Laser 'punch' could bump up fusion power

Nuclear fusion – creating energy by fusing together light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen – could begin at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California this year. To kick-start the reaction, the plan is to focus 192 high-power laser beams onto a tiny hollow metal cylinder that contains a small spherical fuel pellet of deuterium and tritium. The lasers would heat the cylinder to several million degrees, encouraging it to emit high-power X-rays ... Full Story »

Posted by Jon Mitchell
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Posted by: Posted by Jon Mitchell - Jun 15, 2010 - 12:29 PM PDT
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Edited by: Jon Mitchell - Jun 15, 2010 - 12:30 PM PDT

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Jon Mitchell
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by Jon Mitchell - Jun. 15, 2010

Brief article quoting an Australian researcher who has an alternative proposal to the current plan at NIF. It doesn't sound like the array at NIF is well-suited for this method, but the article quotes a Lawrence Livermore scientist who believes the Australian proposal allows potentially "more options for capturing energy" than the existing array. There's no comment on whether these findings have implications for the ongoing project at NIF.

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