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
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
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.
P.R. Thomas, V.P. Bhatnagar
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 33 | Number 2 | March 1998 | Pages 407-424
Special Lectures | doi.org/10.13182/FST98-A11947033
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
JET experimental results directly relevant to ITER design are presented. From recent experiments in DT mixtures varying from 100:0 to 10:90, it is inferred that an inverse mass dependence should be included in the H-mode power threshold scaling. Using ITER similarity experiments, the global energy confinement time in JET discharges with type I ELMs is found to be consistent with the gyro-Bohm physics form which has no dependence on plasma β. This form has a weak negative mass dependence but a stronger density dependence than the ITERH93-P scaling. Using the JET MkIIa pumped divertor with N2 seeding, ITER-relevant highly radiative regimes (PR up to 75%) accompanied by type III ELMs have been studied. It is found that the confinement degrades progressively with increasing radiative power fraction. Power loading of divertor tiles with type I ELMs appears to be excessive with NBI whereas it is less of a concern with ICRH. Preliminary assessement of the ITER reference second harmonic (2ɷCT) ICRH scenario with and without the addition of a small amount of He3 is also presented. High performance optimised shear discharges with potentially ‘well aligned’ bootstrap current scenarios consistent with ITER-relevant steady-state operation have also been studied. Internal transport barriers featuring peaked plasma profiles have been demonstrated in DT plasmas in JET. Preliminary results of α-particle driven toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAEs) in the ‘after-glow’ of NBI heated 50:50 DT plasmas are also presented.