Speaker
Description
The PREFER (Polarization REsearch for Fusion Experiments and Reactors) collaboration was born to address the challenge of achieving nuclear fusion with polarized fuel, for improved fusion-reactor efficiency, by bringing together techniques and know-how from different fields. Efforts are focused on a variety of tasks and objectives, which are under the responsibility of different institutes. Starting from open questions in fusion reaction physics, such as the study of d-d spin-dependent cross sections, to measurements of nuclear polarization conservation in laser-induced fusion plasmas, there is still undiscovered terroir to explore. The collaboration aims to produce nuclear polarized molecules, recombined from polarized atomic beams, which are then trapped and transported to the point of use; or alternatively a newly discovered resonance (“Sona”) transition technique promises sufficient intensity for the feeding of fusion reactors directly. Other options of production are investigated, like the production of spin-polarized molecules from the IR-laser-excitation of molecular beams, and also from molecular photodissociation. The presentation provides the status of these investigations in the European community.
