NEWS: Magnetic fusion energy

Two men work inside the D3-D tokamak. Text on the image says "Yahoo! Finance Next" and "Unlocking Fusion"

April 1, 2024

"Fusion reactor promises limitless energy"

Check out the exciting work at DIII-D through first-hand experiences of our expert team members in the Yahoo Finance Next series episode on fusion energy. Evan Leppink, a graduate student at Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, provides insights into the installation of a first-in-kind heating and current drive system.

Yahoo Finance

March 21, 2024

First-of-its-kind report, "Enabling Commercial Fusion" published

A report authored by David Cohen-Tanugi, with contributions from PSFC researchers, was unveiled at the recent FusionXInvest conference hosted at MIT. The report contains nearly 30 opportunities for researchers, investors, and corporations to fill gaps in the burgeoning commercial fusion industry's supply chain.  

A mid-plane view of the SPARC tokamak

November 16, 2023

New study shows how universities are critical to emerging fusion industry

A paper by Dennis Whyte, Carlos Paz-Soldan of Columbia University, and Brian D. Wirth of the University of Tennessee Knoxville explores academia's role in the development of fusion energy. The authors cite additional fusion faculty, private industry collaborations, and creative licensing strategies as essential for enabling the sustainable growth of a commercial fusion industry.

PSFC News

Three people smiling and facing a camera as they sign documents

October 27, 2023

PSFC is designated an IAEA Collaborating Center, the first in fusion

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Grossi traveled to MIT to give the David J. Rose Lecture in Nuclear Technology and sign an agreement designating the PSFC as an IAEA Collaborating Center. Over the next four years, Dr. Cristina Rea will execute a workplan that will further the IAEA's "AI in Fusion" initiative by improving access to fusion data and providing educational opportunities for the development of the fusion workforce. 

PSFC News

Two female graduate students presenting plasma demos at a table

March 27, 2023

Engaging young women in plasma science

The PSFC journeyed to the Young Women's Conferemce at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to inspire young women to consider science as a field of study and a career.

PSFC News

Ian Hutchinson standing in front of Alcator C-Mod tokamak

November 29, 2022

Ian Hutchinson: Probing Plasma

“When I look up at the moon with my sweetheart, my wife of 48 years, I imagine that streaming from its dark side are electron holes that my students and I predicted and that we then discovered,” says Ian Hutchinson. “It’s quite sentimental to me.”

MIT News

Ian Hutchinson in front of image of C-Mod antennae

October 19, 2022

2022 Ronald C. Davidson Award goes to Ian H. Hutchinson

AIP Publishing has selected MIT Professor Ian H. Hutchinson as the recipient of its 2022 Ronald C. Davidson Award for Plasma Physics for his paper, “Electron holes in phase space: What they are and why they matter.”

AIP Publishing

Tuba Balta at PSFC

July 8, 2022

Fusion’s new ambassador

High school student Tuba Balta engages new audiences through her MIT PSFC internship.

PSFC News

Evan Leppink, MIT

June 8, 2022

Evan Leppink: Choosing sides

Graduate student Evan Leppink will explore a new way to drive current in a tokamak plasma using radiofrequency (RF) waves during his residency at DIII-D in San Diego, CA.

PSFC News

Graph off core edge integration on DIII-D

May 16, 2022

For plasma with a hot core and cool edges, Super-H Mode shows promise

PSFC research scientist Theresa Wilks participated in research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility that demonstrated how, in a fusion tokamak, a high-performance operating regime called Super H-mode can leverage the use of impurities to improve core-edge integration.

Energy.Gov

Dennis Whyte and Bob Mumgaard in experimental environment

May 12, 2022

Practically changing the world

PSFC Director Dennis Whyte received  a 2022 University of Saskatchewan Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant accomplishments since graduating from USask.

University of Saskatchewan News

Diagram of SPARC tokamak

April 6, 2022

Turning neutrons into fusion fuel

“One of the things that you get good at while at MIT,” says PSFC research scientist Sara Ferry, “is being able to start from nothing on a particular system or skill and knowing how to approach it in a way that’s effective.”

PSFC News

Zoe Fisher in the laboratory

February 25, 2022

Finding her way to fusion

Zoe Fisher's undergraduate research journey leads to a role working on the SPARC tokamak.

PSFC News

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