Scientists at the US government’s Plasma Lab have discovered a missing element in the nuclear fusion equations that could accelerate the development of a working nuclear reactor.
Specifically, the discovery could improve the design of donut-shaped fusion reactors known as tokamaxes.
Nuclear fusion is the process of fusing two atomic nuclei together to form a single, larger nucleus, releasing energy in the process. This is the process that powers our Sun, where hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium.
Scientists have been working on nuclear fusion reactors for decades because fusion promises to be a clean, safe and virtually limitless source of energy. However, scientists have yet to find a stable reaction that gives off more energy than it consumes.