Status and prospects for fusion energy from magnetically confined plasmas

A broad review is presented of the status and outlook of achieving fusion energy production by the confinement of high temperature plasmas with magnetic fields. The paper describes the basic features of the fusion process, plasma confinement principles and concepts with emphasis on the Tokamak, issues of materials development, descriptions of the major components and subsystems of fusion reactors, prospects for power plants, the policy in the United States of magnetic fusion energy and the international aspects of this endeavor.