2004/01/21 by André Gsponer, Andre Gsponer, Gsponer, Andre +2
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #FOS: Physical sciences #Fusion materials and technologies #Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics #Nuclear Issues and Defense #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #physics.plasm-ph #physics.soc-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0401110
82 pages, 4 tables, 6 figures. Fully revised version with an appendix by C.E. Singer. Both PS and PDF now available
openalex publication_date 2004/01/21 · arxiv created 2004/02/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This report contains two parts: (1) A list of "points" highlighting the strategic-political and military-technical reasons and implications of the very probable siting of ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in Japan, which should be confirmed sometimes in early 2004. (2) A technical analysis of the nuclear weapons proliferation implications of inertial- and magnetic-confinement fusion systems substantiating the technical points highlighted in the first part, and showing that while full access to the physics of thermonuclear weapons is the main implication of ICF, full access to large-scale tritium technology is the main proliferation impact of MCF. The conclusion of the report is that siting ITER in a country such as Japan, which already has a large separated-plutonium stockpile, and an ambitious laser-driven ICF program (comparable in size and quality to those of the United States or France), will considerably increase its latent (or virtual) nuclear weapons proliferation status, and foster further nuclear proliferation throughout the world.