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."
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