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Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a government-funded national center for plasma and fusion research. The Laboratory is managed by Princeton University for the US Department of Energy. The mission of PPPL is also to provide the highest quality science education in fusion energy, plasma physics, and related technologies to the public.
Members of our team visited PPPL on April 17, 2006 and were given a guided tour by Dr. Rajesh Maingi. The following are photos taken inside PPPL:
NSTX Control Room
The sign outside the NSTX Control Room
Scientists at work in front of a computer bank in the NSTX Control Room
A bank of monitors at the front of the NSTX Control Room
A monitor showing a visible (optical) image of the inside of the plasma reactor (NSTX).
The giant projection screen overhead in the NSTX Control Room
An actual experiment, lasting less than 1 second, being conducted in the NSTX Control Room
NSTX Reactor Camera and Stats
Central NSTX Computer Room
A bank of servers in an air-conditioned, closed, high-security room in front of the NSTX Control Room.
National Spherical Torus Experiment
A picture of NSTX
The NSTX test cell, which has restricted access while an experiment is in progress. (We could not enter.)
Piping in the NSTX reactor building.
Radio waves are used to heat the plasma.
Underground Tunnel
Dr. Maingi (left). Tunnel connecting the NSTX Control Room and reactor building.
Outside Used Parts
A convoluted coil winding around the tokemak, engineered to perfect specification. The copper winding went in the twisting inner groove.
The vacuum vessel used to test for the disposal of the Tokemak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTK) apparatus. Precise disposal was needed because TFTK was radioactive.
Model of a Tokemak Test Reactor
A cross-section of the tokemak. The inside of the "donut" (red) is where the plasma is located.
The exterior view of the tokemak. The four boxes are neutral particle beams, used to heat the plasma over 10 million degrees Kelvin.
Interesting Links
http://w3.pppl.gov/~dstotler/SSFD/ - Control your own tokemak nuclear fusion reactor
- Maingi, Rajesh. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Personal Interview. 17 Apr. 2006. To view our notes of the interview, click here.
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. 5 May 2006. 6 May 2006. <http://www.pppl.gov/>
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