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High Energy Density Science


pstrongLooking like a portal to a science fiction movie preamplifiers line a corridor at the US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratorysa hrefhttpslasersllnlgov National Ignition Facility NIFastrongppPreamplifiers work by increasing the energy of laser beamsup to ten billion timesbefore these beams reach the facilitys target chamberppThe projects lasers are tackling one of physics grand challengesigniting hydrogen fusion fuel in the laboratory according to the NIF website Nuclear fusionthe merging of the nuclei of two atoms of say hydrogencan result in a tremendous amount of excess energy Nuclear fission by contrast involves the splitting of atomsppThis July California-based NIF made history by combining 192 laser beams into a record-breaking laser shot that packed over 500 trillion watts of peak powera thousand times more power than the entire United States uses at any given instantppThis was a quantum leap for laser technology around the world NIF director a hrefhttpslasersllnlgovaboutpeoplemanagementedward_mosesphpEd Mosesa said in September But some critics of the 5 billion project wonder why the laser has yet to ignite a fusion chain reaction after three-and-a-half years in operation Supporters counter that such groundbreaking science simply cant be rushedppRelated a hrefhttpnewsnationalgeographiccomnews201001100128-nuclear-fusion-power-lasers-scienceFusion Power a Step Closer After Giant Laser BlastappemBrian Handwerkemp
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