New tool makes it possible to contain molten plasma in fusion reactors



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Under the hood

As scientists attempt to commission nuclear fusion reactors, they will need better ways to monitor and diagnose volatile reactions.

According to a press release from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, current diagnostic systems are not powerful enough to survive industrial scale reactions, such as what could happen at ITER, the United States. experimental installation under construction in France. A team of PPPL scientists has therefore developed a new conceptual technique to monitor and track reactions occurring on a larger scale than ever before to detect and treat unstable plasma before it becomes a problem .

Kicking the tires

The new technique is based on data from what is called an electronic cyclotron emission (ECE), according to a study published in the newspaper Plasma physics and controlled fusion Last month, the fusion physicists could have obtained crucial information on the temperature, stability, and behavior of the spiral magnetic field containing the reactor's plasma fuel.

In future tests, scientists will determine if the ECE technique actually provides them with the information they need. If it works, the new trick could replace existing systems that are too easily damaged by more powerful reactions.

READ MORE: Discovered: A New Way to Measure the Stability of Next-Generation Magnetic Fusion Devices[PPPLvia[PPPLvia[PPPLvia[PPPLviaPhys.org]

More about fusion: Scientists have discovered a new way to stabilize fusion reactions

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