What is the Energy Amplifier concept?
The Energy Amplifier is a nuclear energy system I proposed in the 1990s. It uses a particle accelerator to drive a subcritical reactor core, meaning the chain reaction cannot sustain itself without external neutrons. This makes it inherently safe—no risk of a runaway reaction like at Chernobyl. The accelerator fires protons at a lead target, producing neutrons that then fission thorium or uranium fuel. Crucially, it can also transmute long-lived nuclear waste from conventional reactors into shorter-lived isotopes, reducing storage times from millennia to centuries. I designed it as a practical solution to two problems: clean energy and waste management. If you cannot test it, it is not science, so we built prototypes at CERN and elsewhere. The beauty of the theory is not enough; it must work in practice.
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