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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. Brandenburg, G. Hamad, Z. Meisel, C. R. Brune, D. E. Carter, J. Derkin, D. C. Ingram, Y. Jones-Alberty, B. Kenady, T. N. Massey, M. Saxena, D. Soltesz, S. K. Subedi, J. Warren
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 197 | Number 4 | April 2023 | Pages 510-516
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2118483
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We present results from direct measurements of the thick-target yield from laboratory incident energies 3 to 5 MeV, performed with the 3HeBF3 Giant Barrel (HeBGB) neutron detector at the Edwards Accelerator Laboratory. Our measurements have a small energy cadence in order to address discrepancies and sparseness of thick-target-yield data sets existing for this energy region. We find general agreement with existing data sets, including yields derived from cross-section data, while resolving a discrepancy between existing thick-target-yield data sets for MeV. However, for MeV, our results are substantially lower than previous thick-target-yield data and somewhat larger than yields calculated from existing cross-section data. Our data complete the energy range needed for estimates of the contribution to neutrino and dark matter detector backgrounds and result in increased viability of as a plasma diagnostic tool at fusion facilities such as the National Ignition Facility.