Unlocking Research Potential 

During his PhD, Dr. Tom Wallace-Smith grappled with a scarcity of neutron sources for critical research, prompting international travel for access to necessary facilities. This is indicative of a wider issue; the nuclear modelling foundations for academia and industry often rest on theoretical models instead of empirical data, introducing significant uncertainties in the design of sophisticated systems like fission or fusion reactors.

The necessity of high-energy physics platforms for global research is clear, as they propel our understanding of fundamental physical phenomena and facilitate future technology design. Astral's Multi-State Fusion reactor embodies a breakthrough, demonstrating a previously unproven ability to modify fusion's fundamental reaction rates. This unexpected result, only solidified post-2020, highlights the importance of empirical exploration in revealing new physical possibilities.

In acknowledgement of this, Astral proudly extends the unique environment of its enhanced performance reactor as a research platform. By inviting other researchers to probe the unknown using its architecture, we aim to accelerate new discoveries in physics and further illuminate the road ahead.

The new facility is still being characterised, where full details of the experimental area alongside the measured 2.45 MeV neutron and x-ray energy spectra will be made available in the coming months. Direct exposures to the fusion plasma environment within a research reactor will also be available.