ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
S. P. Obenschain, J. D. Sethian, A. J. Schmitt
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 56 | Number 2 | August 2009 | Pages 594-603
Fusion Technology Plenary | Eighteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Part 2) | doi.org/10.13182/FST56-594
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Fusion Test Facility (FTF) is a high repetition rate ignition facility that would bridge the gap between single shot facilities (such as NIF and LMJ) and a fully functioning laser fusion power plant. It would allow development of science and technologies so that follow-on power plants could have predictable performance. The FTF would need to have enough fusion power, about 100 MW, to rigorously test materials and components for the power plants. Because inertial fusion provides a "point" source for neutrons, it can provide very high fluxes for test objects placed close to the target, while the reaction chamber walls remain at conservatively large distances. Simulations indicate that direct-drive designs can achieve 100 MW fusion power with laser energies well below 1 MJ with a 5 Hz driver. High-resolution 2-D simulations of high-velocity direct-drive implosions utilizing a Krypton-Fluoride (KrF) laser give gains of >60° at 500 kJ, and shock-ignited targets may allow higher gains at even lower driver energy. Utilizing designs that require relatively small driver energy is the most straightforward path to reducing cost and development time for a practical laser fusion energy power plant. A program to develop an FTF would build upon the science and technologies developed in the existing National Ignition Campaign and the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, as well as the magnetic fusion technology program.