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Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
P. B. Mirkarimi, K. A. Bettencourt, M. C. Kellam, P. J. Davis, N. E. Teslich, J. B. Alameda
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 59 | Number 1 | January 2011 | Pages 133-138
Technical Paper | Nineteenth Target Fabrication Meeting | doi.org/10.13182/FST10-3682
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
There is significant interest in the measurement of the equation of state and other parameters at high pressures and low temperatures. An example is iron, which plays a critical role in planetary interiors. Targets are needed to perform these important measurements on experimental platforms such as Omega and the National Ignition Facility. We have developed a process to successfully deposit thick (several tens of microns), stepped iron and tantalum films on thin diamond substrates, to fabricate these targets. We will discuss the technical challenges that were encountered and overcome in their fabrication, such as stress/delamination in the iron system, and in achieving the desired phase in the tantalum system. We will also present characterization results on these targets.