Congratulations, you have decided to embark on the journey of conducting experiments on the NIF Direct Laser Impulse (DLI) test facility. Your testing needs may be nascent, or NIF DLI could be a component of a larger portfolio of impulse testing facilities. Either way, the NIF NSA and MRE teams are here to help you execute a successful experiment that delivers critical, mission-relevant data.
The first step on your journey is to engage with the NIF NSA Team and the DLI Working Group to discuss your goals and requirements. This interaction should happen at least 1–2 years before an anticipated need date for the experiment. Based on these informal discussions, a formal proposal will then need to be submitted. The proposal will then undergo a rigorous peer-review process at which point the group of submitted proposals will be ranked in terms of mission impact and technical readiness. Figure 18 provides a general timeline from proposal, to scheduling, planning, and shot implementation. Experiments that are awarded time will then be scheduled and assigned a test date. Once a date is set, detailed planning is required to prepare for the test date. The NIF MRE Team will guide you through the various gates to assure that the test object, diagnostics, and facility configuration are all properly configured.