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.
R. Keppens
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 45 | Number 2 | March 2004 | Pages 107-114
Technical Paper | Plasma and Fusion Energy Physics - Equilibrium and Instabilities | doi.org/10.13182/FST04-A474
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ideal MagnetoHydroDynamic (MHD) equations accurately describe the macroscopic dynamics of a perfectly conducting plasma. Adopting a continuum, single fluid description in terms of the plasma density , velocity v, thermal pressure p and magnetic field B, the ideal MHD system expresses conservation of mass, momentum, energy, and magnetic flux. This nonlinear, conservative system of 8 partial differential equations enriches the Euler equations governing the dynamics of a compressible gas with the dynamical influence - through the Lorentz force - and evolution - through the additional induction equation - of the magnetic field B. In multi-dimensional problems, the topological constraint expressed by the Maxwell equation [nabla]B = 0, represents an additional complication for numerical MHD. Basic concepts of shock-capturing high-resolution schemes for computational MHD are presented, with an emphasis on how they cope with the thight physical demands resulting from nonlinearity, compressibility, conservation, and solenoidality.