An inside view of the COMPASS vacuum vessel (left) and a video of numerical reconstruction of the plasma shape, followed by infrared footage of the graphite tiles forming the inner wall of the tokamak during plasma generation. Images and video courtesy of the Institute of Plasma Physics of the CAS (Czech Republic).
Nuclear fusion represents one of the best alternative for generating electricity in order to meet the future needs for power. Research on high-temperature and high-density plasma is carried out in tokamaks, stellarators, and helical devices. Since plasma can reach temperatures of the order of tens of thousands of degrees, it needs to be contained in a strong magnetic field. High-speed infrared imaging can help to characterize the integrity of the material forming – for example – the divertor and the armor wall during the experiments.