Issues in Physics & Astronomy Board on Physics and Astronomy • The National Academies • Washington, D.C. • 202-334-3520 • national-academies.org/bpa • Summer 2008 Understanding the Impact of Selling the Helium Reserve Michael H. Moloney, BPA Staff nder the sponsorship of the monatomic element, it passes easily containing 0.3 percent helium is consid- Bureau of Land Management at through tiny orifices and is therefore used ered economically viable. A few gas Uthe Department of the Interior, for leak detection in many scientific and deposits contain as much as 8 percent the BPA, in cooperation with the Na- technical applications. Its density is only helium. By comparison, the atmosphere tional Materials Advisory Board, has 15 percent that of air, making it useful as a contains only about 0.0005 percent. He- initiated a study to understand the lifting gas for aerostats and other devices. lium from wells that produce impact on the scientific community of Its high heat capacity, along with its uneconomically low concentrations, or the continuing sale of the U.S. helium inertness, makes it the preferred quench- from wells that produce higher concentra- reserve and recent developments in the ing medium for many applications in tions but do not flow through an extrac- helium market. materials processing, such as the produc- tion plant, is often vented to the atmo- The element helium has unique tion of high-quality superalloy powders. It sphere when the natural gas is burned. A properties. Liquefying near absolute is the preferred carrier gas for gas chroma- relatively minor amount of helium also is zero, it is the only option for many tography, a widely applied technique for vented at extraction plants that have no cryogenic applications, such as cooling chemical separations. access to a helium storage facility when superconducting magnets for scientific Helium has, however, one other less excess helium production cannot be and medical instruments. In fact, cryo- desirable characteristic—it is a nonrenew- marketed. genic applications account for nearly 28 able resource. Helium is a byproduct of From 1929 until 1998, the Federal percent of annual consumption accord- purifying or liquefying natural gas. Recov- government operated helium production ing to a 2002 survey of helium uses. ering helium from a natural gas mixture See “Helium” on page 10 Being chemically inert, helium is used for pressurizing and purging fuel tanks and in breathing gas mixtures for deep- The Moment of Truth for Inertial Fusion sea diving. Because it is the smallest Riccardo Betti, University of Rochester hile the quest for controlled reaction rate. The hotter the plasma, the thermonuclear fusion energy greater the number of fusion reactions In this issue: Whas been ongoing for the last that heat the plasma. This runaway pro- half century (magnetic confinement since cess ceases when micro and/or macro • Helium Reserve Study 1950’s and laser fusion since 1960’s), instabilities of the plasma or saturation of Inauguration. Page 1 fusion research is about to reach a climax the fusion rates prevent further growth of with the construction of the National the plasma temperature. When properly • Inertial Confinement Ignition Facility (NIF) and International controlled, the amplification of the fusion Fusion. Page 1 Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor reaction rate resulting from the plasma • ITER Plan Review Report. (ITER). Conclusive tests for the physics self-heating process can lead to a fusion Page 2 of the magnetic and inertial confinement energy output many times larger than the concepts will be performed on these input energy required for bringing the • BPA Spring Meeting. ignition machines. plasma to ignition conditions. The ratio of Page 3 Technically, thermonuclear ignition is the energy output to the input is the a thermal instability, a runaway process in energy gain. • New Astronomy Survey. the thermal energy of the thermonuclear Demonstrating thermonuclear ignition Page 5 fuel—typically a 50-50 mixture of deute- and energy gains in the laboratory has • Changes at the BPA. Page 6 rium (D) and tritium (T). In an ignited DT been a goal of fusion energy research for plasma, known as a burning plasma, the decades, and it is widely considered a • Committee on Radio fraction of the energy associated with the milestone in the development of fusion Frequencies Meeting. P.7 α-particles (3.5MeV) from the fusion energy, as well as a major scientific • Solid State Sciences reactions D + T α + n + 17.6MeV is achievement. Committee Meeting. Page 7 deposited in the plasma itself thus increas- Ignition in the lab does not imply that ing its temperature and, in turn, the fusion See “Fusion” on page 8 2 BPA News • Summer 2008 Review of the Plan for U.S. Participation in ITER David B. Lang, BPA Staff I. Review the document "Planning for U.S. The NRC Committee to Review the Ed. Note: This article is largely inspired by Fusion Community Participation in the U.S. ITER Science Participation Planning the Executive Summary of the report. ITER Program." Determine whether the Process was tasked to assess the current he development of a plan for the plan provides a good initial outline for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plan for participation of the U.S. fusion effective participation of U.S. plasma U.S. fusion community participation in Tcommunity in the ITER program scientists in research at ITER. ITER, evaluate the plan’s elements, and was mandated by the Energy Policy Act II. Evaluate the following required ele- recommend appropriate goals, proce- of 2005 (EPAct). The EPAct, in Section ments of the plan: (1) an agenda for U.S. dures, and metrics for consideration in the 972 (c)(4)(B), also directed that, after research at ITER, (2) methodologies to future development of the plan. The completion of the plan, the U.S. Depart- evaluate ITER's contribution to progress committee found that: ment of Energy (DOE) request an external toward a power source, (3) description of • The 2006 DOE plan for U.S. participation review of its content. Accordingly, on the anticipated relationship between the in ITER is operating and has proven August 10, 2006, the DOE Under Secre- U.S. ITER research program and the effective in beginning to coordinate U.S. tary for Science submitted the completed overall U.S. fusion program. research activities and the development of plan to the National Academy of Sciences III. The committee will recommend next the ITER program. U.S. scientists have for review. In response, the National steps in the development of the plan, been well engaged in the planning for Research Council (NRC) organized a including: (a) appropriate elements and/or ITER, and the United States should committee to review the DOE plan with goals for the plan; (b) procedures to endeavor to maintain this level of activity. the following charge: facilitate further development of the plan; The plan in its current form is well aligned The committee will prepare a short and (c) metrics for measuring progress in with DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sci- report addressing the following tasks: establishing robust U.S. participation in ences goals. the ITER research program. • The U.S. ITER research program is at Committee to Review the U.S. ITER The committee was appointed on least as organizationally and technically Science Participation Planning Process October 1, 2007 and met in Washington, mature as that of the other ITER partici- D.C. on December 14-15, 2007. Soon after, pants at the time of this writing. Patrick L. Colestock, Chair the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations • The U.S. research program for ITER as Los Alamos National Laboratory Act became law, under which U.S. contri- described in the DOE plan is appropriate butions for ITER were unexpectedly and justified, and the committee notes Roger D. Bengtson eliminated. Although this committee was that the domestic program will evolve as The University of Texas at Austin not specifically tasked to assess the the international research program is James E. Brau implications of the FY2008 budget, it developed. U.S. involvement in develop- University of Oregon believed that the budget would necessar- ing the research program for ITER will be Cary B. Forest ily affect U.S. researchers’ ability to crucial to the realization of U.S. fusion University of Wisconsin participate fully in the ITER project, and it research goals. Stephen Holmes therefore felt obliged to address this • The committee underscores as its great- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory issue. est concern the uncertain U.S. commit- ITER presents the United States and ment to ITER at the present time. Fluctua- George J. Morales its international partners with the opportu- tions in the U.S. commitment to ITER will University of California at Los Angeles nity to explore new and exciting frontiers undoubtedly have a large negative impact Thomas M. O’Neil of plasma science while bringing the on the ability of the U.S. fusion commu- University of California at San Diego promise of fusion energy closer to reality. nity to influence the developing ITER Tony S. Taylor The ITER project has garnered the com- research program, to capitalize on re- General Atomics mitment and will draw on the scientific search at ITER to help achieve U.S. fusion potential of seven international partners, energy goals, to participate in obtaining Dennis G. Whyte China, the European Union, India, Japan, important scientific results on burning Massachusetts Institute of Technology the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the plasmas from ITER, and to be an effective Michael C. Zarnstorff United States, countries that represent participant in and beneficiary of future Princeton University more than half of the world’s population. international scientific collaborations. NRC Staff The success of ITER will depend on each • Consistent with previous National partner’s ability to fully engage itself in Research Council and Fusion Energy Donald C.