The crucial role of atomic and molecular processes in the success of controlled fusion

Atomic processes have played a key role in the success of the present and the next generation of magnetically and inertially confined controlled fusion experiments. Magnetic fusion experiments are beginning to access the plasma regimes needed for fusion reactors. Recent experiments on the TFTR tokamak at Princeton and the JET tokamak at Abingdon, UK, have produced fusion powers of 10–16 MW and temperatures in the 10 to 40 keV range. These achievements were made possible by impurity control and high power auxiliary heating, which both rely upon the successful utilization of atomic processes. Based on these and other experimental successes, in 1988 the US, Europe, Japan and Russia began participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project (ITER), with the goal of designing, constructing and operating a long pulse, ignited tokamak. The engineering design portion of the project will be completed in July 1998, and the ITER partners are now discussing an agreement for construction. Expe...