Sir Steven Cowley, Director, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Martin Wood Complex, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU
Professor Steve Cowley, FRS FREng FInstP, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics at Oxford is hosting its third annual Willis Lamb Lecture in Theoretical Physics. Willis E. Lamb Jr, Nobel Prize in Physics 1955, was Wykeham Professor at Oxford from 1956-1962. For this public lecture, we are delighted to welcome Professor Sir Steven Cowley, Director, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
Fusion energy: why, how and when
In a remarkable public lecture in 1920, Arthur Eddington speculated that fusion might become the ultimate long-term energy source. More than a century later, we are approaching the milestone of generating electricity from fusion for the first time. The US National Academies have urged that “the Department of Energy and the private sector should produce net electricity in a fusion plant in the United States in the 2035–2040 timeframe.” This is an ambitious goal—but recent breakthroughs in both magnetic and inertial fusion, combined with a surge of private-sector investment, suggest that success may be within reach. In this talk, I will outline the progress made and the challenges that remain.
This lecture is free however registration is required via the link below. If you experience any issues with this form, please email wykehamea@physics.ox.ac.uk.