Just as engineers fine-tune Formula One race cars for peak performance, scientists aim to create high-performance plasmas in complex fusion devices called stellarators. For these plasmas to function effectively, they must retain heat and remain confined within precisely shaped magnetic fields.
To simplify this process, physicists have developed a new computer code that accelerates the design of the intricate magnets that shape the plasma. This innovation could make stellarators easier and more cost-effective to build.
The code, called QUADCOIL, helps scientists eliminate plasma shapes that, while stable, require impractically complex magnets. By identifying these early, researchers can focus on designing stellarators that balance both physics and manufacturability.
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