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Putting the sun in a bottle: the path to delivering sustainable fusion power
The Royal Society Kavli Medal and Lecture 2019 given by Professor Ian Chapman.
The imperative to address climate change is only escalating. Fusion – the process that powers the Sun – offers the potential for carbon-free, effectively limitless, continuous electricity, if only it can be harnessed here on Earth.
Professor Ian Chapman and his colleagues are working to make fusion power a reality, and with the advent of ITER, the largest science experiment humankind has ever undertaken, they hope to demonstrate fusion power on a commercial scale.
The UK, as one of the world leaders in fusion, is embarking on the design of a compact fusion reactor to follow ITER which aims to drive down the scale and cost of fusion power, which Professor Chapman explained and explored during his prize lecture.
The award
The Royal Society Kavli Medal and Lecture is now awarded annually for excellence in all fields of science and engineering relevant to the environment. The medal is of bronze gilt and is accompanied by a gift of £1,000.
Professor Ian Chapman was awarded the Kavli Medal and Lecture 2019 for his scientific insight that has illuminated the complex physics of confined plasmas and prepared the way for fusion burn.
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