-ray beams allow for an ultra-fast motion picture to be constructed showing the details of the process being studied in three dimensions. The tests are compared with computer simulations to help improve the accuracy of the computer codes. Such testing falls under the category of [[critical mass|sub-critical testing]].