Fusion power inches closer to stardom

摘要

Clean energy inspired by the stars is the dream of scientists pursuing nuclearfusion, in which atomic nuclei fuse together and release energy. In a first for laser-driven fusion, scientists at a US lab say they have reached a key milestone called fuel gain: they are producing more energy than the fuel absorbed to start the reaction. But the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Livermore, California, is still a long way from sparking a self-sustaining fusion reaction with an overall gain in energy - a process called ignition, Currently, the reactor as a whole needs more energy to operate than the amount that is produced.