Of Interest archive
2014
29 Jan 2014
Biography of one of the 20th century's greatest physicists
One of the greatest and most versatile scientists of the twentieth century, Hans Bethe (1906-2005), is portrayed in a new biography…
28 Jan 2014
Fusion researcher wins Slovenian Zois Award
Dr. Saša Novak, a researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and an active member of the Slovenian Fusion Association,…
27 Jan 2014
What would happen if ocean water was replaced with deuterium oxide?
Deuterium oxide has properties that are quite different from light water, the normal water we deal with every day. In general, it will be…
26 Jan 2014
Calm solar cycle prompts questions about impact on Earth
The surface of the sun has been surprisingly calm of late, with fewer sunspots than anytime in the last century, prompting curious…
25 Jan 2014
New antenna spreads good vibrations in fusion plasma
If you want to catch a firefly, any old glass jar will do. But when you're trying to bottle a star-the goal of fusion energy research-the…
24 Jan 2014
Extreme-scale plasma turbulence simulation
As the global energy economy makes the transition from fossil fuels toward cleaner alternatives, fusion becomes an attractive potential…
23 Jan 2014
Reports from the 55th APS meeting in Denver
The 55th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics concluded on 15 November in Denver, Colorado…
22 Jan 2014
PPPL scientists present cutting-edge results at major physics meeting
More than 1,500 researchers, including scientists from the US Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), …
21 Jan 2014
Our thermonuclear tomorrow
Russian Public TV recently aired this 38-minute documentary on the history of fusion research and on the present state of collaboration…
20 Jan 2014
Uniform energy spread could prevent tokamak disruptions
Researchers at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics this week have reported on…
19 Jan 2014
High-level visitor for MIT's Alcator C-Mod
US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi visited MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) and the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak, currently in "warm…
18 Jan 2014
Fusion, for a faster trip to Mars?
Could fusion someday help power faster trips to Mars? New propulsion technologies may blast astronauts through space at breakneck speeds…
17 Jan 2014
Fun in fusion research
Fusion energy research is serious business. Generally, it is a lifelong commitment, involving long hours and weekends, along with optimism…
16 Jan 2014
Lovely laboratories
Most scientific breakthroughs have occurred in boring buildings. Can a new generation of architects change that? Today, expensive new…
15 Jan 2014
Celebrating Lyman Spitzer, the father of PPPL
Princeton astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer Jr. (1914-1997) was among the 20th century's most visionary scientists. His major influences…
14 Jan 2014
Canyon of fire on the Sun
A magnetic filament of solar material erupted on the sun in late September, breaking the quiet conditions in a spectacular fashion. The 200…
13 Jan 2014
What do bananas and fusion have in common?
Often the food analogies applied to tokamaks centre around doughnuts, due to the shape of magnetic field that confines the hot fusion…
12 Jan 2014
We must harness the power of the sun
Last Friday's report from the United Nations confirms the huge danger from our continued dependence on fossil fuel. But one simple thing…
11 Jan 2014
Last artificial star in tokamak MAST before major upgrade
Scientists at the UK's Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) have run final experiments on the MAST tokamak on Friday 27 September…
10 Jan 2014
Latest F4E video clip on critical site networks
The European Domestic Agency (Fusion for Energy) has produced a new clip on ITER site works. See the two-minute video on ITER's critical…