Two previously unpublished U. S. government reports, of historic significance to the rapid acceleration of the U. S. fusion program in the 1970s, have been published in the Journal of Fusion Energy (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers), Vol. 17, No. 4.

"Status and Objectives of Tokamak Systems for Fusion Research," (U. S.Atomic Energy Commission Report, WASH-1295, 1974) by S. O. Dean, J. D. Callen, H. P. Furth, J. F. Clarke, T. Ohkawa and P. H. Rutherford, describes the scientific basis for a series of large tokamak facilities built in the U. S. during the 1970s and provides scientific objectives for the U. S tokamak program in the areas of configurational stability, plasma transport and scaling, heating, and boundary effects. The report, which contains 218 references to published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, illustrates the importance attached to developing "an understanding of plasma transport." The report states that while a "phenomenological approach" is a "reasonable strategy, it would be clearly more desirable to be guided by physical understanding of the tokamak transport." The report states, "Only if the physics is known can one be certain about extrapolating over large factors; if the physics is known, one may be able to take effective measures to optimize confinement. In this sense, the mechanics of the transport in present-day and future tokamak plasmas would provide the most helpful benchmark of all for the tokamak research program."

"Fusion Power by Magnetic Confinement Program Plan," (U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration Report, ERDA-76/110, 1976) is the summary volume of a five-volume, long-range plan for fusion development in the U. S., prepared by a national team of U. S. fusion researchers and managers. It treats, in detail, the technical, schedular and budgetary projections for the development of a commercial fusion demonstration power plant based on magnetic confinement. Several alternative technical paths to the mainline tokamak path are maintained and 5 different paces, called Logics, are described that would result in operation of demonstration plants within 15 to 30 years, depending on funding levels provided. The plan illustrates the necessity of both major "stepping stone" experimental power-producing facilities, as well as supporting facilities. In addition to describing the facilities and budgets needed, the plan provides for a strong program in plasma physics throughout the development, that "seeks the body of knowledge that predicts the behavior of fusion plasma confinement experiments and the operating characteristics of fusion power plants." The report describes the importance of using both "roll-forward" and "roll-back" planning in managing the fusion program. History shows that neither the funding levels required nor the "stepping stone" facilities needed to meet those potential schedules were subsequently provided.