New Discovery Could Accelerate Development of Fusion Reactors
A team of researchers has developed a method to mitigate damaging runaway electrons in tokamak fusion devices
The strategy harnesses Alfvén waves to disrupt the damaging cycle of runaway electrons
This breakthrough could significantly improve the performance and stability of fusion reactors
Runaway electrons are a major challenge in fusion reactors because they can cause plasma disruptions and damage the reactor walls
By controlling runaway electrons, researchers can pave the way for the development of practical fusion energy reactors
The discovery was made using the DIII-D tokamak at the US Department of Energy's DIII-D National Fusion Facility.
The team's findings were published in the journal Nature Physics on August 4, 2023
The discovery has been hailed as a major breakthrough in the field of fusion energy research.
Some experts believe that the discovery could accelerate the development of fusion reactors by several years
– The discovery is a significant step forward in the quest to make fusion energy a reality.