Introduction to Controlled Fusion

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. explain how nuclear fusion leads to energy and discuss the energy balance and energy conservation principles inherent in the process; 2. explain the energy-mass relations according to Einstein’s theory of relativity 3. discuss the necessary conditions for fusion, fusion energy, magnetic and inertial confinement and neutral beam injection; 4. relate the heating and cooling methods in controlled nuclear fusion systems; and 5. Describe the material requirements and techniques of handling of tritium.

Introduction to energy production by controlled thermonuclear reactions. Nuclear fusion reactions, energy balances for fusion systems, survey of plasma physics; physical conditions required to achieve net fusion energy, plasma physics of magnetic confinement, overview of fusion energy concepts, inertial confinement; neutral beam injection; RF heating methods; vacuum systems; material challenges in fusion systems; tritium handling.