A 17-year-old student, Cesare Mencarini, studying at Cardiff College in the sixth grade, successfully developed a small thermonuclear reactor as part of his graduation project for A-Level Courses. His work was showcased at the Cambridge Scientific Festival, attracting attention from both experts and the general public.
Mencarini dedicated 18 months to creating an installation capable of generating neutrons. His goal was to set the stage for nuclear synthesis, although he faced limitations due to the school laboratory’s constraints. In order to reach the necessary temperature, Cesare utilized high voltage since replicating the immense pressure found in the core of the Sun was unattainable.
The journey to completing the project was not without obstacles. Initially, the college administration expressed concerns regarding the experiment’s safety. Mencarini had to work hard to persuade the teachers of the validity of his idea. Despite the challenges, the project earned him the highest assessment for A-Level certification and opened doors for future opportunities in the realm of science.
Lauding Cesare’s work as “outstanding” and “extremely exciting,” the college director, Dr. Julian Davis, highlighted the importance of encouraging students to pursue projects that captivate their interests alongside traditional exam preparations. “We want to teach them to be bold, take risks, and develop projects relevant to real-life scenarios,” stated Davis.
In June, Mencarini’s reactor successfully generated plasma, featuring intricate technical components such as the Leybold Trivac E2 Forvacuum pump, enabling pressures up to 8E-3 torr. Plans are in place to incorporate the Pfeiffer TPH062 turbocharger pump for future synthesis endeavors.
The reactor’s grid is connected to a high-voltage input designed for 30 kV, linked to a 5 kV unilab power source. This configuration allows activation within a school setting, with an output current limited to 2 mA. During experiments, Mencarini tested two distinct grid setups.
Originally from Italy, Cesare Mencarini is currently studying mathematics, chemistry, and physics. He aspires to pursue an engineering specialization and hopes to engage in work at the University of Bristol’s Interface Analysis Center before embarking on that academic journey.
Recognized for his exceptional skills, M