the grand challenge

[nibot]

Classes seem to be getting off to a rather slow start... I tagged along to "intro to plasma physics" today, though, and found it quite thrilling. There seems to be only one person actually in the course, and something like four of us hangers-on.

"As I hope all of you know already, there are four states of matter, the fourth being plasma. After all, 99% of the [observed] matter in the universe is in the plasma state."

And thereby my upstart sixth-grade complaint that "no, there are more than three states..." was vindicated. But now there are at least five, counting Bose-Einstein Condensate. Anyway...

"... and that is the grand challenge of plasma physics: nuclear fusion. This will be the main thrust of this course."

The instructor scrawled on the blackboard:

D⁺ + T⁺ → He⁺⁺ + n + 17.6 MeV

"...the most basic fusion reaction... and it clearly works."

welcome to Starfleet Academy.

Comments

[pbrane.livejournal.com]

Dude! That's rad. You get me some feasible fusion, and I'll, like... think you're way cool! Heh.

[kaolinfire.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful. :)

[forvrkate.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what that equation means :D

[eigenvalue.livejournal.com]

Hmm ... I'm just guessing but, D = deuterium, T = tritium, He = helium, n = neutron?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

yessirree... I will mail you a lollipop.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, D⁺ is a deuteron (http://education.jlab.org/glossary/deuteron.html) ("the nucleus of a deuterium atom"—one proton and one neutron), T⁺ is a "triton"—at least that's how our instructor pronounces it—one proton and two neutrons.

[eigenvalue.livejournal.com]

hurray.

[emidala.livejournal.com]

I think I will go to some physics talks again this year in order to understand my physics friends (not the universe) a bit better.

[yonked.livejournal.com]

Cool. I learned a lot of plasma physics this summer. Are you using F. Chen's textbook?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

we're using Hazeltine's Framework of Plasma Physics (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0738200476/splorgdotorg)... I found a copy for $9 with bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com/)!