Scientists develop new tool to design better fusion devices
Thursday, June 25, 2020 - 18:20
in Physics & Chemistry
One way that scientists seek to bring to Earth the fusion process that powers the stars is trapping plasma within a twisting magnetic coil device shaped like a breakfast cruller. But the device, called a stellarator, must be precisely engineered to prevent heat from escaping the plasma core where it stokes the fusion reactions. Now, researchers have demonstrated that an advanced computer code could help design stellarators that confine the essential heat more effectively.