Speaker: Cary Forest, Prager Professor of Experimental Physics, Director of the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory
Abstract: Recent physics breakthroughs, critical technological advances, and an attractive set of near term applications make the axisymmetric mirror ripe for new investment. A public-private partnership (UW Madison, MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems) has been formed to build and operate a compact, high-field simple mirror that will retire the physics risks of sustaining good confinement and MHD stability and the key technology risk of building the high field magnets needed to take the next big step along the mirror line. Success would qualify the design of a low cost BEAT (Break-Even Axisymmetric Tandem) experiment and offer a simpler and more economical approach to fusion energy than offered in conventional toroidal schemes.