Plasma Physics and Fusion Technology

A different source of nuclear energy results from the controlled fusion of light elements, hydrogen and its isotopes in particular. Since the basic source of fuel for fusion can be easily and inexpensively extracted from the ocean, the supply is virtually inexhaustible. Fusion reactions can only readily occur in a fully ionized plasma heated to many million degrees (150 million °K). Such hot plasmas that cannot be contained by material walls are usually confined instead by strong magnetic fields. Recent progress within the international fusion community increases the likelihood that controlled fusion will become a practical source of energy within the next half-century.

This suggested curriculum shows that two of the core Nuclear Science and Engineering Courses (18.085 and 8.03) will not be required for students interested in pre-med in nuclear engineering. They will be replaced by restricted electives that help them pass the medical school entrance examinations in their Junior year. This example is aimed at showing the minimum program to fulfill both the requirements for a BS in NS&E and the suggested program of study for applying to medical school:

Attainment of a fusion energy plant involves many intellectually challenging physics and engineering problems. Included among these challenges are (1) mastery of the sophisticated field of plasma physics, (2) the discovery of improved magnetic geometries to enhance plasma confinement, (3) the development of materials capable of withstanding high stresses and exposure to intense radiation, and (4) the need for great engineering ingenuity in integrating fusion power components into a practical, safe, and economical system. The department has strong programs in plasma fundamentals, materials for intense radiation fields, and engineering of fusion systems.

The fundamentals of plasmas also underlie novel methods for treatment of toxic gases, magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion, and ion propulsion, all topics of interest in the department. Students concentrating on applied plasma physics are trained not only to contribute to the advancement of controlled fusion but also to apply their knowledge in areas of immediate practical significance. In these plasma programs, the department is an active participant in MIT's broad, interdepartmental program of research and instruction in plasma physics and its varied applications.