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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.
Kai Masuda, Kiyoshi Yoshikawa
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 4 | November 2007 | Pages 1119-1123
Technical Paper | Nonelectric Applications | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1648
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A two-dimensional numerical code has been developed for simulating dc discharges in inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion devices. Unlike the existing IEC codes, the developed code is not based on Monte Carlo scheme by the use of random number nor time-domain particle-in-cell (PIC) method, aiming at a drastic reduction of computational efforts. It is based on a time-independent scheme, i.e. iterative calculations of particle-tracking and induced self-field, leading to a much faster convergence than the time-domain PIC scheme on steady-state self-consistent solutions. Also, a new scheme for atomic process treatment is proposed, which is completely free from the inherent difficulty of Monte Carlo method, i.e. requiring many particles for simulating rare events. Preliminary numerical result from the this code showed agreement with experimental helium discharge characteristics in an IEC device.