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Z machine makes progress toward nuclear fusion

Submitted by Lee Margetts on

I thought the following article might be of interest to some on this site.

" ... Scientists are reporting a significant advance in the quest to develop an alternative approach to nuclear fusion. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, using the lab’s Z machine, a colossal electric pulse generator capable of producing currents of tens of millions of amperes, say they have detected significant numbers of neutrons—byproducts of fusion reactions—coming from the experiment. This, they say, demonstrates the viability of their approach and marks progress toward the ultimate goal of producing more energy than the fusion device takes in."

View Z machine article here

A European team have been looking at aspects regarding the manufacture the plasma facing wall of fusion reactors, the part that takes the heat away. See the paper below:

Paper: Thermal characterisation of ceramic/metal joining techniques for fusion applications using X-ray tomography