A Community Plan for Fusion Energy and Discovery Plasma Sciences Report of the 2019–2020 American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Community Planning Process A Community Plan for Fusion Energy and Discovery Plasma Sciences Chairs Scott Baalrud University of Iowa Nathaniel Ferraro Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Lauren Garrison Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nathan Howard Massachusetts Institute of Technology Carolyn Kuranz University of Michigan John Sarff University of Wisconsin-Madison Earl Scime (emeritus) West Virginia University Wayne Solomon General Atomics Magnetic Fusion Energy Fusion Materials and Technology Ted Biewer, ORNL John Caughman, ORNL Dan Brunner, CFS David Donovan, UT Knoxville Cami Collins, General Atomics Karl Hammond, U Missouri Brian Grierson, PPPL Paul Humrickhouse, INL Walter Guttenfelder, PPPL Robert Kolasinski, Sandia Chris Hegna, U Wisconsin-Madison Ane Lasa, UT Knoxville Chris Holland, UCSD Richard Nygren, Sandia Jerry Hughes, MIT Wahyu Setyawan, PNNL Aaro Järvinen, LLNL George Tynan, UCSD Richard Magee, TAE Steven Zinkle, UT Knoxville Saskia Mordijck, William & Mary Craig Petty, General Atomics High Energy Density Physics Matthew Reinke, ORNL Alex Arefiev, UCSD Uri Shumlak, U Washington Todd Ditmire, UT Austin Forrest Doss, LANL General Plasma Science Johan Frenje, MIT Daniel Den Hartog, U Wisconsin-Madison Cliff Thomas, UR/LLE Dan Dubin, UCSD Arianna Gleason, Stanford/SLAC Hantao Ji, Princeton Stephanie Hansen, Sandia Yevgeny Raitses, PPPL Louisa Pickworth, LLNL Dan Sinars, Sandia Jorge Rocca, Colorado State David Schaffner, Bryn Mawr College Derek Schaeffer, Princeton Steven Shannon, NC State Sean Finnegan, LANL Stephen Vincena, UCLA Figure 1. Artwork by Jennifer Hamson LLE/University of Rochester, concept by Dr. David Schaffner, Bryn Mawr College Preface This document is the final report of the Community Planning Process (CPP) that describes a comprehensive plan to deliver fusion energy and to advance plasma science. The CPP was initiated by the executive committee of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics (APS-DPP) to help the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) fulfill a charge from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a strategic plan for the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). In this charge, dated Nov. 30, 2018, DOE Deputy Director for Science Dr. Stephen Binkley requested that FESAC “undertake a new long-range strategic planning activity for the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program. The strategic planning activity—to encompass the entire FES research portfolio (namely, burning plasma science and discovery plasma science)—should identify and prioritize the research required to advance both the scientific foundation needed to develop a fusion energy source, as well as the broader FES mission to steward plasma science.” The CPP represents the first phase in developing a long range strategic plan for FES, and will serve as the basis for the second phase activity conducted by FESAC. It is worth noting that enacting the full scope of the recommendations in the strategic plan in this document will require suitable partnerships with other offices and governmental agencies, as well as with private industry and international partners. This Community Planning Process has sought to form a consensus plan by the entire U.S. fusion and plasma physics community. The CPP has encouraged and received broad engagement from the entire U.S. fusion and plasma physics community by inviting the involvement of multiple professional societies (including APS, IEEE, ANS, HEDSA, USBPO, UFA, AVS, and others) and hosting frequent town halls, webinars, hundreds of small group discussions among subject matter experts, dedicated workshops, and focus group discussions. Hundreds of whitepapers, initiative proposals, and summary quad charts were submitted by the community throughout the process. This process has been extensively and transparently documented on a dedicated website (https://sites.google.com/pppl.gov/dpp-cpp). We believe that this process has been a success, not only by yielding the plan presented here, but also by bringing a diverse community together to embrace an ambitious vision for the future. Executive Summary Fusion is the fundamental source of energy in the universe. We, and everything around us, are built from elements created by fusion reactions that occurred through the birth and death of stars that lived long ago. Fusion and plasma—the ionized matter that constitutes 99% of the visible universe—are inextricably linked. Fusion in the Sun’s burning plasma indirectly powers our daily lives when we capture sunlight, catch the wind, and release ancient solar energy stored in fossil fuels. When harnessed on Earth, burning plasmas will directly provide a source of safe, clean energy capable of powering our society forever. The shared history of fusion and plasma science exemplifies how basic research translates from a deeper understanding of nature to important applications, such as plasma processing in the trillion-dollar microelectronics industry. Foremost of these applications will be the ability to harness fusion energy in a reactor—bringing a star to Earth—as one of the greatest achievements of humankind. This report details a plan to realize the potential of fusion and plasma science to deepen our understanding of nature and to translate advances into commercialized fusion energy and other technologies that benefit society. It provides a consensus report on behalf of the entire U.S. fusion and plasma science community, which was developed following a community-led process that emphasized inclusivity and transparency at every stage. The following recommendations highlight the key output of this process, which are organized into the two crucial and complementary areas of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES): Fusion Science and Technology (FST), and Discovery Plasma Science (DPS), as well as cross-cutting opportunities that span the breadth of fusion and plasma science. Fusion Science and Technology (FST) research holds the promise of providing limitless, clean, sustainable energy to the world. Recent advances, burgeoning private investment, and a renewed urgency to address U.S. energy needs motivate the transition to a mission-driven energy program. This community-driven strategic plan emphasizes exciting new research opportunities in fusion science and technology. It reflects the strong sentiment within the community that research in this area should be driven by the mission to enable construction of a fusion pilot plant (FPP) that produces net electricity and thereby establishes the scientific and technological basis for commercial fusion energy. By developing the innovative science and technology needed to accelerate the construction of a pilot plant at low capital cost, the U.S. will distinguish itself from its international counterparts and lead the way in the commercialization of fusion. To urgently move toward an FPP, cost-effective FPP designs must begin to be developed. The tokamak is presently the leading concept; however, research on other promising concepts, including optimized stellarators, inertial fusion, and alternative concepts, may ultimately lead to an attractive FPP. A prioritized set of strategic objectives needed to achieve this mission is described in this plan. The plan is broadly consistent with the recent National Academies Burning Plasmas report, and collectively establishes three key actions in FST to guide and orient the U.S. fusion program: ● Accelerate the development of the burning plasma physics basis necessary for a fusion pilot plant. Understanding burning plasmas, in which heating is dominantly provided by the energy released by fusion reactions, and resolving challenges associated with sustained operation, are critical steps toward achieving fusion energy. The U.S. should sustain full partnership in ITER, as this remains the best option for accessing burning plasmas at the scale of a power plant. To complete the plasma physics basis sufficient for an FPP, we should advance theory and modeling capabilities, utilize existing domestic and international facilities in the near term, and expand opportunities through public/private partnerships to provide access to burning plasma conditions. In addition, the conceptual design of a new U.S. tokamak facility capable of handling power exhaust at conditions typical of an FPP while simultaneously demonstrating the necessary plasma performance should begin immediately, with the goal of beginning research operations on the new facility before the end of the decade. ● Rapidly expand the fusion materials and technology program. The community recognizes the need to accelerate research in areas of fusion materials and technology, which apply to nearly any plausible pilot plant design, and likely set the timescale on which any FPP could be successful. The design and construction of a fusion prototypic neutron source (FPNS) should begin immediately to generate world-leading data on the degradation of materials when exposed to neutrons from fusion, in order to evaluate potential solutions for magnets, blankets, and other materials in an FPP. The FPNS should complement an expanded program for the development of structural and functional materials for fusion. Targeted investments should be made in fusion blanket and plasma facing component programs to provide critical new research capabilities and enhance U.S. leadership. ● Embrace innovation