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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.
K. Y. Lee
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 1 | July 2015 | Pages 152-156
Technical Paper | Open Magnetic Systems 2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-865
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method of estimating the margin of error for Thomson scattering systems based on polychromators has been devised during the operation of the Translation, Confinement, and Sustainment Upgrade (TCSU) experiment. This method first uses the propagation of uncertainty to determine the standard deviation (SD) of the ratio between two output signals. Later the SD or error is projected onto a characteristic curve that relates different ratios of the signal output to the electron temperature. This method brings an asymmetry to the error bounds, which goes accordingly to the ratio of the spectral response function for distinguishing higher temperatures. Also, the method follows with the nature of photon-statistics. As the plasma density is increased, as one might expect, the corresponding amplitude of the error bar becomes smaller.