Introduction To Fusion Energy

Catalog description

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of fusion energy, plasma physics, and the technologies involved. The course compares the underlying nuclear physics concepts of fusion and fission reactors, atomic structure using the Bohr model, electron shells, and the processes of ionization and plasma generation. The properties of plasma and electromagnetic principles are then used to motivate plasma confinement concepts. The confinement approaches of magnetic confinement and inertial confinement fusion will be introduced. The second part of the course covers the critical technology for fusion energy, including vacuum and cryogenic systems, superconducting magnets, heating methods, tritium breeding and fuel cycle.