Fusion Report 02 May 008

Here is a progress report from MSNBC's Cosmic Log about the status of the Bussard Fusion Experiment, WB-7.

Currently, the most promising path toward electrostatic fusion runs through Santa Fe, N.M., where a team at EMC2 Fusion Development Corp. is currently trying to validate Bussard's results. The team's leader, Richard Nebel, told me this week that it's still too early to gauge how promising the Bussard fusion device could be.

"We're getting high-power plasma," he said. "We don't have answers ... [but] we're far enough along that we know we're going to get answers."

If you want to learn more about Bussard's IEC Fusion here are some good places to go:

Easy Low Cost No Radiation Fusion

IEC Fusion Technology blog

The side bar at IEC Fusion Technology blog has links to various discussion groups. They can be found under the heading Working Groups. You might be especially interested in the Talk Polywell discussion group where Richard Nebel can often be found commenting and answering questions.

Update: 04 May 008 0802z

For those interested in the history of the Bussard Project along with a smattering of technology and a look at space applications may I suggest World's Simplest Fusion Reactor Revisited by Tom Ligon.

Cross Posted at Classical Values