Guide to Fusion Education Resources for Introductory Physics Students
This is a compilation of online and offline education resources for introductory physics students who are interested in learning more about fusion, including:
- Books,
- Science Projects and Experiments you can do for school,
- Summer Research Internship Programs, and
- Careers which can connect to Fusion
Books
- Bromberg, Joan Lisa.
- _Fusion: Science, Politics, and the Invention of a New Energy Source_, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1982.
- Eliezer, Yaffa and Shalom.
- _The Fourth State of Matter: An Introduction to the Physics of Plasma_
- Herman, Robin.
- _Fusion: The Search for Endless Energy_, Cambridge University Press, 1990.
Science Projects and Experiments
What sorts of experiments are there for high-school students? How can I get the equipment? Has anyone else done this?
While there are few realistic fusion experiments that would be feasible at the high school level, there are a number of interesting possibilities for plasma physics experiments or for experiments which demonstrate key aspects of the physics of fusion reactors. Before going any further we have to emphasize that you must be safe in doing research! Before carrying out any experiments at all we recommend that you consider all the possible consequences of what you might do, and ensure that there are no risks of injury, death, or undesired damage to your equipment. We disclaim any and all responsibility for any consequences of the information posted here!
If one has access to a microwave oven, one can simply insert a sealed tube containing some sort of low-pressure gas (such as a fluorescent light bulb), and then run the microwave. The microwave radiation will ionize the gas, forming a microwave plasma discharge, if the circumstances are right. It's a lot of fun to see a fluorescent bulb glowing without being plugged in! Be sure to close the microwave door completely, though, or you may cook yourself - which could be fatal! Also, this demonstration may ruin some microwaves, so please use an old/cheap one!
An easy way to observe the confining effects of a magnetic field would be to build a fairly large magnetic coil (fields of around 30 gauss will give a nice effect) and run a fluorescent light inside. The Helmholtz coil configuration, where the coil radius is equal to the coil separation, gives a highly uniform magnetic field in the region between the coils, and can be better than a solenoid (tube-shaped coil) since it makes it easier to see inside. Moving the coils away from each other will generate a "magnetic mirror" configuration, which also has some interesting physics to it. This will be best if you can see inside the fluorescent bulb, instead of just seeing the phosphor glow from the glass tube. Most electric lighting companies will be happy to ship you "half-coated" or uncoated fluorescent bulbs. But note that the plasma inside a fluorescent bulb emits a lot of ultraviolet light (which is normally absorbed by the phosphor coating), so you need to check that the glass used in the bulb will absorb ultraviolet light. In any case one should probably not place one's eye right next to a fluorescent bulb for any length of time.
If one has access to a vacuum pump and a high voltage (2000 V) power supply, it is also possible to build a glow discharge tube instead of using the fluorescent light bulb. A half-meter tube with electrodes made of 3-inch-diameter circular plates at the ends will do nicely. Air will give a pretty discharge, but helium, neon and argon are also interesting and not too hard to obtain. Vacuum systems can be very dangerous - air pressure is quite high! One must be extremely careful to build any vacuum equipment with solid, vacuum-grade components.
If you have access to arc-welding equipment (and the training required to run it safely), the electrical arcs are also plasmas.
Summer Internships
-
Many research laboratories have summer programs for high school and
early college students. For now I suggest that you check the list
of Fusion Sites and look for one
near you, and contact them using the contact information on their Web site.
Careers which Connect to Fusion
Fusion research projects currently employ people in many different fields, including:
- Physicists
- Engineers (Electrical, Mechanical, and others)
- Technicians (many types)
- Computer Programmers and Technicians
- Other Careers
- There are many other workers at fusion labs, too. (Facilities support, clerical staff, food service, and much more...)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory