Programs What is the best major or double major for Nuclear Fusion research?

[cellist542]

I might be interested in researching nuclear fusion reactors after college. What majors or double majors would be best suited for this career path? Physics, nuclear engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, etc?

 

[mfb]

They are all useful for different aspects of fusion reactors. Plasma physics, nuclear physics (not so much for the fusion, but for the reactor material), superconductors, computer simulations of everything, statistics, ...

 

[klotza]

The main domain of physics involved in fusion research is plasma physics, so you want a school with a good plasma physics program. The other things mentioned would also be useful, but plasma is number one. Nuclear engineering would be good for understanding the radiation safety aspects associated with bombarding things with neutrons.

 

[Vanadium 50]

You are getting way, way, way ahead of yourself.

You can start a research program post PhD, which is roughly 13 years in the future. That's 4800 days from now. You didn't mention fusion as an interest 42 days ago. So (dividing 4800 by 42) you can have 100 new interests between now and then.

What you need to spend the next 12 months doing is focusing on the here and now and stop obsessing about 13 years down the road. We told you this last time. The advice hasn't changed.