US : A US science institute is on the verge of achieving a longstanding goal in nuclear fusion research.
The National Ignition Facility uses a powerful laser to heat and compress hydrogen fuel, initiating fusion.
An experiment suggests the goal of “ignition”, where the energy released by fusion exceeds that delivered by the laser, is now within touching distance.
Harnessing fusion, the process that powers the Sun, could provide a limitless, clean energy source.
In a process called inertial confinement fusion, 192 beams from NIF’s laser – the highest-energy example in the world – are directed towards a peppercorn-sized capsule containing deuterium and tritium, which are different forms of the element hydrogen.
NIF scientists also believe they have now achieved something called “burning plasma”, where the fusion reactions themselves provide the heat for more fusion. This is vital for making the process self-sustaining.
“Self-sustaining burn is essential to getting high yield,” Dr Callahan explained. “The burn wave has to propagate into the high density fuel in order to get a lot of fusion energy out.
