Research/Internship Opportunity Detail Page
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magnetized target fusion
| Primary Institution: | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
|---|---|
| City: | Los Alamos |
| State: | NM |
| Job Duration: | summer or longer term internships |
| Class Requirement: | Completed Sophomore Year |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.6 |
| Position Type: | Research |
| Discipline(s): | Plasmas and Beam Physics |
| Description: | Magnetized Target Fusion T. Intrator, G. Wurden The Magnetized Target Fusion project is a concept exploration program that aims to establish the scientific basis for a high risk, high payoff, faster and cheaper approach to fusion energy source. Ultimately we plan to take a Field Reversed configuration (FRC) and squash it inside an aluminum "beer can" flux conserver to get to high density and temperatures. The FRC is a robust toroidal magnetic equilibrium plasma state, that is still not well understood theoretically. The FRX-L experiment here at Los Alamos National Laboratory is used to create and diagnose an FRC with density (n?5x10^16 cm^-3) much larger than tokamaks. We are designing an experiment to translate it into a flux conserving cylindrical shell, and ultimately, implode this shell radially onto the FRC to compress it. Other applications of these types of plasmas also include joint NASA-LANL development of advanced rocket engines and neutron sources for medical and imaging applications. Several projects are available. 1) engineering and drafting designs for the implosion on plasma experiment. 2) build and calibrate magnetic (Bdot) probes to measure the magnetic field locally inside the theta coil. This information plus measurements of magnetic flux over the entire coil cross section allows us to deduce the internal plasma FRC separatrix radius and average pressure. 3) Enhance software using IDL to access the MDSPLUS database and be backwards compatible with a SYBASE database and previous diagnostic configurations. Student qualifications, special skills A quantitative background is helpful, but need not be in plasma physics. An interest in the basic plasma physics and/or engineering of the various gadgets we design and use is essential. These are hands on experimental projects. You furnish the enthusiasm and we will teach you the skills. Overall objectives of this program We are part of the Applied Science Internship Program at LANL (http://wsx.lanl.gov), which has the goal of nurturing critical skills and cultivating a future pool of staff members for LANL. The student experience Our students typically enjoy hands on experimental projects that have a substantial physics motivation, with a mentor who may be supervising 1 or 2 students. One goal is to publish the results. Projects can also focus on the physics and engineering of mechanical, computer, analog and digital electronics, pulsed power, vacuum systems, plasma guns, lasers and diagnostic systems. The summer student population typically numbers over 1200 with 10-20 in P-24 group, and many hundreds stay longer. We are part of the Applied Science Internship Program at LANL (http://wsx.lanl.gov). There is a plasma physics summer school with 2 lectures per week http://wsx.lanl.gov/RSX/summer-school/Summer_school_homepage.htm. We also encourage work-study semesters or longer time scale participation at LANL, since technical and safety training consume some time at the beginning of each student's career at the laboratory. No classified work or clearance involved. A willingness to work hard and have fun in a strikingly picturesque mountainous community with access to the cosmopolitan city of Santa Fe is essential. We have an indoor Olympic size swimming pool, hiking and mountain biking trails abound, national forests border town for camping, historic Indian ruins to explore close by. Transportation, a bicycle (I ride mine to work), or a willingness to work are needed. Contacts Weblink http://wsx.lanl.gov/ These P-24 Plasma Physics projects and more in P-24 PDF format T. Intrator P-24 Plasma Physics Group Los Alamos National Laboratory Mail Stop E526, Los Alamos, NM 87545 phone 505 665 2927 office 505 667 2397 FRX-L lab 505 667 7600 RSX lab 505 664 0954 student desks LANL FAX 505 665 3552 LANL email intrator@lanl.gov |
| Benefits: | Travel Reimbursement |
| Application Deadline: | 02/05/2007 |
| Job Website: | wsx.lanl.gov |
Research/Internship Opportunity Contact Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Tom Intrator p24 plasma physics, ms e526 p24 plasma physics, ms e526 Los Alamos, NM 87545 Email: intrator@lanl.gov Phone: 505 665 2927 Fax: 505 665 3552 |
| Secondary Contact: |
Glen Wurden p24 plasma physics, ms e526 p24 plasma physics, ms e526 Los Alamos, NM 87545 Email: wurden@lanl.gov Phone: 505 667 5633 Fax: 505 665 3552 |
