ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
B. Coppi, L.E. Sugiyama, M. Nassi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 1612-1616
Plasma Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29950
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Compact, tight aspect ratio toroidal configurations offer a set of properties favorable for fusion ignition experiments. High magnetic fields support high particle densities, which increase the fusion reaction rate and improve the plasma purity, as well as high plasma currents, which provide strong ohmic heating and keep the plasma beta low to improve stability. Low temperature D-T ignition. To ≤ 15 ke V, at relatively low levels of fusion α-particle heating compared to the ohmic heating, Pα/POH ≤ 2, then becomes possible, using predominantly ohmic heating. This minimizes the degradation of plasma confinement caused by injected heating and high beta and also reduces the need for complex divertor systems.