The fusion materials irradiation test facility at Hanford

The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) is a high-energy, high-flux neutron source for fusion materials development. The FMIT linear accelerator will produce a 35 MeV beam of deuterons that generates high-energy neutrons by a nuclear stripping reaction with flowing liquid lithium targets. The targets will be located in two identical irradiation test cells, either of which will provide an irradiation volume of 10 cm3 at a neutron flux of 1015 n/cm2-s. FMIT has been authorized by the US Congress and will be constructed and operated by the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) at Richland, Washington, in collaboration with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) which is providing the accelerator design. The project is currently entering the detailed design phase, targeting for start of construction in early 1980 and operation in 1983-84. Research and development programs are underway at both HEDL and LASL to resolve uncertainties in the lithium target and accelerator designs. (orig.)