The Mirror Fusion Test Facility

A billion-dollar nuclear fusion machine, the Mirror Fusion Test Facility-B (MFTF-B), was shut down on the day of its dedication without ever being turned on. The facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, had undergone nearly a decade of development and received close to a billion...

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Veröffentlicht in:Technology review (1998) 2024-01, Vol.127 (1), p.10-11
1. Verfasser: Keegan, Jon
Format: Magazinearticle
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:A billion-dollar nuclear fusion machine, the Mirror Fusion Test Facility-B (MFTF-B), was shut down on the day of its dedication without ever being turned on. The facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, had undergone nearly a decade of development and received close to a billion dollars in funding. However, due to budget pressures and the need to control the deficit, the Reagan administration decided to put the facility into standby mode. The MFTF-B utilized a unique approach to nuclear fusion, involving bouncing superheated plasma off two opposing magnetic mirrors. Despite the disappointment and frustration felt by the researchers, recent advancements in fusion research, such as the National Ignition Facility's achievement of a net energy gain through nuclear fusion, offer hope for the future of this technology.
ISSN:1099-274X
2837-4703
2158-9186