Speaker Series: Astrophysics
December 14 @ 5:00 pm – 5:40 pm
Speakers: Dr. Devon Battaglia and Jessica Strunkin, Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Saturday, December 14
5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
The Path to Commercial Fusion Energy
In this talk, we’ll learn about harnessing the power of the stars here on earth as the commercial fusion industry moves out of the research lab and into commercial applications. Fusion energy can play a critical role in the transition to a carbon-free energy economy. The fastest and surest path to build commercial fusion power plants in the 2030s is to supercharge the tokamak, a scientifically mature technology, by increasing the magnetic field strength used to confine a hot plasma within the device.
A giant leap forward in magnet technology occurred in 2021 when Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated the world’s strongest superconducting magnet at the scale needed for tokamak systems.
The next milestone for CFS is to leverage the novel magnet technology to demonstrate the first commercially relevant net energy fusion machine, called SPARC, which is currently under construction in Devens, Massachusetts. This talk will describe the high-field SPARC tokamak and the path to fusion energy power plants in the 2030s.
Tickets & Important Information
Time: Second Saturday of every month, 5:00 pm
Duration: Approximately 40 minutes
Cost: $6 for members, $7 for non-members (per person). General museum admission will not be charged for members or guests arriving after 4:30 pm on Speaker Series days.
Location: Alden Planetarium
Age Range: All ages are welcome. Recommended 15+
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Details
Date:
December 14
Time:
5:00 pm – 5:40 pm
Event Categories:
Programs & Education, Special Event