Field Systems
Magnets & Cryogenics
Superconducting coils, structural support, thermal isolation, quench protection, and cryogenic services.
Research Family • Fusion
Fusion Reactor Systems
Fusion is a systems-engineering field, not a single machine. Confinement physics must work together with magnets, pulsed power, diagnostics, plasma-facing materials, fuel handling, heat extraction, controls, maintenance, safety, and a credible path to useful energy.
ADS 43.9 • Phase 5 • Layout Rev 1.3Research & DemonstrationMultiple Confinement PathsSystem-Level ViewNo Commercial-Readiness Claim
Approved Public Taxonomy
Five fusion system cards
These branches preserve the prior Aurora fusion architecture: magnetic confinement, inertial confinement, magneto-inertial or pulsed fusion, advanced fusion research, and full power-plant integration.
Fusion System
Magnetic Confinement Fusion
Tokamaks and stellarators hold plasma with magnetic fields.
Research / demonstrationOpen system →Fusion System
Inertial Confinement Fusion
Lasers or pulsed drivers compress small fusion targets.
Experimental researchOpen system →Fusion System
Magneto-Inertial / Pulsed Fusion
Magnetized plasma is rapidly compressed by a pulsed driver.
Public researchOpen system →Fusion System
Advanced Fusion Research
Mirrors, compact toroids, pinches, and other frontier concepts.
Frontier researchOpen system →Fusion System
Fusion Power-Plant Integration
Fuel, blankets, heat conversion, maintenance, safety, and grid systems.
Enabling R&DOpen system →Phase 4B • Detailed Visual Family
Nine fusion architecture cards
Wider cards provide a readable view of eight device and plant families plus an advanced compact-stellarator design portfolio.
Magnetic Confinement Fusion
Tokamak Fusion
Tokamaks use an axisymmetric toroidal magnetic configuration, combining external field coils with substantial plasma current.
Axisymmetric toroidal magnetic confinement using external coils and plasma currentEstablished experimental platform; integrated power-plant capability remains engineering extrapolation and active research
Open detailed system →
Magnetic Confinement Fusion
Stellarator Fusion
Stellarators use three-dimensional external magnetic fields to create rotational transform without relying on the same large toroidal plasma current used by a tokamak.
Non-axisymmetric toroidal magnetic confinement produced primarily by shaped external coilsEstablished experimental family with active optimization; pilot-plant and commercial integration remain research
Open detailed system →
Inertial Confinement Fusion
Inertial-Confinement Fusion
Inertial confinement uses intense drivers to compress and heat small targets for extremely brief fusion events.
Rapid driver-driven compression; target inertia confines the fuel for a brief burnExperimental ignition is established; repetitive net-electric production is frontier engineering research
Open detailed system →
Magneto-Inertial / Pulsed Fusion
Magneto-Inertial Fusion
Magneto-inertial fusion spans hybrid concepts that first magnetize a plasma and then compress it rapidly with a liner, field, projectile, or other pulsed driver.
Hybrid magnetic pre-confinement followed by rapid inertial or mechanical compressionActive laboratory and demonstration research; integrated energy production remains unproven
Open detailed system →
Advanced Fusion Research
Z-Pinch and Pulsed Fusion
Z-pinch systems pass a large current through a plasma or liner so the resulting magnetic field compresses the load.
Transient self-magnetic compression produced by a high-current pulseEstablished research-facility technology; repetitive fusion-energy deployment is frontier research
Open detailed system →
Advanced Fusion Research
Field-Reversed Configuration and Spheromak
Field-reversed configurations and spheromaks are compact-toroid plasmas with substantial self-organized magnetic structure.
Compact-toroid magnetic configurations formed and sustained in linear or cylindrical chambersFrontier laboratory research with substantial physics and plant-integration gaps
Open detailed system →
Advanced Fusion Research
Magnetic-Mirror Fusion
Magnetic mirrors confine plasma in an open-ended linear magnetic system whose field strength increases toward the ends.
Open-ended linear magnetic confinement with higher-field mirror regions at both endsHistorical and renewed laboratory research; energy-system claims remain frontier research
Open detailed system →
Fusion Power-Plant Integration
Fusion Power-Plant Integration
A fusion power plant is an integrated energy facility, not only a plasma device.
Configuration-dependent blanket, chamber, or direct-energy interface; thermal conversion is the conservative referenceIndustrial subsystems are established; fusion-relevant integrated plant performance remains critical enabling R&D
Open detailed system →
Advanced Stellarator Architecture
Compact Stellarator Design Studies
Six design studies explore optimized magnetic fields, modular coils, high-field materials, and maintenance-oriented stellarator layouts.
Advanced stellarator researchNo commercial-readiness claim
Open stellarator designs →10-Phase Reactor Program • Phase 2
Advanced Compact Stellarator Architecture
Stellarator studies explore whether optimized three-dimensional magnetic fields, high-field materials, modular coils, and remote maintenance can support smaller steady-state fusion systems.
Six design studiesModular coil studiesResearch boundary
Open future fusion portfolio →Evidence and Maturity
How to read the fusion map
Established engineering
Magnets, cryogenics, vacuum systems, lasers, pulsed power, diagnostics, remote handling, and power conversion have real industrial and research heritage—but not yet as a commercially complete fusion plant.
Magnets, cryogenics, vacuum systems, lasers, pulsed power, diagnostics, remote handling, and power conversion have real industrial and research heritage—but not yet as a commercially complete fusion plant.
Engineering extrapolation
Blankets, tritium breeding, component lifetimes, repetitive targets, plant availability, and integrated heat conversion require further demonstration at fusion-relevant conditions.
Blankets, tritium breeding, component lifetimes, repetitive targets, plant availability, and integrated heat conversion require further demonstration at fusion-relevant conditions.
Frontier and speculative concepts
Alternative confinement, advanced fuels, and direct conversion remain research branches and are not presented as shortcuts to commercial readiness.
Alternative confinement, advanced fuels, and direct conversion remain research branches and are not presented as shortcuts to commercial readiness.
Enabling Architecture
The reactor extends far beyond the plasma
Measurement
Heating & Diagnostics
Plasma initiation, heating, current drive, imaging, spectroscopy, and real-time state measurement.
Materials
First Wall & Blanket
Plasma-facing materials, neutron environment, shielding, heat capture, maintainability, and component life.
Fuel Cycle
Fuel Accountability
Public-level treatment of fuel supply, tritium stewardship, inventory control, recovery, and containment.
Energy
Thermal & Power Conversion
Heat transport, balance of plant, conversion efficiency, grid connection, and residual-heat management.
Operations
Control, Safety & Maintenance
Human authority, machine protection, remote handling, inspection, replacement planning, and safe shutdown.
Maturity Discipline
Separate experiment, demonstration, and deployment
Fusion results should be described by the evidence actually achieved: plasma performance, energy delivered to the target or plasma, total facility energy, repeatability, component lifetime, fuel-cycle closure, maintainability, and net electricity exported to a grid are different milestones. This page makes no claim that any fusion family is presently a commercially mature power source.
Public boundary: This is a high-level technology map. It excludes detailed device parameters, target or fuel preparation, operating sequences, magnet specifications, control logic, materials recipes, CAD, calculations, and build instructions.
Ten-Phase Reactor Program · Phase 5
Safety and public-trust boundary
Architecture groupings and future concepts do not establish a licensing pathway or safety finding. Apply the exact reactor, material inventory, mission, site, regulator, safeguards, and emergency-planning basis before making deployment claims.
Public claim boundary: No “inherently safe,” “waste-free,” “unregulated,” “no emergency plan,” licensed, commercially ready, or guaranteed-performance claim is authorized.