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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.
A. Ando et al. (19P01)
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 51 | Number 2 | February 2007 | Pages 217-219
Technical Paper | Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1354
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Calibration of an up-down type Mach probe is performed using a fast-flowing plasma produced by a magneto-plasma-dynamic arcjet. Mach probe data are compared with ion acoustic Mach numbers Mi, which are calculated using a plasma flow velocity Up and an ion temperature Ti measured by spectroscopy and electron temperature Te by Langmuir probe. The obtained data are also compared with Hutchinson's PIC simulation results in an unmagnetized plasma and are in good agreement with each other. First attempts to measure plasma flow field using a Mach probe are performed at the open-end section in GAMMA10. It is found that Mi at r=0 is more than 2, namely a supersonic plasma flow is formed in the end-cell region.