TY - JOUR
T1 - Inertial confinement fusion energy R&D and nuclear proliferation
T2 - The need for direct and transparent review
AU - Goldston, Robert James
AU - Glaser, Alexander
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part under Contract Number DE-AC02-09CH11466 with the US Department of Energy.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - Proliferation concerns have generally been associated with the acquisition of the fissile material needed for nuclear weapons; however, the spread of the knowledge needed to build very light and powerful weapons that can be carried long distances by missiles is also a serious concern. Such knowledge could accelerate and destabilize regional arms races, and lead to the deployment of powerful weapons able to target the US and its allies. Classified weapons-related information has previously spread through the international effort to harness inertial confinement fusion. Success in achieving net fusion gain in the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory could lead to greatly increased R&D in inertial confinement fusion worldwide, along with increased proliferation risks. The authors write that these issues have not yet been adequately addressed and require direct and transparent examination so that means to mitigate risks can be assessed and residual risks can be balanced against potential benefits.
AB - Proliferation concerns have generally been associated with the acquisition of the fissile material needed for nuclear weapons; however, the spread of the knowledge needed to build very light and powerful weapons that can be carried long distances by missiles is also a serious concern. Such knowledge could accelerate and destabilize regional arms races, and lead to the deployment of powerful weapons able to target the US and its allies. Classified weapons-related information has previously spread through the international effort to harness inertial confinement fusion. Success in achieving net fusion gain in the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory could lead to greatly increased R&D in inertial confinement fusion worldwide, along with increased proliferation risks. The authors write that these issues have not yet been adequately addressed and require direct and transparent examination so that means to mitigate risks can be assessed and residual risks can be balanced against potential benefits.
KW - Inertial confinement fusion
KW - Lawrence livermore national laboratory
KW - National Ignition Facility
KW - Nuclear energy
KW - Nuclear proliferation
KW - Nuclear weapons
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U2 - 10.1177/0096340211407562
DO - 10.1177/0096340211407562
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:79960875350
SN - 0096-3402
VL - 67
SP - 59
EP - 66
JO - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
JF - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
IS - 3
ER -