How can the walls in nuclear fusion reactors withstand the high heat of plasma? In this informative video filmed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Emily Carter, founding director at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, details how certain materials show promise for use in fusion reactor walls.

The lecture was held on February 10, 2016.

From Emily Carter:

Quantum mechanics based computer simulations can help provide insights into the survivability of first wall and divertor materials. I will present results of research aimed at assessing how hydrogen isotopes interact with solid tungsten and liquid lithium, candidates for plasma facing components of fusion reactors. An overview of Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment will also be provided. It is my hope that the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab and the Andlinger Center will partner increasingly in the years ahead to make fusion power a reality.