Open Physics Questions

The burner’s open physics reduces to a few named questions — plug confinement, magnetic-well stability, and DEC behavior — each honestly unresolved.

The physics that must be proven

MetroVolt rests on physics that is credible in design but not yet demonstrated at generator scale. Rather than a single confidence figure, the honest picture is a short list of specific questions, each with a clear pass condition and each resolvable only by the test unit.

Why we list them

Naming open physics is a credibility choice. A program that lists only successes hides its risks; MetroVolt lists the questions so that any performance claim can be read against what remains unproven. The two confinement items are the load-bearing ones — if either fails, the design point changes materially.

• Load-bearing: plug confinement and magnetic-well stability.
• Design-stage: direct-energy-conversion behavior at scale.
• Partial: neutron-fraction spectrum, aided by breeder and field data.