Join us on September 28 at 3:30 p.m. for this Sustainable Energy Seminar presentation by Benedikt Geiger, Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics.

Abstract

Driven by accelerating private sector involvement, thermonuclear fusion energy development is advancing rapidly. Most commercial designs target deuterium-tritium (D-T) reactions, which fuse at temperatures exceeding 150 million degrees to produce helium and a high-energy neutron. Magnetic confinement fusion utilizing electromagnetic coils to build a magnetic "cage" for the superheated plasma is one approach to sustaining these extreme conditions. This webinar introduces the fundamentals of magnetic confinement fusion power plants, then delves into the specialized magnetic fields generated by stellarators. Finally, we highlight the Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX) at UW–Madison’s College of Engineering, detailing its experimental parameters and demonstrating how HSX addresses core challenges facing scalable fusion power.

Registration

This event is offered online only through Zoom Webinar. Registration is required through Zoom. Click here to register for this and all other webinars as part of the Sustainable Energy Seminar series in Fall 2026.