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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.
Michaela Martinkova, Milan Kalal, Yong Yoo Rhee
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 84-89
doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12410
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Interactions of high-intensity femtosecond lasers with deuterium clusters leading to Coulomb explosions and subsequent production of fusion neutrons have attracted considerable attention in recent years. In order to maximize the neutron yield, finding the dependence of clusters size and their spatial distribution on the experimental conditions has become very important. In this paper, we analyze the possibility of measuring the spatial distributions of deuterium clusters experimentally by using the complex interferometry diagnostics. For this purpose, close-to-reality computer-generated interferograms were produced, which included a small phase-shift disturbance modeling the clusters. Subsequent analysis of these interferograms provided results that identified this diagnostics as potentially suitable for such measurements.