Abstract
We describe near-term heavy ion fusion (HIF) research objectives associated with developing an inertial fusion energy demonstration power plant. The goal of this near-term research is to lay the essential groundwork for an intermediate research experiment (IRE), designed to demonstrate all the key driver beam manipulations at a meaningful scale, and to enable HIF relevant target physics experiments. This is a very large step in size and complexity compared to HIF experiments to date, and if successful, it would justify proceeding to a demonstration fusion power plant. With an emphasis on accelerator research, this paper is focused on the most important near-term research objectives to justify and to reduce the risks associated with the IRE. The chosen time scale for this research is 5--10 years, to answer key questions associated with the HIF accelerator drivers, in turn enabling a key decision on whether to pursue a much more ambitious and focused inertial fusion energy research and development program. This is consistent with the National Academies of Sciences Review of Inertial Fusion Energy Systems Interim Report, which concludes that ``it would be premature at the present time to choose a particular driver approach\dots{}'' and encouraged the continued development of community consensus on critical issues, and to develop ``options for a community-based roadmap for the development of inertial fusion as a practical energy source.''
Highlights
The U.S National Academies of Sciences and Engineering (NAS) are sponsoring a review of the prospects for inertial confinement fusion energy systems
The charges to the NAS review committee include the identification of R&D objectives associated with developing an IFE demonstration plant, and to advise the DOE on its development of an R&D roadmap aimed at creating a conceptual design for an inertial fusion energy demonstration plant
Several of the key scientific questions related to HIF drivers have been answered: Experiments and simulations showed that stable beam transport over long distances in the accelerator can be achieved with low-emittance growth in the presence of high space charge
Summary
There is renewed interest in the development of energy solutions that can provide carbon-free, base-load electricity. This paper outlines research to answer key scientific and technical questions Such a research program is a prerequisite for a heavy-ion accelerator facility capable of doing HIF target physics and demonstrating at driver scale the essential accelerator components of an HIF power plant, including beam control and focused beam intensity. This is followed by descriptions of the proposed research in several areas (with an emphasis on accelerator R&D, since the accelerator is the long-lead-time item for heavy ion IFE) These topics include multiple-beam ion sources and injectors; studies of the injection and transport of a single driver-scale beam at $5–15 Hz; studies of intense-beam transport in a system long enough that the ions execute several transverse plasma (beam) oscillations; studies of drift compression, bending, and final focus; studies of target physics; research on enabling technologies; and research opportunities that build on and contribute to related fields.
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