Nuclear Fusion Might Be Controlled - 60 Year Clean Energy Research Pays Off

Nuclear Fusion is the mechanism by which perpetual and clean energy sources like the Sun and other stars are powered. Scientists around the world have been researching for more than 60 years in pursuit of a way to control the fusion of radioactive materials, and have finally gotten a step closer to it. The team of scientists at University of California, San Diego have sorted out a way to map energy transfer using X-rays during "Fast Ignition” experiments.


Fast Ignition is an efficient way of initiating nuclear fusion reactions because it consumes less energy than conventional methods. It happens in two steps. First, the fusion fuel is compressed by aiming many laser beams at them. Then, the compressed radioactive nuclei is subjected to a high-intensity laser beam. The fusion fuel, or the radioactive elements used are Deuterium and Tritium. When the high-intensity laser beam hits the fusion fuel which is placed in a plastic sphere, heat energy is dissipated.

But without knowing the path of energy flow, it was previously impossible to heat the most dense part of the fuel. The breakthrough is, they have used copper traces inside the plastic sphere which holds the fuel. When the fuel is exposed to laser, high energy electrons are generated, which when coming in contact with copper, emit X-rays. These X-rays are mapped and the imaging helps researchers understand the path of energy during fusion reactions.

The path of flow of energy is in relation to the intensity and direction of the high-intensity laser beams. So by experimenting with a range of combinations, the team of scientists have identified the most optimum way that delivers energy from the laser to the fuel. Practical experiments have attained up to 7% efficiency in delivering energy, which is four times more than what was achieved previously.

By simulating numerous other conditions, scientists say that efficiency levels as high as 15% are possible. Even though only practical experiments can confirm that, they are still very optimistic about the finding. If this experiment leads to the possibility of controlled fusion reaction, then 60 years of search for a clean energy source will be possible in future.

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