The Department of Energy is funding fusion science and technology research as a valuable investment in the clean energy future of this country and the world, as well as to sustain a field of scientific research - plasma physics - that is important in its own right and has produced insights and techniques applicable in other fields of science and industry. The mission of the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program is to acquire the knowledge base needed for an economically and environmentally attractive fusion energy source. FES research efforts seek to: (1) understand the physics of plasmas, the fourth state of matter - plasmas constitute most of the visible universe, both stellar and interstellar, and progress in plasma physics has been the prime engine driving progress in fusion research; (2) identify and explore innovative and cost-effective development paths to fusion energy - the current fusion program encourages research on a wide range of approaches, including the tokamak, the leading power plant candidate, other magnetic configurations, and inertial fusion energy using particle beams or lasers; and (3) explore the science and technology of energy producing plasmas, the next frontier in fusion research, as a partner in a international effort - reducing costs, avoiding duplication of efforts, and bringing the best available scientific and engineering talent together to seek solutions to complex problems can best be done through the cooperative efforts of the world fusion community.

This is a time of important progress and discovery in fusion research. The FES program is making great progress in understanding turbulent losses of particles and energy across magnetic field lines used to confine fusion fuels, identifying and exploring innovative approaches to fusion power that may lead to more economical power plants, and encouraging private sector interests to apply concepts developed in the fusion research program. It is felt that small businesses, by performing research within the following technical topics, can make significant contributions to these efforts. This solicitation is restricted to science and technology relevant to magnetically confined plasmas and inertial fusion energy. Grant applications pertaining to cold fusion will be declined, as will those related to other fusion energy concepts not based specifically on the use of plasmas for purposes of producing energy/electricity for non-defense purposes.

The Fusion Energy Sciences program currently supports several fusion experiments with many common objectives. These include expanding the scientific understanding of plasma behavior and improving the performance of high temperature plasma for eventual energy production. The goals of this topic are to develop and demonstrate innovative techniques, instrumentation, and concepts for measuring magnetic plasma parameters, for plasma processing, and for magnetic plasma simulation, control, and data analysis. It is also intended that concepts developed as part of the fusion research program will have application to industries in the private sector. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Diagnostics for Magnetic Fusion Plasma Research - Grant applications are sought to develop measurement techniques for parameters such as plasma density, electron and ion temperature, plasma current and current density, plasma position and shape, impurity density, magnetic field strength, ambipolar potentials, and radiation from the plasma. Diagnostics suitable for experimental devices using relatively low magnetic fields or burning plasmas are of particular interest. New diagnostics for measurements in the 3-dimensional plasmas characteristic of stellarators are also needed. In addition, methods are desired for examining the edge and divertor regions in tokamak plasmas. Both new techniques and methods to improve the accuracy and resolution of existing diagnostics (e.g., improving the signal-to-noise ratio or extending the range of measured parameters) will be considered. Measurements must be both spatially and temporally resolved for both the absolute values of parameters and for small relative differences. For some of the above parameters, real-time measurements will be an advantage in order to provide for plasma control. For the DIII-D experimental program at General Atomics, diagnostics are needed for: (1) fluctuations of electron and ion temperatures, electron density and electric field, particularly in the high density plasma core (fluctuation frequencies are typically in the range of 100 KHz to several MHz, and fluctuation levels are typically less than 1 percent of the quasi-steady-state plasma levels); (2) transport due to fluctuations, which requires cross-correlations between density, temperature and velocity fluctuations; (3) visualization of turbulence in two dimensions, or even three dimensions; and (4) imaging of non-thermal electrons in two dimensions, with energy resolution if possible. For additional information, see the summary of the February 1998 workshop addressing measurement needs in magnetic fusion devices, listed as one of the references.

Grant applications are also sought to apply diagnostics technology, developed for fusion energy, to the use of plasmas in manufacturing. These grant applications should show how the application of these diagnostics would contribute to the understanding of plasmas used in manufacturing, as well as provide an improved basis for modeling these plasmas.

b. Components for the Generation, Transmission, and Launching of High Power Electromagnetic Waves - Tools are needed to support fusion experimental research in such areas as plasma heating and temperature profile control. Grant applications are sought to develop components related to the generation, transmission, and launching of high power electromagnetic waves in the frequency ranges of ion cyclotron resonance heating (50 to 300 MHz), lower hybrid resonance heating (2 to 20 GHz), and electron cyclotron resonance heating (100 to 300 GHz). Components of interests include: power supplies, antenna and launching systems, tuning and matching systems, unidirectional couplers, mode convertors, windows, output couplers, loads, and diagnostics to evaluate the performance of these components, fault protection devices and energy extraction systems from spent electron beams.

c. Plasma Simulation and Data Analysis - The simulation of fusion plasmas is important to the development of plasma discharge feedback and control techniques. The simulations can be used to make reliable predictions of the performance of proposed feedback and control schemes and to identify those that should be tested experimentally. However, accurate simulations of fusion plasmas are very difficult because of the enormous range of temporal and spatial scales involved in plasma behavior. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding and simulating plasma turbulence along with associated transport, macroscopic equilibrium and stability, and the behavior of the edge plasma. However, there remains a need to integrate the various plasma models. Grant applications are sought to develop computer algorithms applicable to plasma simulations that account for an expanded number of plasma features and an integration of plasma models. Some examples of possible approaches include algorithms that incorporate mathematical techniques such as neural networks, sparse linear solvers, and adaptive meshes; algorithms for coupling disparate time and space scales; efficient methods for facilitating comparison of simulation results with experimental data; and visualization tools for local and remote analysis and presentation of multi-dimensional time dependent data.

Grant applications are also sought to develop software tools useful for the analysis and distribution of fusion data. Areas of interest include methods for coupling codes across architectures and through the Internet; techniques for making highly configurable scientific codes; data management and analysis techniques for large data sets; and remote collaboration tools that enhance the ability of a geographically distributed group of scientists to interact in real-time.

The computer algorithms and programming tools should be developed using modern software techniques and should be based on the best available models of plasma behavior.

d. Superconducting Magnets and Materials - New or advanced superconducting magnet concepts are needed for plasma fusion confinement systems; i.e., high field magnets (12 to 20 T) and low loss pulsed magnets. Grant applications are sought for: (1) innovative and advanced materials and manufacturing processes that have a high potential for improved conductor performance and low fabrication costs; (2) cryogenic superconductor materials with high critical current density, low sensitivity to strain degradation effects, and radiation resistance; (3) novel, low-cost cable designs and fabrication techniques, which minimize conductor strain; (4) superconducting joints for high field and pulsed applications; (5) novel, advanced sensors and instrumentation for non-invasively monitoring magnet and helium parameters (e.g., pressure, temperature, voltage, mass flow, quench, etc.); (6) thick (15-30 cm) weldable structural case materials with high strength and toughness at 4 K; (7) welding techniques for such thick cryogenic structural materials; and (8) radiation-resistant electrical insulators (e.g., wrapable inorganic insulators and low viscosity organic insulators, which exhibit low outgassing under irradiation).

2. Hutchinson, I. H., Principles of Plasma Diagnostics, Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1987. (ISBN: 0-521-326222-0)

3. Kosko, B., Neural Networks for Signal Processing, New York: Prentice Hall, 1992. (ISBN: 0-13-617390-X)

4. Luhmann, N. C., Jr. and Peebles, W. A., "Instrumentation of Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasma Diagnostics," Review of Scientific Instruments, 55(3):279-331, March 1984. (ISSN: 0034-6748)*

5. Report on the Workshop on Measurement Needs in Magnetic Fusion Plasmas, Germantown, MD, February 25, 1998. (Available on the Web at: http://wwwofe.er.doe.gov/MoreHTML/pdffiles/diag.pdf) (Need Adobe Acrobat to read.)

6. Simpson, P. K., Artificial Neural Systems: Foundations, Paradigms, Applications and Implementations, New York: Pergamon Press, February 1990. (Hardcover ISBN: 0080378951; Paperback ISBN: 0080378943)

7. Stott, P. E., ed., Diagnostics for Experimental Thermonuclear Fusion Reactors: Proceedings of the International Worshop of Diagnostics for ITER, Varenna, Italy, Aug. 28-Sept. 1, 1995, New York: Plenum Press, 1996. (ISBN: 0-306-45297-9)

8. Bernabei, S. and Paoletti, F., eds, Radio Frequency Power in Plasmas: 13th Topical Conference, Annapolis, MD, April 12-14, 1999, New York: American Institute of Physics, September 1999. (AIP Conference Proceedings No. 485) (ISBN: 1563968614) (ISSN: 0094-243X)

9. Liu, S. and Shen, X., eds., Infrared and Millimeter Waves: 25th International Conference on IRMMW2000 Beijing, China, September 12 - 15, 2000, Piscataway, NJ: IEE Press, 2000. (IEEE Product No.: EX422-TBR) (ISBN: 0-7803-6513-5)

10. Blum, J., Numerical Simulation and Optimal Control in Plasma Physics; with Applications to Tokamaks, New York: Wiley, 1989. (Gauthier-Villars Series in Modern Applied Mathematics) (ISBN: 0471921874)

11. Dawson, J. M., et al., "High Performance Computing and Plasma Physics," Physics Today, 46(3):64-72, March 1993. (ISSN: 0031-9228)*

12. Harkey, D. and Orfali, R., Client/Server Programming with JAVA and CORBA, 2nd ed., New York: John Wiley and Sons, March 1998. (ISBN: 047124578X)

13. Iwasa, Y., Case Studies in Superconducting Magnets: Design and Operational Issues, New York: Plenum Press, 1994. (ISBN: 0-306-44881-5)

14. Wilson, M. N., Superconducting Magnets, Chilton, England: Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1983. (Monographs on Cryogenics) (ISBN: 0-19-854805-2)

* Available on the Web at: http://ojps.aip.org/pibin/search?KEY=ALL

An attractive fusion energy source will require the development of materials and technologies to withstand the high levels of surface heat flux and neutron wall loads expected for the in-vessel components of future fusion energy systems. Plasma facing materials must be developed that can perform under harsh environmental conditions including high heat and particle flux, high temperatures, and plasma-induced erosion, as well as neutron irradiation from burning plasmas. In addition, innovative in-vessel concepts will be required for the removal of heat at high power densities. Grant applications are sought only in the following areas:

a. Solid Surface Plasma Facing Materials and Technologies - Grant applications are sought for: (1) improved refractory metals (preferably tungsten, but molybdenum, niobium, zirconium, vanadium and titanium will be considered) where neutron radiation resistance, thermal conductivity, and/or thermal fatigue resistance are increased; (2) novel surface geometries to increase heat flux limits and/or fatigue life; (3) techniques to enhance heat transfer and heat flux limits for water, helium, or liquid metal coolants; (4) joining techniques for refractory metals for use up to 1200^oC; (5) non-destructive evaluation techniques for armor joints and critical heat flux monitoring; and (6) innovative fabrication techniques that improve performance and reliability while reducing complexity and/or cost. All materials and components proposed must be able to withstand surface heating conditions, which include long pulse (tens of seconds to steady state) heat fluxes for first wall components (up to 2 MW/m²) and for limiter and divertor components (up to 50 MW/m²) for up to one million cycles. In addition, materials and components that are capable of accommodating short pulse (about one thousandth of a second) heat fluxes on surfaces subjected to plasma disruptions (10 to 500 MW/m²) are of particular interest. Water and helium gas are the coolants of primary interest. Grant applications must clearly identify proposed materials and configurations and include preliminary analysis to indicate the potential for achieving the performance capabilities sought, including maximum and minimum temperatures of key materials. Grant applications pertaining to the use of liquid surfaces, carbon or graphite based materials and composites, or the use of silicon carbide composites are not of interest for this subtopic and will be declined.

b. Liquid Surface Particle and Heat Removal in Fusion Systems - Innovative liquid surface concepts are desired for heat removal from surface heat fluxes at first walls and divertors of about 2 MW/m² and 50 MW/m², respectively, with good safety, reliability, and maintenance features. Current interests are focused on evaluating the use of flowing liquid metals, with direct exposure to the plasma, which can potentially remove particles as well as surface heat. Candidate liquids metals include lithium, tin-lithium, tin, gallium, and lead-lithium. Also, lithium-beryllium-fluoride salts are of interest for surface heat fluxes up to 2 MW/m². Grant applications are sought to develop: (1) techniques for the removal first wall and divertor heat loads by free surface flowing liquids (proposed techniques should address the effect of magnetohydrodynamics on heat transfer and should also consider heat removal enhancement techniques, such as turbulence promoters); (2) efficient nonlinear solution methods, as well as alternate object-oriented languages for computational tools, to model fusion-relevant issues of liquid wall flows, such as heat transfer at free surfaces and free flows with magnetohydrodynamic effects and turbulence; (3) techniques, such as the addition of alloying materials, to improve the plasma compatibility of liquid surfaces; (4) nozzles for liquid injection (e.g., streams, jets, films, and droplets) and collection/removal techniques that are drip and splash free, self-cooling, and efficient in head recovery at the outlet; (5) non-invasive diagnostics for experiments to study high temperature free surface liquid flows in magnetic fields (such diagnostics might include measurements of mean flow velocity, turbulence intensity, velocity fluctuations, flow depth, and surface/depth temperature profiles); (6) efficient techniques for pumping liquid metals in the presence of a magnetic field, including the production of free surface flows; and (7) techniques for validation of fluid flow and heat transfer models.

1. Kukushkin, A.S., et al., "Divertor Performance in Reduced-Technical-Objective/Reduced-Cost ITER," contributed to the 26th EPS [European Physical Society] Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics, Maasticht, The Netherlands, June 14-18, 1999, Europhysics Conference Abstracts, 23J:545-1548, 1999. (URL: http://epsppd.epfl.ch/Maas/web/pdf/p4046.pdf)

2. Mazul, I. V., et al., "(ITER/6) Status of R&D of the Plasma Facing Components for the ITER Divertor," presented at the 18th Fusion Energy Conference, Sorrento, Italy, October 4 - 10, 2000, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency, 2001. (Sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment (ENEA)) (Report No. IAEA-CN-77) (URL: http://www.iaea.or.at/programmes/ripc/physics/fec2000/pdf/iter_6.pdf)

3. Next Step Option Study, Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE)
http://fire.pppl.gov

4. "Physics Basis for the Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE) Plasma Facing Components," a paper presented by M. A. Ulrickson at the 21st Symposium on Fusion Technology, Madrid, Spain, September 2000. (URL: http://fire.pppl.gov/soft_Ulrickson.pdf)

Subtopic b: Liquid Surface Particle and Heat Removal in Fusion Systems

5. Abdou, M. A., et al., eds., Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, Los Angeles, CA, June 4-6, 1994, Fusion Engineering and Design, Vols. 27-29 (parts A-C), March 1995. (ISSN: 0920-3796)

6. Abdou, M. and the APEX Team, "Exploring Novel High Power Density Concepts for Attractive Fusion Systems," Fusion Engineering and Design, 45:145-167, 1999. (ISSN: 0920-3796)

7. Advanced Limiter-Divertor Plasma-Facing Surfaces (ALPS)
Argonne National Laboratory
http://www.td.anl.gov/ALPS_Info_Center/

8. Advanced Power EXtraction (APEX) Study
University of CA, Los Angeles
http://www.fusion.ucla.edu/APEX/

9. Bastasz, R. and Eckstein, W., "Plasma-Surface Interactions on Liquids," Journal of Nuclear Materials, 290-293:19-24, 2001. (ISSN: 0022-3115)

10. Mattas, R. F., et al., "ALPS - Advanced Limiter-Divertor-Plasma-Facing Systems," Fusion Engineering and Design, 49-50(ER):127-134, 2000. (ISSN: 0920-3796)

Inertial fusion energy is produced by ignition and burn of an energy-producing target. Conditions necessary for ignition and burn result from the external application of energy to the fuel target by an external driver. Although several drivers such as lasers and ion beams have been considered, the emphasis in the fusion energy science program is on intense heavy ion beams as drivers. These beams are produced by induction linear accelerators with components to produce, accelerate, transport, and focus beams of required energy and intensity. The Fusion Energy Sciences program in inertial fusion energy supports research and technology in the generation, transport, and measurement of these heavy ion beams. There is also interest in selected technology topics with relevance to different inertial fusion energy driver concepts. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Diagnostics for Heavy-Ion-Beam-Driven Inertial Fusion Research - Grant applications are sought to develop instrumentation and time-resolved measurement techniques of high charge-density heavy-ion beams of energy greater than 0.5 MeV and radius ~1 to 5 cm. Beam parameters of interest include current, density distribution, beam position, energy, energy distribution, emittance, and space potential, in Injector, Transport, and Final Focus sections. Of particular interest are innovative non-intercepting position detectors and optical (including scintillator-based) beam diagnostics suitable for rapid characterization of beams in both the present (0.5 to 2 MeV) and higher energy range, and diagnostics for characterizing trapped secondary electron distributions. Further information may be obtained in the HIF Symposia series [see reference for 12th International Symposium].

b. Beam Generation and Transport - Grant applications are sought for the development of high current, high brightness ion sources for heavy ion induction linacs that can produce beam currents >0.5 A with <1 mm-mrad emittance and short pulse lengths ~ 1 sec, and that can be extended to compact arrays of multiple beams. Grant applications are also sought for advanced enabling technology to produce arrays of small superconducting quadrupoles for multiple beam transport. The quadrapoles should be designed to address problems associated with channel vacuum pumping, vacuum dewars, and cryogenic leads in a compact and cost effective manner.

c. Models for Electron Production in Accelerators for Heavy-Ion Beam-Driven Fusion - Grant applications are sought for computational modules to calculate cross-sections for the production of neutrals, ions, and electrons via wall bombardment by beam ions and other species, source distribution functions for the resultant products, cross sections for ionization and charge-exchange of the neutrals by the ion beam, and the volumetric evolution of neutral gas. Grant applications are also sought for the development of a set of subroutines suitable for straightforward inclusion into existing intense-beam simulation codes (such as WARP, BEST, and/or LSP). Initial calculations using these models should be carried out in a regime relevant to the upcoming High Current Experiments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The models should be sufficiently general that they can be applied to a wide variety of ion accelerators for a broad range of applications.

d. Technology for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) - In an inertial fusion power plant, targets must be repetitively injected into a reactor chamber and driven by either a heavy ion beam, a high power laser, or a pulsed power machine (z-pinch or magnetized target fusion). The targets must be fabricated and injected with great precision. Moreover, the target releases a high intensity burst of neutrons, energetic particles, and x-rays that must be contained within the chamber. Grant applications are sought to develop:

(1) Damage resistant chamber materials. The x-rays, neutrons, and particle debris released in inertial fusion have energies up to several MJ/m² and are emitted on a time scale from 1 ns to 100 microseconds. Wall materials must survive this environment for periods of up to several years at repetition rates up to 10 Hz. The wall materials must provide low radioactivity under neutron exposure and high temperature operation consistent with efficient power production. Schemes that can protect or shield the first wall are also of interest.

(2) Damage resistant laser optics and optics protection methods for the last optical element before the reactor chamber in a laser fusion system. Both metal mirrors and fused silica windows have been proposed for this "final optic," but other technologies may be appropriate. The final optic must operate at 1/4 to 1/3 micron wavelength and must be protected from exposure or capable of withstanding pulsed irradiation by neutrons, x-rays, and debris. In either approach, the optical elements must survive for several years.

(3) Low-cost fabrication methods for mass-produced inertial fusion energy targets, including targets filled with deuterium-tritium fuel and coated with a protective layer. In an IFE power plant, about 500,000 cryogenic targets must be prepared and injected each day at a rate of 5-10 Hz into a target chamber operating at elevated temperatures. These targets must be precisely made and cost less than $0.30 each.

(4) Methods for target injection and tracking. Targets driven by heavy ion or laser beams must be injected into the chamber at a rate of 5-10 Hz, at velocities from 200 to 400 m/s, and with an acceleration approaching 1000 g. The targets also must be tracked precisely inside the chamber. Gas guns, electrostatic accelerators and electromagnetic accelerators are being evaluated as candidate target injectors. Techniques to accurately track the target (in order to steer them or the driver beams) also are needed.

(5) Efficient procedures for the repetitive replacement of recyclable transmission line (RTL), target assembly, and close-packed coolant. For pulsed-power drivers (z-pinch and magnetized target fusion), the RTL, target assembly, and close-packed coolant (for shock mitigation) must be repetitively replaced on a relatively slow time scale (about 0.1 Hz).

1. Bangerter, R., et al., eds., Proceedings of the International Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion, Monterey, CA, December 3-6, 1990, Particle Accelerators, 37-38, Philadelphia: Gordon and Breach Academic Publishers, 1992. (ISSN: 0031-2460)

2. Conn, R., ed., Proceedings of the International Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion, Princeton, NJ, September 6-9, 1995, Fusion Engineering and Design, 32(1-4) & 33(1,2), October 1996. (ISSN: 0920-3796)

3. Grote, D. P., et al., "New Methods in WARP," Proceedings of the International Computational Accelerator Physics Conference, Monterey, CA, September 14-18, 1998, Amercian Institute of Physics, 1998. (Full text of paper available at http://www.slac.stanford.edu/xorg/icap98/papers/C-Tu08.pdf)

4. Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion, Heidelberg, Germany, September 24-27, 1997, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 415(1, 2), 1998. (ISSN: 0168-9002) (Special Issue)

5. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion, Frascati, Italy, May 25-28, 1993, Il Nuovo Cimento, 106A(11), November 1993.

6. Bieri, R. and Guinan, M., An Analysis of Grazing Incidence Metal Mirrors in a Laser ICF Reactor Driver, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, July 12, 1991. (Report No. UCRL-ID-1060940) (NTIS Order No. DE92000093; see Solicitation section 7.1)

7. Bodner, S. E., et al., "High-Gain Direct-Drive Target Design for Laser Fusion," Physics of Plasmas 7(6):2298-2301, June 2000. (ISSN: 1070-664X)

8. Callahan-Miller, D. A. and Tabak, M., "A Distributed Radiator, Heavy Ion Target Driven by Gaussian Beams in a Multibeam Illumination Geometery," Nuclear Fusion, 39(7):883-892, July 1999. (ISSN: 0029-5515)

9. Marshall, C. D., et al., "Induced Optical Absorption in Gamma, Neutron and Ultraviolet Irradiated Fused Quartz and Silica," Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 212(1):59-73, May 1997. (ISSN: 0022-3093)

10. Olson, C. L., et al., "Rep-Rated Z-Pinch Power Plant Concept," ICC 2000: Innovative Confinement Concepts Workshop, Berkeley, California, February 22-25, 2000. (Available on the Web at http://icc2000.lbl.gov/proceed.html. Scroll down to "Advanced Boundry Concepts" section and click on title of paper.)

11. Schultz, K. R., "Cost Effective Steps to Fusion Power: IFE Target Fabrication, Injection and Tracking," Journal of Fusion Energy, 17(3), September 1998. (ISSN: 0164-0313)

12. Schultz, K. R., et al., "Status of Inertial Fusion Target Fabrication in the U.S.A.," Fusion Engineering and Design, 44:441-448, February 1999. (ISSN: 0920-3796)