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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
K. H. Böckhoff, A. D. Carlson, O. A. Wasson, J. A. Harvey, D. C. Larson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 106 | Number 2 | October 1990 | Pages 192-207
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE90-A27470
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Continuing improvements in electron linear accelerators, and associated targets, detectors, and data acquisition systems, make facilities based on these neutron sources very productive in meeting nuclear data needs for fusion energy development. The operation of an electron linear accelerator is briefly outlined, and specific information about neutron-producing targets, available detector systems, and data acquisition capabilities for several of the most productive facilities is given. Data needs are reviewed in terms of reactions important to the fusion energy program, and several examples are given of data acquired at these facilities for these reactions. Much of the experimental data upon which nuclear data evaluations are based are measured at electron linacs, and they continue to be a valuable source of nuclear data for fusion reactor design.