Scientists Successfully Replicate , Fusion Ignition Breakthrough.
Reuters reports that researchers at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory have successfully
repeated their breakthrough fusion power experiment.
The fusion ignition breakthrough was accomplished
at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) on July 30. .
The experiment produced a higher energy
yield than the initial breakthrough
which occurred in December. .
According to a Lawrence Livermore
spokesperson, the final results of the
experiment are still being analyzed.
On December 5, the team achieved fusion ignition,
generating 3.15 megajoules of energy out of the 2.05
megajoules used to power lasers in the process.
To achieve fusion ignition, scientists focus lasers
on a target of fuel, fusing two light atoms into
a single denser one and releasing energy. .
The department stressed that the now-repeated process
has again produced more energy from fusion than
the amount of energy needed to drive the process.
The Energy Department called the accomplishment , "a major scientific breakthrough decades in the
making that will pave the way for advancements
in national defense and the future of clean power.".
The Energy Department called the accomplishment , "a major scientific breakthrough decades in the
making that will pave the way for advancements
in national defense and the future of clean power.".
Scientists have long known that nuclear fusion was
the powerful process at work in the sun and
have looked to replicate it on Earth for decades.
Scientists have long known that nuclear fusion was
the powerful process at work in the sun and
have looked to replicate it on Earth for decades.
The breakthrough could have implications for the fight
to curb climate change if the technology can be scaled
up to a commercial level in the coming decades