OT: fusion is getting SOOOO close -> then comes fusion engines!!! ::P muhuhahah(no j

[ToddT]

Hmm Mr fusion may not be practical but, there is a table top device that can do small scale fusion reactions, it s for research applications. Unfortunately I don't remember all the details of the article.

As for the Unified theory, they have combined and confirmed in the lab the equations for Electromagnetism and the Weak Nuclear force a few years back. a detail that was mentioned recently on progress of some other research.

HE3 all I can really remember on that is that it solved some problems dealing with plasma densities required for reactions and such.

Their are several fusion reactor designs, funny thing is some are not actually new, just that computing technology has reached a point where the calculations required are now possible. Read about that in "Computing in Science and Engineering". Reactor design was referred to as a stellarator proposed back in the 50's.

As for fusion propulsion, I can't remember what the design was called but a reactor Soviet era design had some deficient that actually lent itself to propulsive use. The containment fields were weak at the ends, not desirable for a power reactor but if your looking for thrust.......