Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have published a new theoretical model that offers a potential explanation for a known discrepancy in nuclear fusion research.
The work suggests that previously underestimated structures, called “voids,” may be responsible for generating greater-than-expected turbulence at the edge of plasmas inside fusion reactors.
The study, authored by physicists Mingyun Cao and Patrick Diamond, addresses a persistent issue in the development of tokamaks, i.e., the primary devices used in the effort to generate controlled fusion energy.
“The dynamics of edge-core coupling is critically important to the optimization of magnetically confined fusion plasmas,” said the researchers in a new study.
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