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For SpaceNut .... we did not have a topic with Cyclotron in the title...
This topic is available for NewMars members who might wish to help build a collection of links, images and text about this venerable machine.
The post #2 will be about an application of cyclotrons at MIT, where they are being used to evaluate materials for use in fusion reactors, where protons are going to be flying around with great velocity, and many are expected to escape magnetic confinement.
I'm pretty sure the cyclotron was invented by Dr. Lawrence, for whom Lawrence Livermore labs is named.
I'm pretty sure an element is named after this gent as well.
If a NewMars member is willing to post a bit of history for this simple but reliable tool, this topic is available.
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Post #2: report on use of cyclotron at MIT to test materials for fusion reactors.
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This post is about the use of cyclotrons at MIT to test materials for fusion reactors.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mit-launches … 03431.html
MIT launches new lab to fast-track development of near-limitless energy machines: 'The start of a new era'
Stephen Proctor
Mon, July 14, 2025 at 7:30 AM EDT
3 min readMIT launches new lab to fast-track development of near-limitless energy machines: 'The start of a new era'
Near-limitless clean energy may be closer to reality than previously thought. According to MIT News, the Schmidt Laboratory for Materials in Nuclear Technologies will be operational and begin testing materials for various fusion power plant components in early 2026.
Fusion occurs when two atomic nuclei are forced together to form a new, heavier nucleus. It releases a huge amount of clean energy without the planet-warming pollution created by the burning of dirty energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas. It's the same reaction that powers the sun and other stars.
Getting fusion energy to the point where it can be made available for commercial use presents certain challenges, one of which is that no one has been able to build a machine that can get more energy out of the reaction than goes into it. Another is finding cost-effective materials that can withstand the harsh conditions created in a fusion reactor. That's where LMNT comes in.
"We need technologies today that will rapidly develop and test materials to support the commercialization of fusion energy," said Zachary Hartwig, the head of LMNT and an associate professor in the department of nuclear science and engineering.
"LMNT's mission includes discovery science but seeks to go further, ultimately helping select the materials that will be used to build fusion power plants in the coming years," Hartwig added.
LMNT will likely use proton beams to test how certain materials hold up in fusion environments. Proton beams can match the damage expected in fusion power plants, providing researchers with insight into the structural integrity of the materials following the damage, and they can be used on multiple materials at once, accelerating the research.
Making this approach even better is that it can be done using a cyclotron, which is commonly employed in the health care industry and readily available.
While it's unclear when fusion energy will be commercially available, it certainly seems that's where the future of energy lies — so much so that Google has already purchased 200 megawatts of energy that won't even exist for years. That's enough to power roughly 200,000 homes.
The knowledge gained from the research at LMNT will be a huge step toward making clean fusion energy a reality.
"LMNT is the start of a new era of fusion research at MIT, one where we seek to tackle the most complex fusion technology challenges on timescales commensurate with the urgency of the problem we face: the energy transition," Nuno Loureiro, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told MIT News.
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