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{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility
|OrganizationType=Research and Development Agency
|Mission=The Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility (DARHT) is dedicated to enhancing the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of nuclear weapons through advanced radiographic testing without the need for full-scale nuclear detonations. It provides critical data for the U.S. nuclear stockpile stewardship by simulating weapon implosions using non-nuclear methods.
|OrganizationExecutive=Facility Director
|Employees=150
|Budget=Not publicly specified (Funded through the National Nuclear Security Administration's budget)
|Website=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/index.php
|Services=Radiographic testing; Hydrodynamic experiments; Stockpile stewardship
|ParentOrganization=Los Alamos National Laboratory
|TopOrganization=United States Department of Energy
|CreationLegislation=No specific legislation; part of broader DOE/NNSA directives
|HeadquartersLocation=35.879049, -106.300485
|HeadquartersAddress=TA-15, Area III, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
}}
'''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]].
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]].
{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/index.php}}
==Mission==
DARHT's mission involves ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile through non-explosive testing. By using dual-axis radiography, DARHT captures detailed, high-speed images of materials as they undergo hydrodynamic motion, simulating nuclear weapon implosions to validate the performance of weapon designs and materials.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/index.php |title=Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility |publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Parent organization==
DARHT is operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is managed by Triad National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This places DARHT under the top organization of the U.S. Department of Energy, focusing on nuclear security and stockpile stewardship.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lanl.gov/about/history-key-events.php |title=History & Key Events |publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Legislation==
While DARHT does not have specific legislation for its creation, it operates under the broader mandates of the Department of Energy and NNSA, particularly those related to the Stockpile Stewardship Program initiated after the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.{{Cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/stockpile-stewardship-program |title=Stockpile Stewardship Program |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Partners==
* Los Alamos National Laboratory
* National Nuclear Security Administration
* Various U.S. Department of Energy research entities for collaborative efforts in nuclear weapon science.
==Number of employees==
DARHT employs approximately 150 staff members, including scientists, engineers, and support personnel.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/team.php |title=DARHT Team |publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Organization structure==
The facility is structured around:
* Research and Experimentation Division, which conducts the hydrodynamic experiments.
* Accelerator Operations Division, responsible for maintaining and operating the electron accelerators.
* Diagnostics and Analysis Division, which interprets the radiographic data.
===Leader===
The facility is led by a Facility Director.
===Divisions===
* Experimentation Division for designing and executing tests.
* Accelerator Operations for managing the dual electron accelerators.
* Diagnostics for data analysis and image processing.
==List of programs==
* Hydrodynamic Testing Program
* Radiographic Imaging Program
* Stockpile Stewardship Experiments
==Last total enacted budget==
The budget for DARHT is integrated into the larger NNSA budget for stockpile stewardship, with specific allocations not publicly detailed but part of a multi-billion-dollar program.{{Cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/budget |title=Budget |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Staff==
The staff at DARHT consists primarily of scientists, engineers, and technicians dedicated to the operation of the facility and the conduct of experiments.
==Funding==
Funding for DARHT comes through the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration as part of the Stockpile Stewardship Program, with funds allocated for maintaining and upgrading the facility.
==Services provided==
DARHT provides high-resolution radiographic images of materials under extreme conditions, simulating nuclear weapon implosions. This allows for the study of material behavior, validation of computer models, and enhancement of weapon safety and reliability without nuclear testing.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/mission.php |title=DARHT Mission |publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory |access-date=February 7, 2025}}
==Regulations overseen==
As part of the DOE and NNSA, DARHT adheres to various nuclear safety, security, and environmental regulations but does not itself oversee regulations.
==Headquarters address==
TA-15, Area III, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
==History==
DARHT was conceived in the late 1980s to replace older radiographic facilities at LANL, with construction beginning in the 1990s. It became operational in stages, with the first axis completed in 1999 and the second in 2003, significantly enhancing the U.S. capability to maintain its nuclear arsenal without explosive testing.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/history.php |title=DARHT History |publisher=Los Alamos National Laboratory |access-date=February 7, 2025}}


==History==
==History==
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used to image x-rays on the second axis. These cameras utilizes the world's largest LSO crystal array to convert the x-rays into visible light which are then imaged with the world's highest speed CCDs (developed jointly by MIT and Los Alamos) at more than two million frames per second. These scintillation cameras are further augmented by a large anti-scatter (“Bucky”) grid to improve image contrast. The unique combination of diagnostics solves technical surveillance problems that have persisted since the Manhattan Project enabling the United States to assert higher confidence in its nuclear stockpile performance and safety margins without the need for nuclear testing.
used to image x-rays on the second axis. These cameras utilizes the world's largest LSO crystal array to convert the x-rays into visible light which are then imaged with the world's highest speed CCDs (developed jointly by MIT and Los Alamos) at more than two million frames per second. These scintillation cameras are further augmented by a large anti-scatter (“Bucky”) grid to improve image contrast. The unique combination of diagnostics solves technical surveillance problems that have persisted since the Manhattan Project enabling the United States to assert higher confidence in its nuclear stockpile performance and safety margins without the need for nuclear testing.


==Images==
==External links==
<gallery>
 
File:DARHTaxis2.jpg|DARHT electron accelerator
* [https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/nuclear-weapons/darht/index.php Official Website]
File:Darht accelerator.jpg|A technician examining one of the refurbished accelerator cells for DARHT's second-axis accelerator.
* [[wikipedia:Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility]]
</gallery>
* [https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/stockpile-stewardship-program Stockpile Stewardship Program]


==References==
==References==
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