Accelerator-driven subcritical reactor

The Accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor is a nuclear reactor design discussed by the Accelerator Programme in UK which would be formed by coupling a substantially subcritical nuclear reactor core with a high energy proton accelerator. It would use Thorium pas a fuel, which is more abundant than the Uranium and Plutonium in the Earth's crust.

The extra neutron needed for achieving criticality would be provided by an external source - a Particle Accelerator. One of the main benefits for the use of such an reactor would be the relatively short life of the high toxic nuclear waste, which would be in the range of several hundreds years as opposed of the several millions of years of the existing nuclear reactor types.