French Scientists Beat China’s Fusion Record With 22-Minute Plasma Reaction
1 min read
Summary
French nuclear scientists at the West Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (WEST) have sustained a controlled nuclear fusion reaction for over 22 minutes, smashing the previous global record.
The achievement is a milestone in the journey towards creating a commercially viable nuclear fusion process, which, unlike current nuclear fission, doesn’t create radioactive or harmful waste, is safer and could provide a virtually inexhaustible supply of energy.
Scientists use the harnessing of nuclear fusion – which occurs naturally in stars and involves the superheating of plasma to incredibly high temperatures to fuse atoms together – as a potentially clean and safe way to generate abundant energy.
While the recent experiment didn’t reach fusion temperatures, it was an important step towards controlling the plasma necessary for nuclear fusion power.
