Fig. 1. AWE’s high performance computer ‘Blackthorn’.

Fig. 2. WDM and HDM are generated in planetary and solar cores as well as within nuclear weapons.

Fig. 3. The HELEN laser was decommissioned in 2009 after demonstrating the feasibility of carrying out relevant high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments on laser systems.

Fig. 4. The HELEN target chamber.

Fig. 5. HEDP experiments at AWE followed dual tracks (albeit with a very limited number of experiments in the green underground testing (UGT) line) until nuclear testing stopped. HELEN had several upgrades, but has now been replaced by the Orion facility (NYM is a 2D hydrocode used for modelling and ICF is inertial confinement fusion).

Fig. 6. Orion’s long pulse amplifier chain.

Fig. 7. Inside the Orion target chamber.

Fig. 8. Targets range from 3D assemblies such as the hohlraum shown as a cartoon (top left) and as an actual target (top right) to flat foils (bottom right). They range in size, but the tolerances are always very tight. The image at the bottom left is a demonstration of target manufacturing capability on a miniature scale.

Fig. 9. The Orion target chamber is peppered with ports, the majority being for diagnostic access. The TIMs are shown as the large oblong devices protruding from the chamber and the target inserter is mounted vertically at the top of the chamber.