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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.
D. G. Czechowicz, C. J. Chen, J. A. Dorman, D. A. Steinman
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 51 | Number 4 | May 2007 | Pages 600-605
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST51-600
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A problem often observed for thick wall plastic targets is the presence of surface domes. We have been successful in applying mechanical polishing to remove isolated surface domes from thick wall 2 mm shells during a preliminary investigation. The background surface roughness for polished shells was dramatically improved with final values typically around 10 nm RMS as measured by WYKO patch surface profiles. The polishing sequence applied was also examined using AFM spheremapper data that was obtained for shells after each polishing step. A two-step polishing approach was able to produce shells that had significant improvement in all AFM power modes except for modes (3.10). Further polishing development is needed to reduce AFM low and mid power modes for shells. Polishing of otherwise target quality 2 mm shells that have domes could be a future treatment for NIF targets.