>
The Hancock's (and others) pay tribute to Michael Badnarik
Must-See Video: Anne Heche Fights To Escape Body Bag After Suspicious Crash
Atlantic op-ed claims Catholic rosary has become 'an extremist symbol'
Whole Foods CEO Thinks Socialists Are Taking Over Schools and Corporations
3-wheeled EV commuter equals 230 MPGe, blends torque & safety
Starlink Wins FCC Approval For In-Motion Use On Airplanes And Cruise Ships
Raspberry Pi Foundation brings Wi-Fi to Pico microcontroller
Have You Changed Phones Yet?, + Q&A
Breakthrough Zero-Carbon Fertilizer Set to Take Root Across the World as 'Biochar'
Artificial Photosynthesis Can Produce More Food in the Dark Than With Sunshine
Researchers run a gas turbine on pure hydrogen in world first
Injectable hydrogel treats back pain from damaged discs in human trials
Going under anesthesia? Scientists reveal what happens inside your unconscious brain
Mayman Aerospace debuts flight-ready Speeder flying motorbike prototype
On Aug. 8, 2021, an experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) made a significant step toward ignition, achieving a yield of more than 1.3 megajoules. Researchers said this advancement puts them at the threshold of fusion ignition, which is defined as a sustainable and never-ending powerful energy source.
The experiment was enabled by focusing laser light—the size of three football fields—onto a target which is the size of a BB that produces a hot-spot the diameter of a human hair, generating more than 10 quadrillion watts of fusion power for 100 trillionths of a second.
"These extraordinary results advance the science," said Jill Hruby, DOE under secretary for Nuclear Security and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Experiments in pursuit of fusion ignition are important for providing data in an experimental regime that is extremely difficult, and is an important gateway to enable access to high fusion yields in the future.
While a full scientific interpretation of these results will occur through the peer-reviewed journal/conference process, initial analysis shows an 8X improvement over experiments conducted in spring 2021 and a 25X increase over NIF's 2018 record yield. It also marked the first time the output exceeded the energy absorbed by the fuel used to trigger it, according to Science Alert.
"This result is a testament to the innovation, ingenuity, commitment and grit of this team and the many researchers in this field over the decades who have steadfastly pursued this goal," said LLNL Director Kim Budil. "For me it demonstrates one of the most important roles of the national labs – our relentless commitment to tackling the biggest and most important scientific grand challenges and finding solutions where others might be dissuaded by the obstacles."