New Horizons in Fusion: Overcoming Density Limits in Tokamak Reactors

Are recent breakthroughs in tokamak reactors the dawn of a new energy era, or just a scientific curiosity far from practical use?

A recent experiment at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility has achieved a major milestone in nuclear fusion by successfully operating a tokamak plasma at densities 20% above the Greenwald limit while maintaining superior confinement quality.

This achievement, detailed in a Nature publication, challenges the longstanding barriers in fusion energy research—specifically, the trade-off between plasma density and stability.

The experiment utilized a high-poloidal-beta scenario to enhance the suppression of turbulent transport, which is crucial for maintaining stability at higher densities. These results validate theoretical predictions and demonstrate a viable path forward for the scalability of fusion power.

As tokamak designs evolve, this breakthrough invites a reevaluation of fusion's potential, prompting us to consider: How close are we truly to harnessing the power of the stars?

Read the full article on New Scientist.

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