Contained Firing Facility

Contained Firing Facility Type: Research and Development Facility Parent organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Top organization: Department of Energy Employees: Executive: Budget: Address: Site 300, 15 miles east of Livermore, California, USA Website: Creation Legislation: Wikipedia: Contained Firing Facility

Contained Firing Facility No results This map created from a Cargo query ()

Mission The Contained Firing Facility (CFF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Site 300 is dedicated to conducting high-explosive experiments under controlled conditions to study the behavior of materials under extreme conditions, supporting national security, particularly in the maintenance of the nuclear stockpile without full-scale nuclear tests.

Services High-explosive testing; hydrodynamic experiments; material behavior analysis

Regulations

Contained Firing Facility (CFF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Site 300 is an indoor testing facility where large-scale experiments involving high explosives are conducted in a controlled environment. These experiments help in understanding the dynamics of nuclear weapons components without the need for actual nuclear detonations, aiding in stockpile stewardship.

Mission

The mission of the CFF is to provide a safe and controlled environment for high-explosive experiments that contribute to the scientific understanding of nuclear weapon dynamics, material behavior under extreme conditions, and the validation of computer models used in stockpile stewardship. This helps in ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile without the need for underground nuclear testing, in compliance with international treaties.

Parent organization

The Contained Firing Facility is part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), which is managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). LLNL conducts research and development in support of national security, especially in areas of nuclear science.

Legislation

The facility operates under the broader legislative and regulatory framework that governs the activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, particularly related to the maintenance of nuclear weapons without testing.

Partners

• National Nuclear Security Administration for overarching management and policy
• Other national laboratories for collaborative research in nuclear science

Number of employees

Specific employee numbers dedicated solely to the CFF are not publicly disclosed, but it operates with staff from LLNL's broader research community.

Organization structure

The CFF is one of several facilities within Site 300, specifically tailored for contained explosive experiments:

Leader

The operations at CFF are managed by various LLNL project leaders and scientists specializing in high-explosive research.

Divisions

• High-Explosives Applications Facility for smaller-scale experiments
• Site 300 for broader explosive and hydrodynamic testing capabilities

List of programs

• High-Explosive Material Testing
• Hydrodynamic Experiments for Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship

Last total enacted budget

Budget specifics for the CFF are not publicly itemized but are part of the broader LLNL budget under the NNSA.

Staff

The facility benefits from LLNL's pool of scientists, engineers, and technicians, though exact numbers working at CFF are not specified.

Funding

Funding for the CFF comes from the NNSA's budget allocated to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for research and development in national security.

Services provided

CFF provides a platform for conducting experiments with high explosives in a contained environment, which includes flash radiography, laser velocimetry, and high-speed optical diagnostics to study the behavior of materials under explosive conditions.

Regulations overseen

The CFF does not oversee regulations but operates under strict safety, security, and environmental regulations set by the Department of Energy and other federal agencies.

Headquarters address

Site 300, 15 miles east of Livermore, California, USA

History

The Contained Firing Facility was developed to support the U.S. nuclear weapons program by providing a means to study explosive dynamics in a controlled setting. It helps in maintaining the nuclear stockpile's reliability without conducting full-scale nuclear tests, reflecting the shift to sub-critical experiments after the U.S. nuclear testing moratorium.

External links

• wikipedia:Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Site 300
• Site 300 Overview