Magnetic Fusion Technology describes the technologies that are required for successful development of nuclear fusion power plants using strong magnetic fields. These technologies include: • magnet systems, • plasma heating systems, • control systems, • energy conversion systems, • advanced materials development, • vacuum systems, • cryogenic systems, • plasma diagnostics, • safety systems, and • power plant design studies. Magnetic Fusion Technology will be useful to students and to specialists working in energy research.

Fusion research started over half a century ago. Although the task remains unfinished, the end of the road could be in sight if society makes the right decisions. Nuclear Fusion: Half a Century of Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research is a careful, scholarly account of the course of fusion energy research over the past fifty years. The authors outline the different paths followed by fusion research from initial ignorance to present understanding. They explore why a particular scheme would not work and why it was more profitable to concentrate on the mainstream tokamak development. The book features descriptive sections, in-depth explanations of certain physical and technical issues, scientific terms, and an extensive glossary that explains relevant abbreviations and acronyms.

The pursuit of nuclear fusion as an energy source requires a broad knowledge of several disciplines. These include plasma physics, atomic physics, electromagnetics, materials science, computational modeling, superconducting magnet technology, accelerators, lasers, and health physics. Nuclear Fusion distills and combines these disparate subjects to create a concise and coherent foundation to both fusion science and technology. It examines all aspects of physics and technology underlying the major magnetic and inertial confinement approaches to developing nuclear fusion energy. It further chronicles latest developments in the field, and reflects the multi-faceted nature of fusion research, preparing advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics and engineering to launch into successful and diverse fusion-related research. Nuclear Fusion reflects Dr. Morse’s research in both magnetic and inertial confinement fusion, working with the world’s top laboratories, and embodies his extensive thirty-five year career in teaching three courses in fusion plasma physics and fusion technology at University of California, Berkeley.