Lawson Criterion for Net-Energy Fusion
1957Lawson, "Some Criteria for a Power Producing Thermonuclear Reactor" (Proceedings of the Physical Society B 70, 6-10, 1957; DOI 10.1088/0370-1301/70/1/303). Derived the condition a hot plasma must meet for fusion output to exceed the energy needed to heat and confine it: a minimum product of plasma density and energy-confinement time at a given temperature. The quantitative yardstick against which both magnetic- and inertial-confinement fusion are still measured.
Originators
- John D. Lawson
Landmark Paper
Checked 2026-10-18 — interim signal only, see docs/BASIC_ROADMAP.md Phase 10
Connections
- is precursor to Discovery of the High-Confinement Mode (H-mode)basis: reasoned
H-mode matters because it raises the energy-confinement time, which is the quantity in the Lawson product that magnetic confinement must increase; the criterion defines why the result is significant. Reasoned dependency, not a verified citation.
- is precursor to Laser-Driven Inertial Confinement Conceptbasis: reasoned
Any ignition design, including laser-driven inertial confinement, has to meet a Lawson-type density-time condition; the inertial route meets it with very high density and very short confinement. Reasoned dependency on the criterion as the yardstick, not a verified citation.
Cross-Domain Connections
No verified cross-domain connections indexed for Lawson Criterion for Net-Energy Fusion yet. Verified links are admitted under FSTP epistemic audit standards.