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Fusionnica

Fusionnica

Nuclear fusion, from the high school classroom to the research frontier

A cumulative guide to nuclear fusion where every page deepens through four steps: high school, undergraduate, graduate, and PhD. Read up to your own level, and you will have a complete understanding at that point.

Start from the basics

Choose your entry point

Section titled “Choose your entry point”
High school student

Grasp the big picture through analogies

Read the Basics section from the beginning in order. It is written so that even skimming just the “Start with Intuition” part of each page gives you the big picture of nuclear fusion.

Undergraduate

Understand it as physics

Armed with electromagnetism and mechanics, move into plasma physics and confinement schemes. Read through the “Understand the Physics” part of each page and you will be able to read the language of research.

Graduate student

Deepen it as integrated engineering

Nuclear fusion is not complete with physics alone. Centered on “Deepen the Theory,” broaden your view to reactor engineering and materials, and look beyond your own specialty.

PhD student / researcher

Get a map of the frontier

The “Research Frontier” at the end of each page collects open problems and keywords for literature searches. Use it as a map to quickly survey fields outside your specialty.

A map for learning

Section titled “A map for learning”

Reading from the top is the recommended learning order. Wherever you start, links to the prerequisite pages are provided.

01

Basics

What nuclear fusion is and why we need it. Up through the Lawson criterion and the history of research.

02

Plasma Physics

The laws that govern matter at 100 million degrees. From particle motion to turbulent transport.

03

Confinement Schemes

Tokamak, stellarator, mirror, laser. Strategies of magnetic and inertial confinement.

04

Reactor Engineering

The engineering that turns plasma into a power plant. From superconducting coils to the divertor.

05

Materials

The challenge of materials that withstand 14 MeV neutrons. From the first wall to structural materials.

06

Safety

Understanding tritium and activation correctly. Inherent safety and the challenges that remain.

07

Major Projects

ITER, JT-60SA, LHD, NIF, SPARC. Real machines operating around the world.

08

Future Outlook

The DEMO prototype reactor and private fusion ventures. The road to practical use.

When you run into a word you do not know, head to the glossary, and to find books for further study, see the references.

What this site promises

Section titled “What this site promises”
  • We do not shy away from equations. After you build intuition with gentle analogies, we present the necessary equations properly and always read them out in plain language.
  • We do not stop at making you feel like you understood. Each page has a Check Your Understanding section so you can confirm your own understanding as you go.
  • We put accuracy first. The figures, dates, and equations on every page have been fact-checked against primary sources.