We're scientists at the Max Planck Institute for plasma physics, where
the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment has just heated its first hydrogen
plasma to several million degrees. Ask us anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit, we’re a team of plasma physicists at the Max Planck Institute
for Plasma Physics that has 2 branches in Garching (near Munich) and
Greifswald (in northern Germany). We’ve recently launched our fusion
experiment Wendelstein 7-X in Greifswald after several years of
construction and are excited about its ongoing first operation phase. In
the first week of February, we created our first hydrogen plasma and had
Angela Merkel press our big red button. We’ve noticed a lot of interest
on reddit about fusion in general and our experiment following the news,
so here we are to discuss anything and everything plasma and fusion
related! Here’s a nice article with a cool video that gives an overview
of our experiment. And here is the ceremonial first hydrogen plasma that
also includes a layman’s presentation to fusion and our experiment as
well as a view from the control room. Answering your questions today
will be: Prof Thomas Sunn Pedersen - head of stellarator edge and
divertor physics (ts, will drop by a bit later) Michael Drevlak -
scientist in the stellarator theory department (md) Ralf Kleiber -
scientist in the stellarator theory department (rk) Joaquim Loizu -
postdoc in stallarator theory (jl) Gabe Plunk - postdoc in stallarator
theory (gp) Josefine Proll - postdoc in stellarator theory (jp) (so many
stellarator theorists!) Adrian von Stechow - postdoc in laboratory
astrophyics (avs) Felix Warmer (fw) We will be going live at 13:00 UTC
(8 am EST, 5 am PST) and will stay online for a few hours, we’ve got
pizza in the experiment control room and are ready for your questions.
EDIT 12:29 UTC: We’re slowly amassing snacks and scientists in the
control room, stay tuned! http://i.imgur.com/2eP7sfL.jpg EDIT 13:00 UTC:
alright, we’ll start answering questions now! EDIT 14:00 UTC:
Wendelstein cookies! http://i.imgur.com/2WupcuX.jpg EDIT 15:45 UTC:
Alright, we’re starting to thin out over here, time to pack up! Thanks
for all the questions, it’s been a lot of work but also good fun!