Understanding turbulence to use magnetically confined fusion

Kyle Gustafson "Understanding turbulence to use magnetically confined fusion" University of Maryland, College Park expecting PhD in 2009 Climate change is a concern for governments and businesses of all nations. There are many strategies for reducing human carbon emissions. A tantalizing part of any strategy for large-scale replacement of coal-fired power plants is magnetically confined hot fusion. Research in this direction has steadily improved confinement metrics for the past fifty years, but the problem of turbulence in fusion reactors is the most frustrating recent roadblock. Turbulence allows the heat necessary for high-yield fusion power production to leak out of any "magnetic bottle." The performance here depicts an ivy-covered planet, first threatened by rising temperatures, but then saved by successful implementation of fusion as a power source. The Earth swelters, trapped in a steam bath of carbon dioxide and confusion. Inside the neighborhood fusion reactor, turbulence swirls (Bolling: Piano Suite) around and around, breaking the confinement of heat and fusion particles. Large eddies (six people!) break into smaller eddies in a representation of the Kolmogorov conception of turbulence. At the nuclear (Iron Maiden: Powerslave) level, a tritium (1 lady proton and 2 gentlemen neutrons) and deuterium (1 proton and 1 neutron) bounce around among magnetic fields. After two near misses, they collide and combine during a single fusion reaction. This releases a high energy, and very startled, free neutron and one satisfied alpha particle. Following this success, a new world is realized (The 5th Dimension: Age of Aquarius) with less carbon, cleaner air and water, and several joyful people. The burning plasma in the reactor is like a miniature sun, confined by magnetic fields instead of gravitation. Atoms for peace!