Potential Role of Lasers for Sustainable Fission Energy Production and Transmutation of Nuclear Waste

While means for transmutation of nuclear waste using fast reactor technology and reprocessing have existed for majiy years, this technology has not been deployed primarily for economic reasons but owing to safety and proliferation concerns. Geological storage ajso remains politically uncertain in some countries as a means for disposal of nuclear waste. We argue here that neutrons suppiemental to fission neutrons first from accelerators and later from fusion combined with subcritical systems could displace the need for reprocessing at lees cost than reprocessing.JRC.E.4-Nuclear fuel