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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.
Masayuki Yoshikawa, Xiaolong Wang, Masahiro Morishita, Yoriko Shima, Masayuki Chikatsu, Junko Kohagura, Mizuki Sakamoto, Ryutaro Minami, Masaki Iso, Yousuke Nakashima, Tsuyoshi Imai, Makoto Ichimura, Ryo Yasuhara, Ichihiro Yamada, Hisamichi Funaba, Takashi Minami
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 1 | July 2015 | Pages 99-104
Technical Paper | Open Magnetic Systems 2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-845
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thomson scattering (TS) is one of the most reliable diagnostics to measure the electron temperature and electron density radial profiles in fusion plasmas. In GAMMA 10, a yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG)-TS system was constructed with the large solid angle of TS collection optics. We carried out Rayleigh and Raman scattering experiments for system settings and density calibration. We applied the YAG-TS system to the GAMMA 10 plasma. We can successfully measure the radial profiles of electron temperature and density in the central cell of GAMMA 10 by using the YAG-TS system in a single plasma shot. Moreover, in order to increase the TS signal intensities, we have constructed a multipass TS system of the polarization-based system with image relaying optics. Clear TS signals from first to fourth passing lasers through the GAMMA 10 plasma were obtained. The obtained TS signal intensity was about three times larger by first to fourth passing lasers through the plasma than that of the first pass.