The United States formalizes a breakthrough in the field of nuclear fusion

US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer GranholmMake it official what pFor the first time in history, a group of American scientists managed to produce a fusion reaction Nuclear power that generates more energy than is needed to ignite it. It is a potential source of clean energy, basically unlimited, which in the near future, we are talking about a few decades, can be used in the civil sector.

“This is a historic achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition a reality, and this tipping point will lead to many more discoveries. It is an important scientific achievement that will lead to advances in national defense and the future of clean energy,” I have declared Granholm.

The discovery occurred at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: Nearly 200 lasers heated a hydrogen atom to temperatures of more than 180 million degrees Fahrenheit and to pressures 100 billion times higher than Earth’s atmosphere. The extreme conditions that created the plasma, ie the fusion of hydrogen atoms that released large amounts of energy. The same process fuels the sun and other stars.

In short, nuclear fusion is more environmentally friendly than nuclear fission because it generates less radiation and waste that is easier to manage. This would allow To provide homes and offices with energy without emitting greenhouse gases into the air and without generating radioactive waste, as occurs in conventional nuclear fission power plants. In contrast to the first, qis the last A reaction in which a chemical element such as uranium is formed “bombarded” by a neutron to split the nucleus into two separate atoms, generating energy.

“It is one of the most important challenges humanity has ever faced,” but for the commercial use of nuclear fusion “there are very big hurdles, not only from a scientific point of view but from a technological point of view.” “You need a lot of stuff: You have to be able to produce a lot of fusion ignition events per minute, and you need a strong system of propulsion to make that happen.” “With a combination of efforts and investment, and a few decades of research into the necessary technologies, we will be in a position to build a power plant,” The director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory explained, Kim Bodell.