Thomas P. Intrator

email: LANL, home

Los Alamos National Laboratory

• some links to Physics Division, Magnetic Fusion Energy work at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Student programs

The Applied Science Internship Program (ASIP) is an important part of our academic partnership strategy at LANL. We run what seems like a clandestine university inside LANL.

• Applied Science Internship Program (ASIP)
• our summer school

The energy crisis

Fusion energy could engender a carbon free fuel cycle. If you overlay the cost of foreign adventures like the war in Iraq onto the cost of oil, gasoline truly costs over $8.00/gallon. Factor in global warming, and there is a compelling argument for addressing the energy crisis as soon as possible. Don't worry though, because you will have fission breeder reactors in our lifetime whether you want them or not. After the inevitable proliferation of fission weapon technology, accidents, and increased cost of conventional fossil fuels, perhaps there will be increased interest in this and other fusion approaches.

Our flagship experiment is FRX-L, Field Reversed Experiment - Liner, for the Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) concept. A high risk high payoff approach that might yield proof of principle in the next decade (the day job). Voila a less daunting description (1.3MB pdf).

• Fusion energy sciences web page

Basic science, astro & space physics

Interesting experiment RSX with applications to solar, space and astrophysics. Makes plasma current ropes that twist and kink. (the night job). A description (526kB pdf download) for the quasi layman. Another paper with some slick pictures of RSX current ropes (pdf 128kB).

Intrator stuff

• CV with publication list (all of them), RSX and FRXL publications.