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4mo ago

Researchers Solve 70-Year Fusion Reactor Design Challenge, Speeding Development by 10x

A new symmetry theory-based model revolutionizes magnetic confinement systems, enabling faster and more accurate stellarator and tokamak designs.

Image
Predicted motions of hundreds of particles in a fusion reactor. The motions predicted with the new method (orange, red) agree very closely with those predicted by Newton’s laws (blue, green), but can be calculated 10 times faster. Image credit: University of Texas at Austin.
Representative stock image of fusion reactor wall where high energy alpha particles escape from holes in the magnetic field.

Overview

  • The breakthrough model, published in *Physical Review Letters*, predicts and eliminates magnetic field leakage points with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
  • The method addresses a decades-old problem in stellarator fusion reactors, improving particle confinement critical for sustained fusion reactions.
  • Using symmetry theory, the new approach is ten times faster than Newtonian methods and more precise than traditional perturbation theory.
  • The model also has applications for tokamaks, identifying weak points that could mitigate risks from runaway electrons.
  • The research, a collaboration between UT Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Type One Energy Group, could accelerate commercial fusion power development.