Nuclear fusion: A new solution for the instability problem

© David Rath, TU Wien - For fusion reactors like ITER, plasma instabilities are a major challenge. A research team around the nuclear fusion group at TU Wien has now found a promising solution. Nuclear fusion power plants could one day provide a sustainable solution to our energy problems - but to date there is no commercial nuclear fusion reactor in operation. To realize fusion reactions, the plasma in the center must be very hot (about 100 million °C), and at the same time the wall of the reactor must not melt. The edge of the plasma must therefore be well insulated from the reactor wall. In this region, however, plasma instabilities called ELMs occur frequently. During such events, energetic particles from the plasma may hit the wall of the reactor, potentially damaging it.