Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Dual Species Calcium And Ytterbium Magneto Optical Trap, Alexander Erickson, Scott Bergeson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One area of particular interest in modern physics research is creating a viable fusion system for sustainable energy. Fusion occurs when a high energy plasma is manipulated in such a way that small atoms collide together, combining to create larger atoms and releasing tremendous amounts of harvestable energy. However, there are many theoretical, mathematical, and practical roadblocks to creating a stable fusion experiment. One practical limitation and one mathematical limitation are as follows: practically, much of the energy used to create a fusion-grade plasma ends up in the kinetic energy of the electrons and is lost to the experiment; mathematically, …