Measuring small fast electron populations hidden in a sea of colder "thermal" electrons in tokamak plasmas is very challenging. Why? The challenge comes from the fast electron signal being overwhelmed by thermal electron ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 28, 2017
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7
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of physics operations, the 11th EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) campaign reached a milestone in the exploration of advanced operation scenarios—achieving over 60s fully ...
Plasma Physics
Nov 16, 2016
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25
On its final day of operation, the Alcator C-Mod tokamak at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Plasma Science & Fusion Center set a new record for plasma pressure in a magnetic confinement device. These results help ...
Plasma Physics
Oct 27, 2016
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8
Among the top puzzles in the development of fusion energy is the best shape for the magnetic facility—or "bottle"—that will provide the next steps in the development of fusion reactors. Leading candidates include spherical ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 24, 2016
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77
Fusion power has long been considered to be the holy grail of alternative energy. Clean, abundant power, created through a self-sustaining process where atomic nuclei are fused at extremely high temperatures. Achieving this ...
Plasma Physics
Feb 15, 2016
8
54
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have produced self-consistent computer simulations that capture the evolution of an electric current inside fusion plasma without using ...
Plasma Physics
Jan 5, 2016
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9
Advanced computer codes are helping scientists reimagine how they might initiate a fusion reaction in the center of a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped experimental vessel. These simulations are also shedding new light on complex ...
Plasma Physics
Nov 13, 2013
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2
In the quest for fusion energy on earth, researchers use magnetic fields to insulate hot plasma from the walls of the chamber to maintain the reaction and prevent damage to interior surfaces. In the tokamak, a leading contender ...
Plasma Physics
Nov 13, 2013
15
1
Scientists at JET, the world's largest fusion energy research facility, have been deliberately melting parts of their own machine as they test materials for the fusion reactors of the future. These apparent acts of scientific ...
General Physics
Aug 23, 2013
1
0
A longstanding joke holds that practical fusion power is about 20 years away—and always will be. One simple phenomenon explains why practical, self-sustaining fusion reactions have proved difficult to achieve: Turbulence ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 29, 2013
2
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