Catching tokamak fastballs: Controlling runaway electrons
Friday, November 11, 2011 - 12:02
in Physics & Chemistry
a leading design concept for producing nuclear fusion energycan, under certain rare fault conditions, produce beams of very energetic "runaway" electrons that have the potential to damage interior surfaces of the device. In the event of such a fault, a tokamak-based nuclear fusion power plant will have to employ protection systems to prevent any damage. Now, scientists at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility have demonstrated a new method for controlling these high-energy electrons.