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Going Nuclear: Notes from the officially unofficial book tour
I work in the analytical labs at one of Europe’s oldest and largest nuclear sites: Sellafield, in northwestern England. I spend my days at the fume hood front, pipette in one hand and radiation probe in the other (and dosimeter pinned to my chest, of course). Outside the lab, I have a second job: I moonlight as a writer and public speaker. My new popular science book—Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World—came out last summer, and it feels like my life has been running at full power ever since.
P. A. Bagryansky et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 1 | May 2013 | Pages 253-255
doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16919
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The development of fusion energy will require materials resilient to harsh bombardment by energetic neutrons and plasma. The Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) concept in Novosibirsk is proposed as a neutron and plasma source to test and validate appropriate materials. Recent results showed plasma beta of 0.6, provide a solid basis for extrapolating to a fusion relevant neutron source. Relative to previous magnetic mirror neutron sources, the GDT concept operates with simpler axisymmetric magnets and at higher efficiency. Plasma in the GDT device operating at the present time in the Budker Institute includes two ion components: 250 eV maxwellian warm ions and anisotropic hot ion population produced by 25 keV 5 MW oblique neutral beam injection.