How Nuclear Fusion Actually Works
Nuclear Fusion — The Dream of Unlimited Energy
D+T → He4 + neutron. 150 million degrees. The Lawson criterion. Magnetic confinement: tokamak principle. ITER's technical parameters.
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Learning Material
6 pagesLesson 4 — How Nuclear Fusion Actually Works
Understanding the Complex: Nuclear Fusion — The Dream of Unlimited Energy
The anchor:
ITER is designed to demonstrate Q = 10 — ten times more fusion energy out than plasma heating energy in. That's the physics target. The engineering target for a power plant is higher.
This lesson explains how ITER works, and why achieving Q = 10 requires engineering at the edge of what's possible.