Supercomputer simulation of plasma turbulence in a spherical tokamak. Credit: Image courtesy of Walter Guttenfelder of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Fusion energy science is a multi-disciplinary field focused on the science needed to develop an energy source based on a controlled thermonuclear fusion reaction. Fusion occurs when two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus. This process occurs in our Sun and other stars. Creating conditions for fusion on Earth involves generating and sustaining a