Confinement Approaches Compared

Magnetic (tokamak, stellarator, mirror), inertial, and hybrid — the main routes to fusion.

Magnetic

Tokamak · stellarator · mirror

Inertial

Pulsed compression

The routes to fusion divide first by how the fuel is held: magnetic confinement (tokamaks, stellarators, mirrors) holds a steady plasma in a magnetic bottle; inertial confinement compresses fuel pellets in fast pulses; hybrid and alternative concepts explore the space between. Each implies very different engineering.

Kronos uses magnetic confinement in two forms — a spherical tokamak for the breeder and a tandem mirror for the burner — choosing each geometry for the job it does.