Skip to content

Reactor technology and diagnostic atlas

This atlas maps the strongest cited external technology and diagnostic evidence for every reactor configuration in SPO's current registry. It covers all 34 registered configurations across 9 confinement families; it is deliberately broader than tokamaks and includes closed- and open-field magnetic confinement, self-magnetic pinches, inertial fusion, magneto-inertial fusion, electrostatic systems, beam-target systems, fusion-fission hybrids, lattice-confinement experiments, and muon-catalysed fusion.

The atlas answers two questions without conflating them:

  1. What has an external facility, government programme, or peer-reviewed source reported for this exact reactor configuration?
  2. What evidence would still be required before SPO could admit a physical observation, give a phase-bearing signal physical meaning, or expose a review result to CONTROL?

The research cutoff is 2026-09-04. The machine-readable artifact contains 37 primary sources and exact source-to-configuration bindings. It is a representative evidence map for the registered configurations, not an exhaustive directory of every facility, diagnostic, experiment, company, or publication.

Methodology

Each configuration was joined by exact identity to DEFAULT_REACTOR_REGISTRY and the corresponding observability candidates. A source qualifies only for the configuration it names or directly studies; related topologies never inherit evidence. Facility-owner and government programme material remains labelled as such, separately from peer-reviewed literature. Lifecycle wording describes the cited source date, not a claim of current operation beyond that source.

The external evidence rank records the strongest cited result:

Rank Meaning
E5_integrated_fusion_observation An integrated device reports a fusion-product observation. This is not a power-plant or net-energy claim.
E4_integrated_plasma_experiment An integrated plasma experiment and relevant diagnostics are documented, without an atlas-qualified integrated fusion observation.
E3_component_or_driver_experiment A driver, target, liner, compression, or other essential subsystem experiment is documented.
E2_engineering_or_facility_development Engineering or facility development is documented without a stronger qualifying experiment.
E1_concept_or_simulation The cited evidence is a concept, design study, or simulation.
E0_no_qualifying_source No qualifying source was captured by this version of the atlas.

These ranks are not technology-readiness levels, investment advice, economic rankings, reactor-readiness claims, SCPN implementation maturity, signal admissibility, physical-phase qualification, CONTROL admission, or actuation authority. The absence of a stronger rank means only that this atlas does not cite stronger exact-configuration evidence.

Coverage result

Strongest external evidence Configurations
Integrated fusion observation (E5) 9
Integrated plasma experiment (E4) 18
Component or driver experiment (E3) 5
Concept or simulation (E1) 2
Engineering-only (E2) or no qualifying source (E0) 0

The distribution shows why a single label such as "fusion reactor" is too coarse for phase orchestration. The 34 configurations have different drivers, clocks, observables, physical carriers, diagnostic operators, and reference events. Even two configurations at the same external evidence rank can require incompatible phase semantics.

Configuration map

Source identifiers resolve in the primary-source register. The rank is external evidence only; every row still has admission_state=refused_no_producer_evidence at SPO's physical-observation boundary.

Family Configuration Rank Representative system or programme Sources
magnetic_closed conventional_tokamak E5 JET; ITER diagnostic programme SRC-001, SRC-002
magnetic_closed spherical_tokamak E4 MAST Upgrade SRC-003
magnetic_closed stellarator E4 Wendelstein 7-X SRC-004
magnetic_closed heliotron E4 Large Helical Device SRC-005
magnetic_closed torsatron E4 Advanced Toroidal Facility SRC-006
magnetic_closed reversed_field_pinch E4 RFX-mod2 SRC-007
magnetic_closed spheromak E4 Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment SRC-008
magnetic_closed field_reversed_configuration E4 C-2W Norman SRC-009
magnetic_open simple_magnetic_mirror E4 Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror SRC-010
magnetic_open gas_dynamic_mirror E4 Gas Dynamic Trap SRC-011
magnetic_open tandem_mirror E4 GAMMA 10 SRC-012
magnetic_open cusp E4 WB-8 high-beta cusp experiment SRC-013
magnetic_open polywell E4 WB-8 Polywell experiment SRC-013
magnetic_open levitated_dipole E4 Levitated Dipole Experiment SRC-014
self_magnetic sheared_flow_z_pinch E5 FuZE and FuZE-Q SRC-015, SRC-016
self_magnetic theta_pinch E4 Scylla theta-pinch programme SRC-017
self_magnetic dense_plasma_focus E5 Dense-plasma-focus neutron sources SRC-018
self_magnetic z_pinch E4 Sandia Z machine SRC-034
inertial laser_icf_indirect_drive E5 National Ignition Facility SRC-019
inertial laser_icf_direct_drive E4 OMEGA Laser Facility SRC-020
inertial laser_icf_fast_or_shock_ignition E4 OMEGA and fast-ignition campaigns SRC-020, SRC-021
inertial ion_beam_icf E3 NDCX ion-beam target platform SRC-022
inertial pulsed_electron_beam_icf E3 Electron Beam Fusion Accelerator programme SRC-023
inertial projectile_or_impact_icf E4 Hypervelocity and gas-gun target platforms SRC-024, SRC-025
magneto_inertial maglif E5 MagLIF on the Z facility SRC-026
magneto_inertial plasma_jet_mif E3 Plasma Liner Experiment SRC-027
magneto_inertial mechanical_or_liquid_liner_mif E3 Liquid-liner test beds SRC-028
magneto_inertial frc_compression_mif E3 Trenta FRC compression prototype SRC-029
electrostatic gridded_iec E5 Cylindrical IEC neutron source SRC-030
beam_target beam_target E5 Accelerator-based 14 MeV neutron generator SRC-031
beam_target colliding_beam E1 Colliding Beam Fusion Reactor proposal SRC-032
hybrid fusion_fission_hybrid E1 FDS-EM conceptual design SRC-033
extension scpn.reactor_systems:lattice_confinement_fusion E5 Bremsstrahlung-irradiated deuterated-metal experiment SRC-035
extension scpn.reactor_systems:muon_catalysed_fusion E5 Muon-catalysed D-T experiments SRC-036, SRC-037

The two extension rows report measured fusion-product observations only. The lattice source does not establish a self-sustaining lattice reactor, and the muon sources do not establish net energy gain. Both rows explicitly retain current_integrated_device and power_conversion_demonstration as gaps.

Diagnostic capability and gaps

The cited record includes configuration-specific capability claims such as magnetic, density, temperature, spectroscopic, imaging, charged-particle, electrical-waveform, shock-timing, compression-trajectory, beam, neutron, and fusion-product measurements. A capability is marked observed_integrated only when the cited source documents it on the representative integrated device. observed_component remains a driver or subsystem result; planned and not_demonstrated_in_cited_source do not become observations.

This diagnostic inventory is intentionally not exhaustive. More importantly, a paper or facility page is not a producer payload. For every configuration, SPO still lacks the complete byte-canonical evidence chain required at its public boundary:

  • a physical sample tied to the named phenomenon;
  • an explicit frame, reference, origin, orientation, and clock epoch;
  • the observation operator or calibration lineage;
  • uncertainty, validity interval, quality, and provenance;
  • the applicable observability gate and its measured result; and
  • an exact producer-to-SPO adapter with immutable source and artifact identity.

The atlas separately records broader development gaps where applicable, including a current integrated device, integrated fusion output, public machine-readable calibrated data, reactor-environment diagnostic qualification, power-conversion demonstration, and CONTROL admission. A gap is not silently filled by a neighbouring configuration, a source abstract, or an SPO design declaration.

Relation to SCPN projects

The registry assigns the 34 configurations to 23 device-owner projects. The diagnostic-plan portfolio covers 22 Reactor Systems device repositories; the additional registry owner is SCPN-MIF-CORE. Adding SCPN-FUSION-CORE yields 24 upstream reactor projects, and SCPN-CONTROL is the separate 25th system boundary. External sources establish context for those identities; they do not change the exact-project occurrence ledger, the configuration evidence coverage, or the diagnostic-plan portfolio status.

SCPN-FUSION-CORE and SCPN-MIF-CORE remain owners of their exact producer facts. SPO owns the semantic qualification and refusal rules. SCPN-CONTROL may consume only a separately qualified, byte-canonical SPO review contract; it must not convert this literature atlas into a measurement, regime decision, or command.

Safety and authority boundary

All 34 rows are review_only, actionable=false, direct_actuation_authorized=false, and machine_protection_final_veto=true. All 34 have zero admitted physical observations, zero qualified physical phases, and zero CONTROL admissions. External technology evidence therefore cannot authorize an action, bypass an independent protection system, or weaken a device-owner interlock.

Machine-readable custody

The canonical artifact is reactor_technology_diagnostic_atlas.v1.json. It is validated by reactor_technology_diagnostic_atlas.schema.json and sealed over canonical JSON payload bytes.

  • Schema: scpn-phase-orchestrator.reactor-technology-diagnostic-atlas.v1
  • Schema version: 1.1.0
  • Payload SHA-256: 2b239e1a3a81fde2091886d68e84894d46458c1a7be8155ce796a05479572da9
  • Configuration registry: 1.1.0 / 6741f25892d81b24aa621ee4f56b5e785e8323eca6ccf9d9009ce2c8e53f4912
  • Observability registry: 1.1.0 / 0aaf9bc7234113bedb98de51f2acd124a21da579e4d1ab1234e5b30ebc7880e0

Any source, rank, configuration binding, capability status, missing-evidence field, or authority change alters the payload seal and requires deliberate review.

Primary-source register

  1. SRC-001: UKAEA, JET final DT high-fusion-power scenario (2025).
  2. SRC-002: ITER Organization, ITER diagnostics (2023).
  3. SRC-003: UKAEA, MAST Upgrade Research Plan (2019).
  4. SRC-004: Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Wendelstein 7-X diagnostics (2024).
  5. SRC-005: LHD diagnostics and data acquisition (2000).
  6. SRC-006: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL fusion history (2025).
  7. SRC-007: RFX-mod2 diagnostic capability enhancements (2024).
  8. SRC-008: Neutral-particle analysis on SSPX (2007).
  9. SRC-009: C-2W integrated diagnostic suite (2021).
  10. SRC-010: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (2024).
  11. SRC-011: Gas Dynamic Trap confinement and stability (2019).
  12. SRC-012: GAMMA 10 VUV and soft-X-ray diagnostics (1996).
  13. SRC-013: High-energy electron confinement in a magnetic cusp (2015).
  14. SRC-014: Levitated Dipole Experiment microwave interferometer (2009).
  15. SRC-015: Sustained neutron production from a sheared-flow Z pinch (2019).
  16. SRC-016: Extreme-ultraviolet spectroscopy on a sheared-flow Z pinch (2023).
  17. SRC-017: X-ray crystal spectroscopy of a theta-pinch plasma (1963).
  18. SRC-018: Dense plasma focus as a neutron source (1977).
  19. SRC-019: Diagnosing inertial-confinement-fusion ignition (2024).
  20. SRC-020: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, OMEGA diagnostics (2026).
  21. SRC-021: Diagnostics for fast-ignition science (2008).
  22. SRC-022: Ion-beam high-energy-density diagnostics (2010).
  23. SRC-023: Sandia National Laboratories, Particle-beam fusion research (1978).
  24. SRC-024: Hypervelocity impact facility for shock compression (2017).
  25. SRC-025: UKAEA, review of gas-gun-driven target experiments (2022).
  26. SRC-026: MagLIF performance scaling (2020).
  27. SRC-027: Formation of a plasma liner for plasma-jet MIF (2024).
  28. SRC-028: Rotating liquid-liner shape manipulation (2024).
  29. SRC-029: Helion Energy, Trenta FRC prototype report (2021).
  30. SRC-030: Neutron imaging with an IEC fusion source (2022).
  31. SRC-031: Commissioning an accelerator-based 14 MeV neutron generator (2025).
  32. SRC-032: Colliding Beam Fusion Reactor (1997).
  33. SRC-033: IAEA, fusion-fission hybrid reactor design study (2008).
  34. SRC-034: Sandia National Laboratories, Z machine history (2021).
  35. SRC-035: Novel nuclear reactions observed in bremsstrahlung-irradiated deuterated metals (2020).
  36. SRC-036: Experimental investigation of muon-catalyzed fusion (1983).
  37. SRC-037: Temperature-dependent muon-catalyzed fusion in solid deuterium-tritium mixtures (2003).