The interaction of helium and displacement damage in inertial confinement fusion reactors
Abstract Helium is thermodynamically insoluble in metals and tends to form cavities if the conditions are appropriate for its migration. The processes of helium migration and interaction with point defects are strongly influenced by the level and the mode of displacement damage production. In this paper, we present an application of the rate theory for helium cavity formation in Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactors (ICFR's). A new computer code “EXPRESS” has been developed for the solution of the time-dependent rate equations describing the evolution of the space-averaged damage state of an ICFR first wall. An optimal algorithm was developed for the long-term solution of the rate equations (10 5 pulses) with modest computational requirements. It is shown that the timefluctuations in point defect and helium concentrations due to ICF-type pulsing lead to an overall reduction in the swelling of ICF materials.
Modeling Laser Effects on the Final Optics in Simulated IFE Environments
When laser light interacts with a material's surface, photons rapidly heat the electronic system, resulting in very fast energy transfer to the underlying atomic crystal structure. The intense rate of energy deposition in the shallow sub-surface layer creates atomic defects, which alter the optical characteristics of the surface itself. In addition, the small fraction of energy absorbed in the mirror leads to its global deformation by thermal and gravity loads (especially for large surface area mirrors). The aim of this research was to model the deformation of mirror surfaces at multiple length and time scales for applications in advanced Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) systems. The goal is to control micro- and macro-deformations by material system and structural design. A parallel experimental program at UCSD has been set up to validate the modeling efforts. The main objective of the research program was to develop computer models and simulations for Laser-Induced Damage (LID) in reflective and transmissive final optical elements in IFE laser-based systems. A range of materials and material concepts were investigated and verified by experiments at UCSD. Four different classes of materials were considered: (1) High-reflectivity FCC metals (e.g. Cu, Au, Ag, and Al), (2) BCC metals (e.g. Mo, Ta and W), (3) Advanced material concepts (e.g. functionally graded material systems, amorphous coatings, and layered structures), and (4) Transmissive dielectrics (e.g. fused SiO2). In this report, we give a summary of the three-year project, followed by details in three areas: (1) Characterization of laser-induced damage; (2) Theory development for LIDT; and (3) Design of IFE reflective laser mirrors.
The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice ten years on: Successes and future challenges under the Stockholm Programme. CEPS Paperbacks. June 2010
This book celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) by bringing together the views of key practitioners and policy-makers who have played an outstanding role in thinking about and shaping EU policies on freedom, security and justice. 
 
Ten years ago, the member states transferred competences to the EU for law and policy-making in the fields of immigration, asylum and border controls, and began the transfer process for criminal justice and policing. This decade of European cooperation on AFSJ policies has experienced very dynamic convergence, the enactment of a large body of European law and the setting-up of numerous EU agencies working in these domains. Such dynamism in policy-making has not been without challenges and vulnerabilities, however. As this collective volume shows, the main dilemmas that lie ahead relate to an effective (while more plural) institutional framework under the Treaty of Lisbon, stronger judicial scrutiny through a greater role for national courts and the Court of Justice in Luxembourg, better mechanisms for evaluating and monitoring the implementation of EU AFSJ law and a more solid fundamental rights strategy. The contributions in this volume address the progress achieved so far in these policy areas, identify the challenges for future European cooperation in the AFSJ and put forward possible paths for making more progress in the next generation of the EU’s AFSJ.