News Feature Channel: Fusion

Scientists Accelerate Uranium Beam with Record Power

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:05:26 EST

Researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams reached a new milestone in isotope studies, accelerating a high-power beam of uranium ions to a record 10.4 kilowatts of continuous beam power to a target. The beam enabled scientists to produce and identify three new isotopes, gallium-88, arsenic-93, and selenium-96.

Stopping Off-the-Wall Behavior in Fusion Reactors

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 08:30:42 EST

New experimental results suggest that sprinkling boron into a tokamak could shield the wall of the fusion vessel and prevent atoms from the wall from getting into the plasma. A new computer modeling framework shows the boron powder may only need to be sprinkled from one location. The experimental results and computer modeling framework will be presented this week at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics in Atlanta.

Department of Energy Announces $4.6 Million to Fund Public-Private Partnerships for Fusion Research

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:05:15 EST

In a continuing effort to forge and fund public-private partnerships to accelerate fusion research, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today awarded $4.6 million in 17 awards to U.S. businesses via the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program.

Heating for fusion: Why toast plasma when you can microwave it!

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 08:30:43 EST

Can plasma be sufficiently heated inside a tokamak using only microwaves? New research suggests it can! Eliminating the central ohmic heating coil normally used in tokamaks will free up much-needed space for a more compact, efficient spherical tokamak.

AI approach elevates plasma performance and stability across fusion devices

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:00:28 EST

A team of fusion researchers led by engineers at Princeton University and the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have successfully deployed machine learning methods to suppress harmful edge instabilities -- without sacrificing plasma performance. The research team demonstrated the highest fusion performance without the presence of edge bursts at two different fusion facilities -- each with its own set of operating parameters.

Using artificial intelligence to speed up and improve the most computationally-intensive aspects of plasma physics in fusion

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Tue, 14 May 2024 08:00:50 EST

Researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are using artificial intelligence to perfect the design of the vessels surrounding the super-hot plasma, optimize heating methods and maintain stable control of the reaction for increasingly long periods.

Fusion record set for tungsten tokamak WEST

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Mon, 06 May 2024 08:00:00 EST

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory researchers measured a new record for a fusion device internally clad in tungsten. The device sustained a fusion reaction for a record six minutes and four seconds with 1.15 gigajoules of power injected, 15% more energy and twice the density than before.

One way to improve a fusion reaction: Use weaknesses as strengths

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:39 EST

Scientists are using the imperfections in magnetic fields that confine a fusion reaction to improve and enhance the plasma in an approach outlined in a new paper in the journal Nature Communications. PPPL Physicist Seong-Moo Yang led the research team, which spans various institutions in the U.S. and South Korea. Yang says this is the first time any research team has validated a systematic approach to tailoring magnetic field imperfections to make the plasma suitable for use as a power source. These magnetic field imperfections are known as error fields.

Engineers use AI to wrangle fusion power for the grid

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:00:04 EST

A Princeton-led team composed of engineers, physicists, and data scientists from the University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to predict -- and then avoid -- the formation of a specific plasma problem in real time.

Mapping local quality at super-resolution scale

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:00:32 EST

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy images often suffer from noise and artifacts, which are difficult to estimate accurately and finely.

New space for building ultra-powerful magnets launches at national laboratory

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:05:40 EST

Under the direction of principal engineer Yuhu Zhai, PPPL is building its new High-Field Magnet Test Facility, which will provide powerful magnets for scientific experiments to researchers at both PPPL and Princeton University, as well as private companies along the mid-Atlantic coast.

Islands That Move Together, Disrupt Together

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:05:09 EST

Magnetic plasma confinement in tokamaks is subject to effects from instabilities in the hot plasma.

Liquid lithium on the walls of a fusion device helps the plasma within maintain a hot edge

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:05:13 EST

Emerging research from the Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) suggests it may be easier to use fusion as a power source if liquid lithium is applied to the internal walls of the device housing the plasma.

Researchers Visualize Energetic Ion Flow in Fusion Devices

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:30:36 EST

Burning fusion plasmas host a wide array of electromagnetic waves that can push energetic ions out of the plasma.

Working with Big Data requires a lot of power! The latest research and features on Supercomputing

News — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:05:27 EST

With the rise in machine learning applications and artificial intelligence, it's no wonder that more and more scientists and researchers are turning to supercomputers. Supercomputers are commonly used for making predictions with advanced modeling and simulations. This can be applied to climate research, weather forecasting, genomic sequencing, space exploration, aviation engineering and more.

U.S. Department of Energy Announces Early Career Research Program for FY 2024

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:05:22 EST

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it is accepting applications for the 2024 DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program to support the research of outstanding scientists early in their careers.

Theta supercomputer set to retire: A look back at its impact on science at Argonne and beyond

Argonne National Laboratory — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:05:19 EST

Argonne National Laboratory's Theta supercomputer will be retired at the end of 2023, ending a productive run of enabling scientific breakthroughs in areas ranging from materials discovery to supernova simulations.

Newly developed material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, protects fusion reactor walls

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:05:11 EST

University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have used a spray coating technology to produce a new workhorse material that can withstand the harsh conditions inside a fusion reactor.

SLAC brings rapid-fire laser and target expertise to national fusion energy research hubs

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:05:45 EST

The lab will partner in two collaborations - one led by Colorado State University and the other by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - as part of a DOE-funded effort to speed up progress in fusion energy science and technology.

DOE Announces $42 Million for Inertial Fusion Energy Hubs

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:05:19 EST

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $42 million for a program that will establish multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary hubs to advance foundational inertial fusion energy (IFE) science and technology, building on the groundbreaking work of the Department's researchers into harnessing the power of the sun and stars.