Caging the Sun: Materials challenges in magnetic confinement fusion reactors

Speaker: Dr Simon Kirk, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Abingdon

Nuclear fusion has long been seen as the ultimate sustainable energy source, with the capability of producing large amounts of clean energy from a near inexhaustible fuel source. However, there are several technical difficulties in developing a reactor which can produce energy from nuclear fusion. In this talk I will give a brief introduction to magnetic confinement fusion, an overview of current research activities and an explanation of the materials challenges involved in fusion reactors.

Dr Kirk was the spokesperson for the WA91 and WA102 particle physics experiments at CERN, where he worked from 1990 to 1996. He then received a Royal Society Research Fellowship, which he undertook at the University of Birmingham.

Since 2000 Dr Kirk has worked with CCFE, he has representated the UK on the Advisory Council of CERN Users and in 1999 was a member of the PPARC particle physics selection panel.

Series: Surfaces, Microstructure and Fracture Group