Date of Award
5-1-2009
Degree Type
Honors Paper
Abstract
The basic principle of fusion is combining two light nuclei to form one nucleus that is lighter than the combination of the original two. This loss of mass is converted into energy (E=mc2 ) which can be harnessed for various applications. Fusion can take many different and varied forms including: aneutronic fusion, magnetic confinement (MFE), and inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) to name a few. Fusion is highly adaptable because it can use several different types of fuel such as Deuterium-Tritium, Tritium-Helium-3, Proton-Boron11, and Deuterium-Deuterium mixtures. On top of this, each of the fusion techniques mentioned uses different conditions to generate fusion. Because of the varied ways in which fusion can be attained it is a clean energy source that is almost infinitely renewable, solving not only an energy crisis but also removing the issues of radioactive waste from traditional nuclear power plants and emissions from other power sources (i.e. coal and oil).
Recommended Citation
Franzel, Louis, "Neutron Production Analysis on Inertial Electrostatic Deuterium-Deuterium Fusion" (2009). Theses & Honors Papers. 115.
https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/etd/115
