Will the Three-Wave Interaction Prevent the Fusion Dream?

Fusion energy holds the potential to power the Earth with virtually unlimited clean energy. While fusion energy successfully powers the Sun, the fusion energy produced on Earth is still below the heating energy needed to drive the fusion reaction. This project will address how to optimize heating efficiency of fusion plasmas by characterizing the interaction between the heating beams and the fusion fuel. The grant will provide funding for two PhD students, one postdoc and experimental equipment.