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January 2026
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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.
Joel A. Kulesza
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 200 | Number 2 | February 2026 | Pages 241-245
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2025.2483123
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper resolves a perennial point of confusion regarding the source-weighting normalization factor recommended in the MCNP manual () to stochastically estimate the volume of a region within an enclosing inward-directed spherical surface source with radius . The normalization factor arises from the relationship between a sphere’ s mean chord length, its volume, and the values estimated by MCNP track-length tallies. A brief derivation is given that relates these quantities and results in the stated normalization. The correctness of this factor is demonstrated by estimating the volume of a variety of convex and nonconvex volumes. A heuristic demonstration of how biasing the inward-directed source reduces the statistical uncertainty of the stochastic volume estimate is also given, but a rigorous analysis of this improvement is left as future work.