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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.
Larry R. Grisham, Douglass E. Post, David R. Mikkelsen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 3 | Number 1 | January 1983 | Pages 121-128
Technical Paper | Experimental Device | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A20822
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We discuss a method of probing the velocity distribution of confined energetic alpha particles resulting from deuterium-tritium fusion reactions in a magnetically contained plasma. We calculate the characteristics of the signals to be expected from injecting multi-MeV Li° into the plasma to undergo double charge-exchange reactions with the alpha particles. Neutralized alpha particles then escape from the plasma to be detected by a charge-exchange analyzer. We also examine the feasibility of producing a Li° beam of the required current and energy, and we discuss a conceptual design for an appropriate beam system.