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1970
On May 1, the first United States' tokamak experiments begin on the
Symmetric Tokamak (ST) at PPPL.
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1971
Early experimental results from the ST show favorable confinement.
Tokamak research now begins in earnest.
The Floating Multipole-1 (FM-1) begins operation in August. Experiments
on FM-1 pioneer the concept of a poloidal divertor.
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1972
The Adiabatic Toroidal Compressor (ATC) begins operation in May. It is the
first tokamak without a copper liner and with an air core transformer, both
representing bold innovative design changes. ATC successfully demonstrates
the use of compressional heating of a tokamak plasma.
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1973
First neutral-beam heating experiments in a tokamak are conducted in ATC.
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1974
Congress approves the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) Project. TFTR
will be the first magnetic fusion device in the world to conduct experiments
with a 50/50 mixture of deuterium and tritium, the fuels likely to be used
in fusion power plants of the 21st Century.
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1975
The Princeton Large Torus (PLT) begins operation on December 20. PLT
experiments are expected "...to give a clear indication whether the tokamak
concept plus auxiliary heating can form a basis for a future fusion reactor."
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1977
Groundbreaking ceremonies for TFTR take place in October. Many
inter-national, national, and local dignitaries attend.
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1978
In July, PLT sets a world record for ion temperatures of 60 million degrees C using
neutral-beam heating. For the first time, ion temperatures exceed the
theoretical threshold for ignition in a tokamak device.
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In August, Russian physicist Katerina Razumova presented Mel Gottlieb
with a Russian Firebird in recognition of PLT's world record temperatures.
Russian mythology says that whoever captures the Firebird and wins from
it a blazing feather can use that feather to realize his or her dreams.
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The Poloidal Divertor Experiment (PDX) achieves first plasma in November.
Experiments will confirm the concept of the poloidal divertor.
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