The Value and Cost of Fusion Neutrons
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866914361378865152 |
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| author | Parisi, J. F. Schiller, K. |
| author_facet | Parisi, J. F. Schiller, K. |
| contents | Deuterium-tritium fusion reactions produce high-energy neutrons that can transmute materials into valuable isotopes. Over the next ten years, the cost of fusion neutrons is projected to decrease by roughly seven orders of magnitude. Most ($\sim$5 orders of magnitude) is technological overhang driven by the low availability of current experiments; the remaining $\sim$2 orders of magnitude require higher plasma gain and lower capital intensity. We introduce the levelized cost of a neutron (LCON), an economic metric analogous to the levelized cost of energy that gives the minimum neutron value for economic breakeven of a fusion system. LCON depends on plasma gain, capital intensity, availability, and neutron flux, and is offset by revenue from co-produced electricity, precious metals, and radioisotopes. The revenue per neutron spans at least ten orders of magnitude, from electricity and gold ($\sim$\$$10^{-20}$/neutron) to actinium-225 ($\sim$\$$10^{-10}$/neutron), defining a `neutron ladder': a staged, revenue-positive development pathway from current fusion devices to terawatt-scale power plants. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_00835 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Value and Cost of Fusion Neutrons Parisi, J. F. Schiller, K. Plasma Physics Physics and Society Deuterium-tritium fusion reactions produce high-energy neutrons that can transmute materials into valuable isotopes. Over the next ten years, the cost of fusion neutrons is projected to decrease by roughly seven orders of magnitude. Most ($\sim$5 orders of magnitude) is technological overhang driven by the low availability of current experiments; the remaining $\sim$2 orders of magnitude require higher plasma gain and lower capital intensity. We introduce the levelized cost of a neutron (LCON), an economic metric analogous to the levelized cost of energy that gives the minimum neutron value for economic breakeven of a fusion system. LCON depends on plasma gain, capital intensity, availability, and neutron flux, and is offset by revenue from co-produced electricity, precious metals, and radioisotopes. The revenue per neutron spans at least ten orders of magnitude, from electricity and gold ($\sim$\$$10^{-20}$/neutron) to actinium-225 ($\sim$\$$10^{-10}$/neutron), defining a `neutron ladder': a staged, revenue-positive development pathway from current fusion devices to terawatt-scale power plants. |
| title | The Value and Cost of Fusion Neutrons |
| topic | Plasma Physics Physics and Society |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00835 |