2.2. Time Allocation and Experiment Scheduling

Time Allocation and Experiment Scheduling

The process for allocation of NIF facility time is summarized in the NIF Governance Plan (see Section 2.1). Laser time is allocated in four major program areas:

  • ICF
  • High-energy-density stockpile science (HEDSS)
  • Discovery science
  • National security applications (national security other than SSP)  

The experimental definition and scheduling process is initiated when the User Office provides the four programs and the facility with blocks of time throughout a given six-month period consistent with their allocations. The blocks are then filled with experiments and submitted to the NIF Scheduling Committee (NSC). The  NSC integrates the schedule and prepares it for review by impacted facility stakeholders and approval by the Facility Advisory and Scheduling Committee (FASC). Changes to the schedule, once adopted as a baseline, are managed through schedule change requests (SCRs) to the NSC. The NIF User Office can advise on how to formulate and propose an SCR.

The approved NIF schedule is accessible to all users at https://lasers.llnl.gov/for-users/nif-calendar. A more detailed schedule is available inside LLNL’s network domain and requires a password for access. Information on accessing the latter schedule is available from the NIF User Office.