Fusion as a Future Power Source: Recent Achievements and Prospects

Recent advances in high energy plasma physics show that nuclear fusion the energy source of the sun and the stars [1] may provide the corner-stone of a future sustainable energy system. Such power plants would be safe and environmentally friendly. In particular, one of the main problems of fission reactors, namely that of a possible uncontrollable nuclear reaction is banished; also the problem of radiotoxic waste is reduced by many orders of magnitude. Fusion reactors would have almost limitless supplies of fuel and could be sited anywhere in the world. Fusion is, however, still in the development stage and it is not expected that commercial power plants will start operation before the middle of this century.