stellarator

[stel-uh-rey-ter]

noun

Physics.

1. an experimental plasma-physics device in which magnetic fields confine the plasma within a tube shaped like a figure eight.

stellarator

/ ˈstɛləˌreɪtə /

noun

1. physics an apparatus used in research into thermonuclear reactions, consisting of a toroidal vessel designed so that a plasma may be contained within it by a helical magnetic field. The magnetic field is produced by current-carrying coils

Word History and Origins

Origin of stellarator¹

1951; stellar + (gener)ator, so named because the reactions produced resemble those in stars

Word History and Origins

Origin of stellarator¹

C20: from _stellar + ( _gener ) _ator

Example Sentences

PPPL's Head of Digital Engineering, Michael Churchill, uses machine learning to improve the design of another type of fusion reactor, a stellarator.

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"We need to leverage a lot of different codes when we're validating the design of a stellarator. So the question becomes, 'What are the best codes for stellarator design and the best ways to use them?'"

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The more complex geometry of this design, called a stellarator, is tricky to engineer, but a few projects are pursuing it.

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A notable example is the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator in Greifswald, Germany, completed in 2015 and now operating again after a three-year upgrade.

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“In Europe, we're working on the stellarator as a backup to the tokamak.”

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