Uses of Accelerators in Energy R & D

At many laboratories an increasing emphasis is being placed on energy-related research, often at the expense of more basic programs. The effects of this change can be clearly seen at accelerator laboratories, where tools traditionally reserved for nuclear and particle physicists are being applied in areas such as radiation damage, nuclear waste management, and materials science. The success of accelerator-based work in these fields is reflected by the increasing interest in proposals for new facilities devoted entirely to applied programs. Current proposals include various forms of intense neutron sources for fusion-related work, synchrotron x-ray sources for materials studies, and even the use of accelerators for large-scale nuclear waste disposal.