Papers by Robert Goldston
Nuclear proliferation risks from fusion associated with access to weapon-usable materials can be ... more Nuclear proliferation risks from fusion associated with access to weapon-usable materials can be divided into three main categories: 1) clandestine production of weapon-usable material in an undeclared facility, 2) covert production of such material in a declared and safeguarded facility, and 3) use of a declared facility in a breakout scenario, in which a state begins production of fissile material without concealing the effort. In this paper we address each of these categories of risks from fusion. For each case, we find that the proliferation risk from fusion systems is much lower than the equivalent risk from fission systems, if the fusion system is designed to accommodate appropriate safeguards.
... INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA PHYSICS Robert J Goldston and Paul H Rutherford Plasma Physics Laborat... more ... INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA PHYSICS Robert J Goldston and Paul H Rutherford Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton University Taylor & Francis Taylor ... If the more advanced material, identified by an asterisk after the Chapter heading or Section heading, is included then the ...
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) is a new magnetic confinement fusion experimen... more The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) is a new magnetic confinement fusion experiment, currently being constructed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). It will be used to acquire physics data needed to evaluate the compact stellarator as a fusion concept and to advance the physics understanding of 3-D plasmas for fusion and basic science. In addition, technological developments made in the course of constructing NCSX, for example the design and manufacture of complex-shaped parts, are important contributions to fusion technology. Among the family of toroidal magnetic plasma configurations, stellarators are of interest because they solve important problems for fusion energy-achieving steady-state operation and avoiding disruptions. Stellarators have unique flexibility to resolve scientific issues, for example the effects of 3-D plasma shaping and of strong external control on confinement, that are important to all magnetic configurations. The compact stellarator shares the attractive properties of existing stellarators but has the additional advantages of lower aspect ratio and a quasi-symmetric magnetic field structure. In a quasi-axisymmetric stellarator (QAS) like NCSX, the charged particle trajectories and plasma flow damping are similar to those of its axisymmetric relative, the tokamak, so a QAS is expected to share the tokamak's good confinement performance. This physics link with tokamaks means compact
Nuclear proliferation risks from fusion associated with access to weapon-usable material can be d... more Nuclear proliferation risks from fusion associated with access to weapon-usable material can be divided into three main categories: 1) clandestine production of fissile material in an undeclared facility, 2) covert production of such material in a declared and safeguarded facility, and 3) use of a declared facility in a breakout scenario, in which a state begins production of fissile material without concealing the effort. In this paper we address each of these categories of risk from fusion. For each case, we find that the proliferation risk from fusion systems can be much lower than the equivalent risk from fission systems, if commercial fusion systems are designed to accommodate appropriate safeguards.
A heuristic drift-based (HD) model for the power scrape off width of H-mode tokamak plasmas with ... more A heuristic drift-based (HD) model for the power scrape off width of H-mode tokamak plasmas with low gas puff and well-attached divertors has shown surprisingly good agreement with recent experimental data. It has been argued that the very narrow scrape off layer (SOL) projected for ITER, ~ 1mm at the outer midplane, requires a very high pressure in the SOL, exceeding the projected pressure at the top of the pedestal in ITER. This result is rooted in the assumptions of a) low divertor temperature and b) only 50% power dissipation along the divertor leg. We show that a 2-point model that includes power dissipation in the divertor allows both sheathlimited conditions, at very high temperature, and conduction-limited conditions, with very high dissipation, in neither case exceeding ~ 5% of the projected pedestal pressure. It has also been argued that the pressure gradient associated with such a narrow power scrape-off width is inconsistent with ballooning stability. Ballooning theory i...
Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a sta... more Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a statement while providing no further information related to the statement itself. The possibility of using such proofs to process sensitive physical data without ever acquiring sensitive information has gained attention for its potential application to nuclear warhead or subassembly inspection. Recently, we have provided experimental evidence that measuring sensitive data is not required to perform comparisons of physical properties, in particular opacity to 14 MeV neutrons. Here, we report on the development of a non-electronic active neutron interrogation technique using superheated emulsion detectors to discriminate special nuclear materials of identical geometry but different isotopic composition, without learning what these properties are.
Analysis of the energy and environment literature suggests that ~12,000 GW of electrical power pr... more Analysis of the energy and environment literature suggests that ~12,000 GW of electrical power production is projected for 2100, with relatively little scatter between models and scenarios, and that nuclear power could make a significant contribution by providing ~ 30% of world electrical power in 2100. The annual fueling of plutonium for a 3600 GWe fleet of fast-spectrum fission reactors is approximately equal to the content of one million first-generation nuclear weapons, presenting a daunting challenge to disarmament and nonproliferation regimes. If fusion begins to enter commercial operation in 2050 and grows at a rate ≤ 0.9%/yr of the world electric market (fission grew from 1975-1990 at 1.2%/year of the then electric market), it can provide the projected nuclear electrical power in 2100 with much lower proliferation risk.
Dose limit to insure that no <1 rem at site boundary public evacuation plan is required Occupatio... more Dose limit to insure that no <1 rem at site boundary public evacuation plan is required Occupational dose to plant personnel <5 rem/y b Rad-waste disposal criterion Class C & minimization of waste hazard and volume c Fuel cycle closed on site Yes Atmospheric pollutants (CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x) Negligible d Capacity factor > 80% Major unscheduled shutdowns <0.1 per year Must Provide for operation 50% of full power at partial load condition a Includes environmental and safety credits. b Application of ALARA principles expected to result in significant lower doses. c Thus permitting (i) recycling of plant material, (ii) on-site shallow land burial of waste components at end-of-life. d Relative to competing technologies
discharges at ASDEX Upgrade T.Eich1, P. Manz1, R.J.Goldston2, D.Brida1, P.David1, M.Faitsch1, P.H... more discharges at ASDEX Upgrade T.Eich1, P. Manz1, R.J.Goldston2, D.Brida1, P.David1, M.Faitsch1, P.Hennequin3, B.Kurzan1, B.Sieglin1, E.Wolfrum1, the EUROfusion MST1 team4 and the AUG Team1 1 Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany 2 Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ08543, USA 3 LPP, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau, France 4 See: H.Meyer et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 102014
High plasma densities have been produced in ohmic and neutral beam heated discharges on TFTR usin... more High plasma densities have been produced in ohmic and neutral beam heated discharges on TFTR using a repeating pneumatic pellet injector developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Line average plasma densities as high as 1 x 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/ have been attained by injection of five 2.7 mm deuterium pellets ..delta..n/sub e/ = 2 x 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/ over a one-second interval into a stetched neutral beam pulse. Injection of a single large (4 mm) pellet in ohmic discharge has produced highly peaked profiles with nec(o) = 1.8 x 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/, n/sub e/(0) tau/sub E/(a) = 6.7 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/ and n/sub D/(0)Ti(0)tau/sub E/(a) = 8.8 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/ sKeV. Global confinement in these discharges approaches 0.45 seconds with a central density decay time of 2 seconds. Based on a neoclassical resistivity model and x-ray pulse-height analysis, zeff is <2 in both ohmic and beam-heated plasmas. The energy confinement properties of intermediate density (n/su...
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Proliferation concerns have generally been associated with the acquisition of the fissile materia... more Proliferation concerns have generally been associated with the acquisition of the fissile material needed for nuclear weapons; however, the spread of the knowledge needed to build very light and powerful weapons that can be carried long distances by missiles is also a serious concern. Such knowledge could accelerate and destabilize regional arms races, and lead to the deployment of powerful weapons able to target the US and its allies. Classified weapons-related information has previously spread through the international effort to harness inertial confinement fusion. Success in achieving net fusion gain in the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory could lead to greatly increased R&D in inertial confinement fusion worldwide, along with increased proliferation risks. The authors write that these issues have not yet been adequately addressed and require direct and transparent examination so that means to mitigate risks can be assessed and residual risks can be balanced against potential benefits.
Science & Global Security
This article examines challenges in international nuclear safeguards pertaining to the timely det... more This article examines challenges in international nuclear safeguards pertaining to the timely detection of highly enriched uranium production at large-scale gas centrifuge enrichment plants. To establish where present gas centrifuge enrichment plant safeguards measures and approaches could be strengthened, we have created a discrete time model for simulating hypothetical misuse scenarios, both through transient phases and at steadystate. We find that timely detection of misuse at modern largescale facilities presents a challenge for international safeguards. A toolbox of unattended measurement systems, along with remote monitoring, however, could be used to improve detection timeliness, enabling the initiation of follow-up activities, potentially on a rapid time scale. These measures, which would need very low false alarm rates, should be implemented in a graded approach, depending on the characteristics of each enrichment plant and an analysis of plausible acquisition paths for the State in which it is situated. Some of these technologies could provide significant benefit to plant operators.
Sustainability
The Energy Return on Investment (EROI) is an important measure of the energy gain of an electrica... more The Energy Return on Investment (EROI) is an important measure of the energy gain of an electrical power generating facility that is typically evaluated based on the life cycle energy balance of a single facility. The EROI concept can be extended to cover a collection of facilities that comprise a complete power system and used to assess the expansion and evolution of a power system as it transitions from one portfolio mix of technologies to another over time. In this study we develop a dynamic EROI model that simulates the evolution of a power system and we perform an EROI simulation of one of the electricity production scenarios developed under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) covering the global supply of electricity in the 21st century. Our analytic tool provides the means for evaluation of dynamic EROI based on arbitrary time-dependent demand scenarios by modeling the required expansion of power generation, including the plowback needed for new construction and to replace facilities as they are retired. The results provide insight into the level of installed and delivered power, above and beyond basic consumer demand, that is required to support construction during expansion, as well as the supplementary power that may be required if plowback constraints are imposed. In addition, sensitivity to EROI parameters, and the impact of energy storage efficiency are addressed.
Fusion Technology
ABSTRACT
Fusion Technology
The mission of the National Spherical Torus Experiment NSTX is to prove the principles of spheric... more The mission of the National Spherical Torus Experiment NSTX is to prove the principles of spherical torus physics by producing hight plasmas that are non-inductively sustained, and whose current pro les are in steady-state. NSTX will be one of the rst ultra low aspect ratio tori R=a 1:3 to operate at high power P input up to 11 M W in order to produce hight 25 to 40, low collisionality, high bootstrap fraction 70 discharges. Both RF and NB heating and current drive will be employed. Built into NSTX is su cient con gurational exibility to study a range of operating space and the resulting dependences of the con nement, micro-and MHD stability, and particle and power handling properties. NSTX research will be carried out by a nationally based science team.
Nature Communications, 2016
Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a cla... more Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a claim while providing no further information beyond the claim itself. The possibility of using such proofs to process classified and other sensitive physical data has attracted attention, especially in the field of nuclear arms control. Here we demonstrate a non-electronic fast neutron differential radiography technique using superheated emulsion detectors that can confirm that two objects are identical without revealing their geometry or composition. Such a technique could form the basis of a verification system that could confirm the authenticity of nuclear weapons without sharing any secret design information. More broadly, by demonstrating a physical zero-knowledge proof that can compare physical properties of objects, this experiment opens the door to developing other such secure proof-systems for other applications.
Uploads
Papers by Robert Goldston