SDG Detail

AST 309: The Science of Fission and Fusion Energy

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Project description

We develop the scientific ideas behind fission and fusion energy. For fission we move from elementary nuclear physics to calculations of chain reactions, understanding how both reactors and nuclear weapons work. We examine safety and waste concerns, as well as nuclear proliferation. We look at new reactor concepts. For fusion we address the physics of confining hot, ionized gases, called plasmas. We address the control of large-scale instabilities and small-scale turbulence. We examine progress and prospects, as well as challenges, for the development of economically attractive fusion power.