Plasma fusion as a research area investigates the conditions and processes required to achieve controlled thermonuclear fusion in ionized gases, focusing on confinement, stability, heating, and transport phenomena in high-temperature plasmas. It encompasses magnetic confinement (e.g., tokamaks, stellarators), inertial confinement (laser- or particle-beam driven), and alternative concepts, integrating plasma physics, nuclear physics, materials science, and advanced diagnostics. Key objectives include understanding turbulence, instabilities, and non-linear interactions that govern energy and particle confinement, optimizing reactor-relevant regimes such as H-mode, and developing predictive models to guide the design of fusion devices aimed at net energy gain and ultimately practical fusion power production.
Arianna Gleason is an award-winning scientist at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory who studies matter in its most extreme forms—from roiling magma in the center of our planet to the conditions ...
Plasma Physics
May 8, 2025
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Abundant, low-cost, clean energy—the envisioned result if scientists and engineers can successfully produce a reliable method of generating and sustaining fusion energy—has taken one step closer to reality, as a team of researchers ...
Plasma Physics
May 5, 2025
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In a landmark achievement for fusion energy, ITER has completed all components for the world's largest, most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet system.
Plasma Physics
Apr 30, 2025
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A research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a novel large-scale compound cryopump (multi-stage cryopump) capable of separating fuel particles from helium ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 29, 2025
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Many atomic nuclei have a magnetic field similar to that of Earth. However, directly at the surface of a heavy nucleus such as lead or bismuth, it is trillions of times stronger than Earth's field and more comparable to that ...
General Physics
Apr 28, 2025
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A team of fusion researchers at TAE Technologies, Inc., in the U.S., working with colleagues from the University of California, has developed a new type of fusion technology that the company claims produces 100 times the ...
An innovative algorithm for detecting collisions of high-speed particles within nuclear fusion reactors has been developed, inspired by technologies used to determine whether bullets hit targets in video games. This advancement ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 23, 2025
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Nuclear fusion is a source of great hope for future energy security, with this field being explored in research reactors around the world. Accurately detecting their performance requires measurement systems that supply valid ...
Plasma Physics
Mar 31, 2025
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Successfully harnessing the power of fusion energy could lead to cleaner and safer energy for all—and contribute substantially to combating the climate crisis. Towards this goal, Type One Energy has published a comprehensive, ...
Plasma Physics
Mar 28, 2025
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When the plasma inside a fusion system starts to misbehave, it needs to be quickly cooled to prevent damage to the device. Researchers at Commonwealth Fusion Systems believe the best bet is a massive gas injection: essentially, ...
Plasma Physics
Mar 25, 2025
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