Colleagues,

This mailing is an invitation for community input to the work of a FESAC panel charged with developing elements of a strategic plan for the MFE program. The charge letter from Ray Orbach and an associated presentation to FESAC by Ray Fonck is available on a website which I will describe at the end of this message.

The charge asks the panel to identify critical paths, gaps and opportunities for the magnetic fusion program which would prepare the US for DEMO in the 2035-2040 time frame, following a successful completion of the ITER mission. Specifically it has three parts.

1. Identify and prioritize the broad scientific and technical questions to be answered prior to a DEMO.
2. Assess available means, including all exsisting and planned facilities around the world, including theory and modeling, to address these questions.
3. Identify research gaps and how they may be addressed through new facility concepts, theory and modeling.

A few notes about the charge.

a. The panel report is meant to inform near-term decisions concerning the need for large new facilities or initiatives.

b. It assumes that ITER is successful and asks "what else we need to know and what else we need to do", besides ITER, to be prepared to build a proto-type fusion reactor. DEMO itself is not the subject of this charge (and the OMB is eager to point out that no one is to infer from the charge, any government committment to build DEMO). In this sense, the charge is consistent with the current OFES mission of developing the knowledge base for fusion. DEMO is cited to drive the time line for our planning.

c. The charge covers only MFE, not IFE.

d. The emphasis is on an ITER - DEMO path. We are not expected to define a program plan for all of MFE. (We will be clear in our report about what questions we are answering, so that the emphasis of the report is not misconstrued as a judgment about overall priorities.)

e. Particular design concepts or proposals will not be evaluated and budgets are not to be considered explicitly. We will be considering "classes" of facilities, initiatives and missions.

f. The charge assumes that a goal is US leadership. While we are asked to define critical tasks in the context of the international program, we are invited to compete in areas where we have strengths or where we see opportunities. One context for the charge is the American Competitiveness Initiative, which represents a unique opportunity for the fusion program.

The panel roster is:

Martin Greenwald (MIT, chair)
Richard Callis (GA)
Bill Dorland (U.Md.)
David Gates (PPPL)
Jeff Harris (ORNL)
Rulon Linford (LLNL)
Kathryn McCarthy (INL)
Mike Mauel (Columbia)
Dale Meade (PPPL retired)
Farrokh Najmabadi (UCSD)
Bill Nevins (LLNL)
John Sarff (UW)
Mike Ulrickson (SNL)
Mike Zarnstorff (PPPL)
Steve Zinkle (ORNL)

We have set up an online forum for comments and white papers from interested community members. Instructions on how to use the forum are appended below.

White papers should be brief - I would recommend no more than 4-5 pages, with references and/or links to prior work or supporting material. They should concisely state:
What is the issue?
Why is it important? (and relevant to the charge)
How should it be resolved?

Thanks in advance for your help - Martin Greenwald

-- 

Martin Greenwald
Senior Research Scientist              email: g@psfc.mit.edu
MIT - Plasma Science & Fusion Center   phone:(617) 253-6053, 253-5391
175 Albany St.                         fax:  (617) 253-0627
Cambridge, MA  02138                   voip:  sip:mjgreen@mit.edu
USA

...........................................

instructions to use the online forum
(The screens are rather cluttered so navigation takes some patience)

1. to register:
   point your browser at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/phpbb3
   click on the "register" link in the upper left corner
   click through the terms
   fill out the registration form
      use your full or last name as a username
      puzzle out the confirmation code and submit
   you will get an email with a link to confirm your registration

2. to login
    once your registration is confirmed, you can login
    click on the "login" link in the upper left corner
    enter the username and password you specified when you registered

3. connect to the forum
    after you login, you will see a list of forums
    right now, only one will be visible - "FESAC Planning Charge - Public Access"
    click on that link to enter the forum
    four topics are currently defined, if you want a new one added please email me

4. to read postings in a topic, click on the topic name

5. if you wish to add a comment or document, click on the "post reply" button (this is blue/orange on my computer)
    the top part of the screen contains a text box and some editing tools.  type or paste your comments in this box.

6. to attach a file to your comment
      some text is required, you can't upload a file with the text box empty
      below the text box are some controls to upload files
      for non-original materials - a link to the document on the web is preferable to uploading a new copy
      you can type in a filename where indicated or, more likely, click on the browse button to find the file
      on Mac's this button is labeled "choose"
      once the file is selected click on "add the file"
      you will get a display of progress loading the file - you're not done yet!
      to actually make the post, click on "submit"


If you have further questions, feel free to email me (g@psfc.mit.edu). 
You can also get technical assistance from the board administrator Josh 
Stillerman jas@psfc.mit.edu