How the tokamak became king of fusion - Thomson Scattering and the Cold War

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The exploits of “The Culham Five” as they traveled to the USSR and ushered in an age of tokamak research.

Contents
00:00 - Introduction
00:35 - Thomson scattering
06:43 - Fusion history
10:26 - USSR trip
12:38 - Implications for fusion
15:53 - Summary

References
[1] Astrakhan Cap (User: Clonewayx)
ýstava_valtice15.JPG
[2] Westminster, London (User: daniel0685)
(52252504860).jpg
[3] The Moscow Kremlin by Vyacheslav Argenberg /

[4] The first high-speed colour video from the COMPASS tokamak

[5] M. J. Forrest, “Lasers Across the Cherry Orchards” (Michael J Forrest, 2011). ISBN: 9780956855701; Available,
Author’s personal website:
Amazon:
[6] “Raman spectroscopy has shed light on the structure of difficult to analyse sulphur-rich polymers”, Central Laser Facility

[7] PPPL founder Lyman Spitzer standing in front of the Model A stellarator from PPPL Archives,
(07/02/25)
[8] World's first laser by Theodore and Kathleen Maiman
's_first_laser_out_of_case.jpg
[9] “How the "Zeta fiasco" pulled fusion out of secrecy”, (Accessed 07/02/25)
[10] The Daily Sketch, 25th January 1958.
[11] A. W. DeSilva, D. E. Evans and M. J. Forrest, “Observation of Thomson and Co-Operative Scattering of Ruby Laser Light by a Plasma”, Preprint, CCFE Library (1964).
[12] A. W. DeSilva, D. E. Evans and M. J. Forrest, “Observation of Thomson and Co-Operative Scattering of Ruby Laser Light by a Plasma”, Nature 203, 1321 (1964).
[13] V. P. Smirnov, “Tokamak foundation in USSR/Russia 1950-1990”, Nucl. Fusion 50, 014003 (2010).
[14] “Off to Russia with a thermometer”, (Accessed 07/02/25)
[15] J. Connor and C. Windsor, “Derek Robinson. 27 May 1941 - 2 December 2002”, Biogr. Mems Fell. R. Soc. 57, 395 (2011).
[16] N. J. Peacock, D. C. Robinson, M. J. Forrest, P. D. Wilcock and V. V. Sannikov, “Measurement of the Electron Temperature by Thomson Scattering in Tokamak T3”, Nature 224, 488 (1969).
[17] (Accessed 07/02/25)
[18] Adapted from: A. J. Webster, “Fusion: Power for the future”, Physics Education 38, 135 (2003).
[19] Image of ASDEX Upgrade
[20] P. P. Khvostenko et al., “Preassembly of the tokamak T-15MD magnet system Fusion Engineering and Design”, 124, 114 (2017).
[21] The many wonders of ITER diagnostics, ITER Newsline,
(Accessed 08/02/25)
[22] J. G. Clark et al., “First divertor Thomson scattering measurements on MAST-U” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 93, 103534 (2022).
[23] Design of ITER diagnostic system nearly completed, Fusion For Energy Website,
(Accessed 08/02/25)
[24] US President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev of the Soviet Union at the Geneva Superpower Summit (1985), (Accessed 18/01/25)
[25] K. F. Schoenberg, “A Historical Perspective of Controlled Thermonuclear Research at Los Alamos: 1946-1990”, Fusion Science and Technology 80, S192 (2024).
[26] “50 years on: The mission to Moscow that changed fusion research”, UKAEAofficial YouTube,