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Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Zap Energy hits 37-million-degree electron temperatures in compact fusion device
Zap Energy announced April 23 that it has reached 1-3 keV plasma electron temperatures—roughly the equivalent of 11 to 37 million degrees Celsius—using its sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch approach to fusion. Reaching temperatures above that of the sun’s core (which is 10 million degrees Celsius temperature) is just one hurdle required before any fusion confinement concept can realistically pursue net gain and fusion energy.
A. Abdrashitov et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 47 | Number 1 | January 2005 | Pages 27-34
Technical Paper | Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement | doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A604
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the recent experiments, on-axis transverse beta exceeding 0.4 in the fast ion turning points near the end mirrors has been achieved in the GDT experiment with 4 MW injection of 15-17 keV deuterium neutral beams at the center of the device. Neither enhanced transverse losses of the plasma nor anomalies in the fast ion scattering and slowing down were observed. The measured beta value is close to that needed in the versions of the GDT-based 14 MeV neutron source. At the same time, the electron temperature for given injection power and pulse duration is limited to 100-130eV. Its further increase is planned after upgrade of the injection system and increase of the magnetic field at the center of device up to 0.3T. Upgrade of the injection system assumes that neutral beam power incident on to the plasma will be increased up to 9-10 MW and pulse duration is extended from 1.2 to 5 ms. According to the results of numerical simulations, for the extended pulse duration a plasma steady state will be achieved with electron temperature of 250-320 eV, depending upon the assumptions on the transverse energy loss rate. Future experiments on the GDT-upgrade are discussed in the paper.