High energy density plasma physics: A view from DOE

The long-term commitment of the Department of Energy and now the National Nuclear Security Administration to the pursuit of research on inertial confinement fusion concepts and the investigation of the properties of matter in extreme environments has led to the coalescence of the discipline of high energy density plasma physics. A series of increasingly capable experimental facilities has been at the center of this, focused primarily on high energy lasers and pulsed power technology. Along with dramatic advances in experimental capability significant progress has been made in computational techniques to address the very complex and scientifically rich set of questions posed by the most extreme states of matter. This talk will discuss the evolution of the DOE/NNSA research program in this area, highlight current research endeavors and project some future directions for this research area.