Fusor

A fusor is a device that uses an <a href="/facts/Electric_field/tt4MooBs">electric field</a> to heat <a href="/facts/Ion/3bePpDna">ions</a> to a temperature at which they undergo <a href="/facts/Nuclear_fusion/hP0gLDqj">nuclear fusion</a>. The machine induces a <a href="/facts/Voltage/EN2po6N2">potential difference</a> between two metal cages, inside a vacuum. Positive ions fall down this voltage drop, building up speed. If they collide in the center, they can fuse. This is one kind of an <a href="/facts/Inertial_electrostatic_confinement/kGzLUxvn">inertial electrostatic confinement</a> device – a branch of fusion research.
A Farnsworth–Hirsch fusor is the most common type of fusor. This design came from work by <a href="/facts/Philo_T._Farnsworth/DkLaDoMT">Philo T. Farnsworth</a> in 1964 and <a href="/facts/Robert_L._Hirsch/FdnwMw1a">Robert L. Hirsch</a> in 1967. A variant type of fusor had been proposed previously by William Elmore, <a href="/facts/James_L._Tuck/QSMpJokw">James L. Tuck</a>, and Ken Watson at the <a href="/facts/Los_Alamos_National_Laboratory/tlrLkV7r">Los Alamos National Laboratory</a> though they never built the machine.
Fusors have been built by various institutions. These include academic institutions such as the <a href="/facts/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison/Rfj54YvS">University of Wisconsin–Madison</a>, the <a href="/facts/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology/Xk49vNA8">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> and government entities, such as the <a href="/facts/Atomic_Energy_Organization_of_Iran/yGC37XUy">Atomic Energy Organization of Iran</a> and the <a href="/facts/Turkish_Atomic_Energy_Authority/yumjXoMp">Turkish Atomic Energy Authority</a>. Fusors have also been developed commercially, as sources for <a href="/facts/Neutron/oRCM1geb">neutrons</a> by <a href="/facts/DaimlerChrysler_Aerospace/1h270paJ">DaimlerChrysler Aerospace</a> and as a method for generating medical isotopes. Fusors have also become very popular for hobbyists and amateurs. A growing number of amateurs have performed <a href="/facts/Nuclear_fusion/hP0gLDqj">nuclear fusion</a> using simple fusor machines. However, fusors are not considered a viable concept for large-scale energy production by scientists.

Fusor open-in-new

Fusor