Next Step Fusion’s Post

Craving something sweet on #NationalDonutDay? 🍩 Well, we’re craving clean energy. Scientists at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have shown how the shape of ring-shaped tokamaks – whether squat like a doughnut or more spherical like a cored apple 🍎 – impacts how we can stabilize plasma and bring us closer to the commercialization of fusion energy. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDSkV95G

While on my two months break after my PhD, I got the tremendous news that the groundbreaking work on Very Cold Neutrons production we have been carrying out during the HighNESS project has finally been published! In a nutshell, we looked at the possibility to use a first-of-its-kind Solid Deuterium crystal at 5 K as a moderator for the neutrons produced at the European Spallation Source. While Solid Deuterium is not a new material, its use in combination with Nanodiamonds as a reflector material has been investigated for the first time ever. The idea is very ambitious, but it would definitely pay off! We studied the system with realistic Monte Carlo simulations and found that an order of magnitude more very slow neutrons would be produced compared to a standard cold source, while also producing cold neutrons and *drumroll* Ultracold neutrons! We believe that this three-headed Cerberus has the potential to open new paths in neutron research and neutron instruments, allowing scientists to study materials, fundamental physics, and much more in new, unexplored ways. If you are curious about the hows and whys check out the paper. I am beyond flattered to have been chosen as leading author of this paper for my work. But the study would not be remotely this complete and interesting if it was not for Ben Folsom Luca Zanini Jose Ignacio Marquez Damian Alan Täkibay Bent Lauritzen Esben Klinkby Valentina Santoro and all the amazing co-authors from HighNESS. Enjoy the reading! https://lnkd.in/dS_sK5FF

Fusion devices have only been able to sustain fusion for a few seconds. To produce reliable energy, they would need to run for much longer. But scientists at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have made a big leap forward in controlling the plasma in these devices in a way that's required to maintain fusion, as covered in CNN: https://lnkd.in/eNtbNE4Z

Watch Dr Rajesh Maingi of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) explain what is plasma confinement in relation to how fusion reactors might work. This clip comes from our April Insights Q&A event with Dr Mike Ford and Dr Rajesh Maingi where they discussed progress in fusion being dependent on the development of critical technologies. They told us what technologies are enabling fusion, the roles that key technologies play in the developing fusion industry and how is development is progressing. You can read more about this session on our Insights article here - https://lnkd.in/gQUmXUs3 #FusionEnergy #FusionTechnology #PlasmaPhysics #Confinement

Want to learn about #Fusion #Plasma confinement? Check this out from our SME Rajesh Maingi

Our partners at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) present a novel method for designing Stellarator magnetic fields, include plasma stability, confinement of the fast-moving particles, and reduction of turbulence. #onpoli #energy #fusion #cleanenergy #climate #Fusionpower g #FusionEnergy #FusionpowerPlant #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #RenwableEnergy #EnergySecurity

A group of 24 plasma physicists is advocating for the construction of a stellarator fusion facility in the US to advance fusion research. This proposed Flexible Stellarator Physics Facility aims to test various stellarator confinement methods, potentially leading to scalable fusion plant designs. Unlike tokamaks, which use toroidal magnetic fields, stellarators apply helical magnetic fields, providing distinct advantages in plasma stability. The facility would help close scientific gaps and validate models to improve stellarator confinement, focusing on promising magnetic configurations like "quasi-symmetry." This initiative comes at a crucial time as the international ITER fusion reactor faces delays, highlighting the need for diversified fusion research strategies. https://lnkd.in/getpz9Q8 #Physics #IP #Energy #Fusion #Patents

Fusion energy is imperative to a cleaner planet. Some great notes and points on the topic.

In our second member Q&A session of 2024 on the 17th April, we discussed enabling technologies for fusion – what are they and what recent progress has been made. Our experts were Rajesh Maingi and Dr. Michael Ford from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), with a focus on magnetic confinement fusion. Rajesh and Michael spoke about how we are edging closer to realised fusion power, but that there are critical ‘game changing’ technologies which will enable fusion power plants. Read our latest article to find out the three key insights from this event - https://lnkd.in/gQUmXUs3 #FusionEnergy #FusionTechnology #MagneticConfinement

Excited to share my latest research on X-ray emission from Rydberg matter excitation in hydrogen and hydrogen-loaded materials! ⚛️ This work unlocks new potential for [space, material physics, radiation sources and further hydrogen research]. Read the full article here: [https://lnkd.in/dcPkzhcC] #physics #research #Xray #hydrogen"