fusion

Physicists discover quantum state governing muon-catalyzed nuclear fusion

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The Blueprint

Muon-catalyzed fusion is one of those strange concepts that holds enough promise to intrigue researchers, but stubbornly resists practical application. The central idea underlying this process is to replace the electrons in the hydrogen with heavier particles called muons, which draw the atomic nuclei so close together that nuclear fusion (a process that occurs at … Read more

U.S. tests spinning fuel with 180 million degrees Fahrenheit plasma for nuclear reactors

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U.S. tests spinning fuel with 180 million degrees Fahrenheit plasma for nuclear reactors

Scientists in the United States have been testing spin-polarized nuclear fuel in tokamaks operating at about 100 million degrees Celsius to explore a more efficient path to nuclear fusion through particle alignment. The project, led by a research team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, aims to assess whether … Read more