Fusion is a nuclear process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy in the process. This is the same process that powers stars, including our Sun. Fusion occurs under extremely high temperatures and pressures, forcing nuclei so close that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsion. The most studied fusion reactions for energy production involve hydrogen isotopes, particularly deuterium and tritium, which fuse to form helium and a neutron, releasing substantial energy. Fusion is considered a promising potential source of nearly limitless and clean energy because it produces no greenhouse gas emissions and only small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste compared to fission-based nuclear power. However, achieving controlled fusion on Earth has been technically challenging, requiring conditions that can sustain and contain the high-energy plasma necessary for the fusion reactions, as seen in experimental setups like tokamaks and inertial confinement fusion devices.
Researchers expand the quantum mechanical descriptions of nuclear fusion reactions. Low-energy nuclear fusion reactions are influenced by the migration of neutrons and protons between fusing…
Exhaust heat from commercial-scale fusion reactors might be less damaging than previously believed. New research indicates that plasma fusion heat spreads more evenly in tokamak…
Researchers at PPPL are exploring the use of machine learning to enhance the design and operation of stellarators and tokamaks. The intricate dance of atoms…
A new study documents record-breaking electron temperatures in a compact, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only…
Methods pioneered using the Laboratory for Laser Energetics’ OMEGA laser system show potential for sparking fusion on a larger scale. Researchers at the University of…
The Joint European Torus (JET), one of the world’s largest and most powerful fusion machines, has proven its capability to consistently produce fusion energy and…
A research team, including scientists from the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has conducted laboratory experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)…
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory successfully used the world’s most powerful laser to simulate and study pressure-driven ionization, a process vital to understanding the…
MIT students are part of the large team that achieved fusion ignition for the first time in a laboratory. Researchers around the world have been…
LLNL’s National Ignition Facility achieved a significant milestone in fusion research in August 2021, with a fusion yield surpassing 1.3 MJ. The team is now…
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have designed a new type of magnet that could aid devices ranging…
According to recent simulations and analysis, the flagship fusion facility of the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) might serve…
A key challenge for scientists striving to produce on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars is preventing what are called runaway…
Scientists have discovered a novel way to classify magnetized plasmas that could possibly lead to advances in harvesting on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun…
Major milestone in US contribution to ITER. After a decade of design and fabrication, General Atomics is ready to ship the first module of the…
What Are Nuclear Fusion Reactions? Nuclear Fusion reactions power the Sun and other stars. In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a…
National Academies study says fusion can help decarbonize US energy, calls for public-private approach to pilot plant operation by 2035-40. Electricity generated by fusion power…
Permanent magnets akin to those used on refrigerators could speed the development of fusion energy – the same energy produced by the sun and stars….