Flat-Top Operation

The steady phase of a discharge where fusion conditions are maintained.

The flat-top is the sustained portion of a discharge at constant current where fusion power is produced. For a power plant this phase must extend indefinitely — true steady-state operation.

The flat-top is the sustained portion of a discharge at constant current where fusion power is produced, and for a power plant it must extend effectively without limit — true steady state. That requirement is why non-inductive current sustainment and a healthy bootstrap fraction matter so much to the breeder.