Exploring a unique vision for heavy ion fusion

A quest for more efficient beam-to-fuel energy coupling via polar direct drive (30% overall), to enable: (1) Self-T-breeding, self-neutron-energy-absorbing, large {pi}r, T-Lean targets {at} < 4 MJ driver energies; (2) Efficient fusion energy coupling into plasma for direct MHD conversion with moderate yields < 1 GJ; (3) Balance-of-plant costs 10X lower than steam cycle (e.g., < 80 $/kWe instead of 800$/kWe); (4) CoE low enough (<3 cts/kWehr) for affordable water and H{sub 2} fuel for 10 B people on a hot planet; and (5) Enough fissile fuel production for 38 LWR's per GW{sub fusion} if uranium gets too expensive meantime

MARS: Mirror Advanced Reactor Study

A recently completed two-year study of a commercial tandem mirror reactor design (Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS)) is briefly reviewed. The end plugs are designed for trapped particle stability, MHD ballooning, balanced geodesic curvature, and small radial electric fields in the central cell. New technologies such as lithium-lead blankets, 24T hybrid coils, gridless direct converters and plasma halo vacuum pumps are highlighted

Overview of US heavy-ion fusion progress and plans

Significant experimental and theoretical progress has been made in the U.S. heavy ion fusion program on high-current sources, transport, final focusing, chambers and targets for inertial fusion energy (IFE) driven by induction linac accelerators seek to provide the scientific and technical basis for the Integrated Beam Experiment (IBX), an integrated source-to-target physics experiment recently included in the list of future facilities planned by the U.S. Department of Energy. To optimize the design of IBX and future inertial fusion energy drivers, current HIF-VNL research is addressing several key issues (representative, not inclusive): gas and electron cloud effects which can exacerbate beam loss at high beam perveance and magnet aperture fill factors; ballistic neutralized and assisted-pinch focusing of neutralized heavy ion beams; limits on longitudinal compression of both neutralized and un-neutralized heavy ion bunches; and tailoring heavy ion beams for uniform target energy deposition for high energy density physics (HEDP) studies

Circular 64

Treatment of Alaska-produced food products by ionizing radiation may benefit the seafood and agricultural industries and the Alaskan consumer. A feasibility study to evaluate the potential social and economic benefits and risks as well as the costs of using the process in Alaska on Alaskan products is being coordinated by the Institute of Northern Engineering. A research and development project to determine effects on the quality o f Alaskan products could be the next phase in the introduction o f a new food-preservation technique to Alaska

The Divisive Power of Humour: Comedy, Taste and Symbolic Boundaries

Using British and Dutch interview data, this article demonstrates how people from different social classes draw strong symbolic boundaries on the basis of comedy taste. Eschewing the omnivorousness described in recent studies of cultural consumption, comedy audiences make negative aesthetic and moral judgements on the basis of comedy taste, and often make harsh judgements without the disclaimers, apologies and ambivalence so typical of ‘taste talk’ in contemporary culture. The article demonstrates how, in particular, Dutch and British middle class audiences use their comedy taste to communicate distinction and cultural superiority. We discuss several reasons why such processes of social distancing exist in comedy taste and not other cultural areas: the traditionally low status of comedy; the strong relation between humour and personhood; the continuity between comedy tastes and humour styles in everyday life; as well as the specific position of comedy in the British and Dutch cultural fields

Marine Monitoring Program: Annual report for inshore coral reef monitoring 2014-2015

This report summarises the results of coral reef monitoring activities, carried out by the Australian Institute of Marine Science as part of the Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) from 2014 to 2015

Marine Monitoring Program: Annual report for inshore coral reef monitoring 2015-2016

This project is supported by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority through funding from the Australian Government Reef Program, the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring, and Reporting Program and AIMS