Colloquia

Thermonuclear fusion of deuterium (D) and tritium (T) in a magnetically confined plasma is the most widely pursued path to large-scale fusion energy production. However, achieving a burning plasma capable of self-sustained energy production remains an elusive goal. The use of spin-polarized fuel could provide a significant boost, as the reaction rate for D + T → α + n increases by 50% if the spins of the reacting nuclei are oriented parallel to each other, and both along the local magnetic field.  A multicenter collaboration including the University of Virginia and Jefferson Lab is working toward the first direct test of spin-polarized fusion in the DIII-D tokamak in San Diego, using the isospin-mirror reaction D + ³He → α + p. This talk will give an overview of our DOE-funded fusion research program, and further describe the cross-grounds work being performed at the UVA Medical School toward optimizing polarized ³He fuel preparation using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.