RF accelerators for fusion and strategic defense

Summary

In summary, we have found that rf linacs do have a place in fusion, either in an auxiliary role for materials testing or for direct drivers in heavy-ion fusion. For SDI, the particle-beam technology is an attractive candidate for discrimination missions and also for lethality missions. The free-electron laser is also a forerunner among the laser candidates.

In many ways, there is less physics development required for these devices and there is an existing high-power technology. But in all of these technologies, in order to scale them up and then space-base them, there is an enormous amount of work yet to be done.