Spectral data for fusion energy: from W to W

Abstract

Experimental and theoretical techniques to produce spectral data for fusion energy have evolved greatly since the 1970s. Light sources have progressed from energetic sparks and laser-produced plasmas to electron beam ion traps (EBITs) and tokamaks themselves. Theory has advanced from non-relativistic Hartree–Fock to fully relativistic Dirac–Fock calculations and detailed collisional-radiative (CR) modeling of plasmas with codes generating large numbers of cross sections and other atomic data. A great deal of work of late has focused on tungsten, which although originally thought to be not usable for high-temperature machines, has now been selected to play an important role in ITER, the international tokamak reactor to be built in France. Work on tungsten from various laboratories and recent results for highly ionized W from the EBIT at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are discussed.