By Emily Cunha (IPEN-CNEN)
The Director of Research, Development, and Education at IPEN-CNEN, Niklaus Wetter, during the nuclear fusion minicourse held at STEAM Day. The event was partially conducted via videoconference, featuring a
nuclear fusion experiment, as part of the STEAM Day program, which took place at IPEN from September 4 to 5.
On September 4, the Rômulo Ribeiro Pieroni Auditorium at the Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN/CNEN) hosted a practical minicourse on “Nuclear Fusion Experiments,” which brought together
about 50 participants, mostly undergraduate and graduate students from the USP community. The course, held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., offered a rare opportunity to engage with nuclear fusion experiments, which are often taught only theoretically.
Using equipment provided by Alpha Ring International, the course included live demonstrations of D-D (Deuterium-Deuterium) fusion, with D-D coincidence measurement, D-D cloud chamber, and neutron
detection, transmitted directly from California. In addition, pB (proton-Boron) fusion results and other applications of the device were discussed.
The event was broadcast in English, with in-auditorium moderation by the course coordinator, Niklaus Wetter, a physicist and Director of Research, Development, and Education at IPEN/CNEN, and Professor Gustavo Canal from the Tokamak Plasma Laboratory at USP’s Institute of Physics (IFUSP).
According to Wetter, “this relaxed but profound presentation, with advanced technological concepts, allowed students to engage with nuclear fusion in an engaging and educational way.”
Alpha Ring International stands out as a provider of practical and affordable equipment designed for students who want to advance their skills in nuclear fusion. Due to the lack of accessible experimental
equipment, nuclear fusion is often addressed only theoretically in universities, resulting in students with little practical experience, especially at the undergraduate level.
The device developed by Alpha Ring is compact, safe, and affordable, allowing experiments with all the most relevant fusion reactions, such as Deuterium-Deuterium (DD), Deuterium-Tritium (DT), and proton-Boron (pB).
This innovative technology aims to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers to meet the growing demand in the field of nuclear fusion, contributing to the development of new energy solutions.
“This minicourse reinforces IPEN/CNEN and USP’s commitment to providing practical learning opportunities, bringing students closer to the reality of nuclear fusion research, a field undergoing rapid scientific and technological expansion,” concluded Wetter.
