The goal of the worldwide fusion community is simple: build an economically competitive power plant that harnesses the power source of the stars. In other words, create a star on Earth. Unsurprisingly, this is not easy, which is why fusion has been identified as a “Grand Challenge for Engineering”. As the fuel is heated up to the temperature of the Sun, the electrons are ripped off of the atoms, leaving an electrically charged soup called a “plasma”.
Thus far, Justin’s research has focused on one aspect of plasma physics: understanding the turbulence that invariably occurs in fusion devices. Turbulence is one of the primary issues constraining the performance of fusion devices and is a particularly difficult one to understand. Using pencil-and-paper math, computer simulations, and experiments, he seeks the optimal shape of the plasma in order to minimize the strength of the turbulence.
Additionally, Justin is interested in power plant design. He was a leading designer of the original ARC reactor, which served as the foundation for the startup company Commonwealth Fusion Systems that has raised $2 billion to date.