Stockpile Research, Technology, and Engineering (2020 DOE transition)
| Book 2 - Issue Papers
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| Entire 2020 DOE Transition book As of October 2020 |
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) must maintain a safe, secure, and effective stockpile without nuclear explosive testing.
Issue(s)
One of Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) core missions is to maintain a safe, secure, and effective stockpile without nuclear explosive testing. To execute this mission, NNSA pursues a science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP).
The Stockpile Research, Technology, and Engineering (SRT&E) program provides the foundation for science-based stockpile decisions, tools, and components; focuses on the most pressing investments the nuclear security enterprise requires to meet Department of Defense (DoD) warhead needs and schedules; enables assessment and certification capabilities used throughout the enterprise; and provides the knowledge and expertise needed to maintain confidence in the nuclear weapons stockpile without additional nuclear explosive testing.
The NNSA Office of Defense Programs leverages leading-edge expertise in research and development to maintain the effectiveness of the nuclear weapons stockpile. These research, technology, and engineering activities include modeling, simulations, and flight tests that affirm the effectiveness of the nuclear weapons stockpile. Subcritical and hydrodynamic experiments, along with high energy density physics and advanced computing techniques, provide a technical basis for the annual assessment of the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile.
Status
NNSA has developed leading-edge expertise in materials and weapons effects science; high energy density physics; advanced simulation and computing; and hydrodynamic and subcritical experiments. NNSA is delivering the simulation capabilities and high performance computing (HPC) resources to support the annual stockpile assessment and certification process.
Current priorities include continued execution of Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments (ECSE) program activities and the procurement of, and site preparation at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for NNSA’s first Exascale system to be delivered in 2022, and ready for program use in 2023. Both capabilities are needed to meet W80-4 LEP and W87-1 Modification certification requirements.
The SRT&E program includes Assessment Science; Engineering and Integrated Assessments; Inertial Confinement Fusion; Advanced Simulation and Computing; Weapon Technology and Manufacturing Maturation; and Academic Programs.
Inertial Confinement Fusion
Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) will continue to maintain essential experimental capabilities and expertise in high energy density (HED) science. These efforts continue to provide data to reduce uncertainty in calculations of nuclear weapons performance and improve the predictive capability of science and engineering models in high-pressure, high-energy, high-density regimes.
ICF supports the national HED facilities, specifically, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the Z Pulsed Power facility (Z), and the Omega Laser Facility (Omega); the experimental platforms, models, and experimental diagnostics that enable vast exploration of HED science for stockpile stewardship; and other national security applications throughout the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
Assessment Science
Assessment Science supports subcritical experiments used to assess the state of the current stockpile, and certify warhead modernization programs and advanced diagnostics for subcritical hydrodynamic integrated weapons experiments that produce data for stockpile certifications.
Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments (ECSE) will introduce a unique capability for the Nation by providing radiography and other capabilities for monitoring the performance of special nuclear material; understanding the effects of plutonium aging; and certifying future weapon systems. ECSE addresses a key gap in NNSA’s ability to assess the aggregate influences of plutonium aging, modern manufacturing techniques, modern materials, and evolving designs to enhance manufacturability and improve safety and security.
Academic Programs
The Academic Programs of Stockpile Research, Technology, and Engineering are designed to support academic programs in science and engineering disciplines of critical importance to the NNSA Nuclear Security Enterprise, such as nuclear science, radiochemistry, materials at extreme conditions, high energy density science, advanced manufacturing, and high performance computing.
Engineering and Integrated Assessments
Engineering and Integrated Assessments sustains NNSA’s capability for creating and maturing advanced toolsets and technologies to improve weapon surety and support annual stockpile assessments.
Weapons Technology and Manufacturing Modernization
Weapons Technology and Manufacturing Modernization develops the materials, technology, and manufacturing solutions that will significantly reduce the time and cost of planned and future warhead modernization programs and manufacturing processes. This area has already provided great benefits to the current stockpile and is instrumental to a more responsive and resilient nuclear enterprise.
Advanced Simulation and Computing Program
The Advanced Simulation and Computing Program supports stockpile stewardship by developing and delivering predictive simulation capabilities for nuclear weapons systems in addition to deploying increasingly more powerful supercomputers at Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Improvements in high performance computing and artificial intelligence are essential for NNSA next-generation simulation capabilities to support weapons design and science-based stockpile stewardship.
Exascale Computing Initiative
The Exascale Computing Initiative (ECI) is a partnership between the DOE Office of Science and NNSA.
- Exascale computing will also enable NNSA to evaluate the nuclear deterrent against evolving threats and, if necessary, identify mitigation options for the current and future stockpile.
- In FY 2020, NNSA signed a $600 million contract for its first Exascale supercomputer, El Capitan, slated to be delivered in 2022 and operating in 2023 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to support NNSA’s nuclear weapons programs. As a world leader in supercomputing, NNSA’s acquisition of El Capitan is a critical addition to its next generation supercomputing systems.
Major Decisions/Events
- Pursue Critical Decision-4 in FY 2025 for the ECSE project, to meet the W80-4 design validation experiment as well as W87-1 program requirements for system certification with a subcritical experiment in 2026.
- Deliver the Crossroads high-performance computing system for annual assessment, modernization programs, and surety (safety, security and use-control) assessments; and prioritize delivery of an exascale-class computing environment in FY 2022 in preparation for the El Capitan system delivery in FY 2023.
- Deliver modern technologies necessary to enhance secure manufacturing capabilities and to provide timely support to critical needs of the stockpile such as increasing technology and manufacturing readiness levels (TRLs and MRLs) with reduced systems costs.
- Develop the next generation of highly-trained technical workers able to support the NNSA core mission and to ensure there is a strong community of technical peers, external to the NNSA national laboratories, capable of providing peer review and scientific competition to strengthen the basic fields of research.
Background
SRT&E provides the scientific foundation for science-based stockpile decisions, as well as the capabilities, tools, and components needed to enable assessment and certification. It balances the most pressing investments the nuclear security enterprise needs to meet DOD warhead needs and schedules, and the critical long-term R&D needed for a robust and responsive future stockpile.