New Delhi:
Scientists in the US today achieved a nuclear fusion breakthrough that could one day provide a cheap source of electricity. Researchers have been working for decades to develop nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars.
Here are 5 facts about the historic breakthrough on nuclear fusion:
- The researchers who conducted the experiment at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) say that the fusion produced more energy than the laser energy used to drive it.
- LLNL director Dr. Kim Budil described it as "one of the most significant scientific challenges ever tackled by humanity."
- Fusion works when nuclei of two atoms are subjected to the extreme heat of 100 million degrees Celsius or higher leading them to fuse into a new larger atom, giving off enormous amounts of energy. But the process consumes vast amounts of energy.
- Today's experiment could pave the way for clean and cheap energy. If fusion is commercialised, it could produce carbon-free electricity which could help in the fight against climate change without the amounts of radioactive nuclear waste produced by today's fission reactors.
- US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M Granholm said, "This is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality."
