Earthquake at LLL hurts structures more than lasers
DOI: 10.1063/1.2913990
When the earthquake struck the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory laser‐fusion facility on 24 January, most of the damage it inflicted was to the buildings and support facilities, according to John Emmett, who directs the program. Out of the $8 million in optical components in the two‐armed Argus laser and 20‐armed Shiva laser, only $13 000 worth of damage occured. Repair of the support equipment will cost $126 000, a figure that includes electrical and mechanical equipment and the expense of repositioning the laser and target frames. (The target frame, for instance, weighs 400 000 pounds and had to be jacked up and shifted back into place to ensure optimal alignment of beams.)
