Plasma and Fusion Science and Technology

This area of study deals with current approaches to the design of fusion power plants. For both the magnetic and the inertial confinement schemes, problems of particle confinement, plasma heating, reactor materials, fusion reactor neutronics, safety, and environmental impacts are analyzed. Experimental studies of high energy density science and inertial confinement fusion are ongoing at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL, with an emphasis on nuclear processes in high energy density plasmas, and nuclear diagnostics.