Description
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals to explore and implement mechanisms that amplify and increase the rates of nuclear fusion reactions in solids at and near room temperature. The goal of the Mechanisms for Amplification of fusion Reaction Rates in Solids (MARRS) program is to gain a predictive and quantitative understanding of the limits of fusion rate amplification in solids at or near room temperature. Proposers will investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. The program will have two 18-month phases, with an initial review after 12 months and a review near the end of Phase 1. Proposers must demonstrate a rate of 100 reactions/s/g by month 12 and provide first results from predictive theory and modeling to show a path to end-of-phase and program metrics.
• The MARRS program will explore how much we can scale solid-state fusion for new applications.
• The program will investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems.
• Proposers must describe a series of well-defined hypotheses with quantitative estimates of rates they expect their approach will achieve.
• Proposers must include a clear plan for rate measurement experiments, in close connection with theory development and modeling of fusion reaction rate amplification processes in solids.