ITER: The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and the nuclear weapons proliferation implications of thermonuclear-fusion energy systems

摘要

This report contains two parts: (1) A list of "points" highlighting thestrategic-political and military-technical reasons and implications of the veryprobable siting of ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)in Japan, which should be confirmed sometimes in early 2004. (2) A technicalanalysis of the nuclear weapons proliferation implications of inertial- andmagnetic-confinement fusion systems substantiating the technical pointshighlighted in the first part, and showing that while full access to thephysics of thermonuclear weapons is the main implication of ICF, full access tolarge-scale tritium technology is the main proliferation impact of MCF. Theconclusion of the report is that siting ITER in a country such as Japan, whichalready has a large separated-plutonium stockpile, and an ambitiouslaser-driven ICF program (comparable in size and quality to those of the UnitedStates or France), will considerably increase its latent (or virtual) nuclearweapons proliferation status, and foster further nuclear proliferationthroughout the world.