Nuclear fusion is one of the most powerful nuclear reactions known. It is the process that powers the Sun and stars. It produces a very high-energy output. However, creating nuclear fusion in a laboratory is quite difficult because it requires extreme temperature and pressure conditions.
     A recent study reveals a more practical alternative to nuclear fusion. It indicates that one-neutron stripping can produce similar or greater output than a fusion reaction. This is especially the case in low-energy regions close to the minimum energy threshold required for a nuclear reaction.
     One-neutron stripping is a reaction during which a neutron from a moving atomic nucleus is thrown out as it hits another nucleus. It is similar to knocking a ball (neutron) out of a moving box (nucleus) when it hits another box. This leaves the moving box with one less ball (neutron). Compared to nuclear fusion, nuclear stripping is much simpler to achieve in the lab. These findings open a new and easier avenue for achieving our nuclear energy goals.
     Jesús Lubián is one of the study authors and an associate professor at Brazil’s Fluminense Federal University. He said, “By better understanding the behavior of nuclei in these conditions, we can enhance our approaches to nuclear energy production and radiation therapy.”
     One-neutron stripping is a one-neutron transfer reaction. The thrown-out neutron (from the moving nucleus) is absorbed by the target nucleus.
     For decades, scientists have been studying the mechanism that leads to the transfer of neutrons in weakly bound nuclei. It is important to decode this mechanism because it can greatly improve our understanding of nuclear physics, including various nuclear reactions.
     The study authors performed a revealing experiment for this purpose. They examined the one-neutron stripping process between Li-6 (a Lithium isotope) and Bi-209 (an isotope of Bismuth). Then they compared its output with that of the complete fusion reaction involving the same isotopes.
     They utilized the GALILEO Array (a grammar-ray detector) in combination with the 4π Si-ball EUCLIDES (an advanced laser detector) to investigate gamma-ray emissions and detect charged particles during the reactions.
     They also used a special method known as the gamma-gamma coincidence, to catalog different gamma rays identified in the one-neutron stripping. The researchers noted that “The gamma-gamma coincidence was crucial in isolating specific reaction channels, allowing the team to pinpoint the behavior of nuclei under different conditions with high accuracy.”
     The results of neutron transfer between lithium and bismuth and revealed something surprising. In the above-mentioned reaction, the weakly bound Li-6 nucleus collides with the much heavier Bi-209 nucleus. The result of this interaction proves that one-neutron transfer is able to produce output similar to that of a full fusion reaction.
     The authors of the study said, “One-neutron stripping process yields results comparable to those of complete fusion reactions especially in energy regions near nuclear barriers. Contrary to previous expectations, the results indicate that the one-neutron transfer plays a dominant role at lower energies, exceeding the output of fusion reactions.”
     These results may unlock new opportunities for employing one-neutron transfer in areas such as nuclear energy research. The study authors added that “The process underscores the intricate and nuanced nature of nuclear reactions, providing a steppingstone for future scientific breakthroughs in nuclear science and technology.”

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France is an example of magnetic confinement fusion. ITER has recently been delayed until 2039 rather than 2035 which had previously been announced. The cost has risen an additional cost of five billion dollars.
     The fusion method at ITER relies on very powerful magnetic fields to contain superheated plasma which is an ionized gas where fusion occurs. The plasma must be heated to temperatures ten times hotter than the sun’s core. It is confined within a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber called a tokamak. The magnetic fields prevent the plasma from touching the walls of the chamber. If this occurs, it would cool down the plasma and stop the reaction.
     Where does mayonnaise fit into all of this? A major challenge to stable nuclear fusion using inertial confinement is the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. This phenomenon occurs when different-density materials are subjected to opposing gradients of density and pressure.
This leads to unpredictable and often detrimental outcomes during the fusion process.
     Arindam Banerjee is the Paul B. Reinhold Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Lehigh University. He and his team have turned to mayonnaise to aid their understanding of nuclear fusion. This condiment copies the behavior of more complex materials under pressure but in a more controlled setting.
     Banerjee said, “We’re still working on the same problem, which is the structural integrity of fusion capsules used in inertial confinement fusion, and Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise is still helping us in the search for solutions. We use mayonnaise because it behaves like a solid, but when subjected to a pressure gradient, it starts to flow.”
     The new research findings build upon similar research from 2019. This prior research first examined the Rayleigh-Taylor instability problem in this context. Banerjee and his team employed a rotating wheel facility to simulate the flow conditions experienced by fusion plasma. They discovered that mayonnaise undergoes distinct phases. First, it behaves elastically, then plastically, before finally flowing unstably. Understanding these transitions is critical because it offers hints on how to control or delay the onset of instability in fusion capsules.
     Banerjee and his team’s latest research goes deeper into the conditions that govern these phase transitions. The study identified specific criteria under which elastic recovery is possible. Elastic recovery is deemed vital for delaying or suppressing instability. These findings could guide the design of future fusion target capsules, ensuring that they remain stable under extreme conditions.
     There is still a critical question. How applicable are these findings to actual fusion capsules in which the materials involved differ significantly in their properties? Banerjee and his team addressed this problem by non-dimensionalizing their data. This allows them to predict behaviors in fusion capsules despite the differences in material properties.
     As Banerjee explains, his research is part of a global effort to make fusion energy on Earth a reality. By refining the understanding of fluid dynamics through such innovative experiments, researchers hope to bring us closer to a future powered by clean, limitless nuclear fusion energy.
     Banerjee added, “We’re another cog in this giant wheel of researchers. We’re all working towards making inertial fusion cheaper and therefore, attainable.”

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     In the quest to harness nuclear fusion as a nearly limitless and clean energy source, researchers have turned to mayonnaise. This household condiment is assisting scientists at Lehigh University to understand complex fluid dynamics that take place during fusion reactions. Their research will potentially pave the way for more efficient fusion processes.
     Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the sun. If it can be achieved on Earth it could change the world’s energy landscape forever. Creating nuclear fusion on Earth, however, involves replicating the sun’s extreme conditions, a task that remains extremely challenging.
     In late 2022, scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California announced a landmark achievement in nuclear fusion. For the first time, they were able to extracted more energy from a controlled fusion reaction than was used to initiate it. On October 30, 2023, the NIF set a new record for generating laser energy. For the first time, they fired two and two tenths megajoules of energy at an ignition target, resulting in three and four tenths megajoules of fusion energy yield.
     The announcement of the NIF breakthrough led to a familiar divide in opinion. Fusion proponents celebrated it as a sign that the long-awaited fusion era might be nearing. Skeptics remained unconvinced, pointing out that fusion has been “20 years away” for decades. This tension indicates the high stakes involved.
     (Helion Energy is an aneutronic fusion startup in Redmond, Washington. They are hoping to provide fusion energy to Microsoft in 2028, much sooner than thirty years in the future.)
    The world is in desperate need of a clean, abundant energy source to take the place of fossil fuels and mitigate the climate crisis. Fusion occurs when light atomic nuclei merges and release energy. It has always been this sort of white whale. However, after decades of research, it is still not clear when or if fusion will be a significant contributor to our energy mix.
     Most estimations suggest that practical fusion energy might not be realized until around 2050. Unfortunately, this timeline means that fusion energy is unlikely to play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions by mid-century. This is a crucial period for addressing global warming.
     The challenges of harnessing fusion are huge. The fusion process involves creating and maintaining conditions similar to those inside stars where temperatures reach one hundred million degrees Kelvin. This requires using powerful magnetic fields to confine a plasma of hydrogen isotopes, deuterium, and tritium. This task has proven extremely difficult. In addition, reactors must withstand the intense neutron bombardment generated during the fusion reactions, which degrades materials over time.
     There are multiple designs for fusion reactors currently in development. The most promising designs are inertial confinement fusion and magnetic confinement fusion. The former is what the is used INF. It is an approach where scientists use powerful lasers or ion beams to compress a tiny pellet of fuel until the conditions for fusion are met. The target is typically a mix of deuterium and tritium hydrogen isotopes.
Please read Part 2 next

     Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the Sun and stars, and results in high-energy output. However, achieving nuclear fusion in lab settings is very challenging because it requires extreme temperature and pressure conditions.
     A new study details a more practical alternative to nuclear fusion. It shows that one-neutron stripping (ONS) can produce similar or more output than a fusion reaction. This is particularly true in low-energy regions close to the minimum energy threshold required for a nuclear reaction.    ONS is a nuclear reaction during which a neutron from a moving nucleus is kicked out as it hits another nucleus. ONS is a type of one-neutron transfer reaction. The expelled neutron (from the moving nucleus) is absorbed by the target nucleus.
     Compared to nuclear fusion, ONS is much simpler to achieve in the lab. These findings open a new and feasible avenue for achieving our nuclear energy goals.
     Jesús Lubián is one of the study authors and an associate professor at Brazil’s Fluminense Federal University. He said, “By better understanding the behavior of nuclei in these conditions, we can enhance our approaches to nuclear energy production and radiation therapy.”
     Scientists have been trying to comprehend the mechanism that leads to the transfer of neutrons in weakly bound nuclei for decades, It is important for us to decode this mechanism because it can greatly improve our understanding of nuclear physics, including various nuclear reactions.
     The authors of the report performed an interesting experiment for this purpose. They examined the ONS process between Li-6 (a Lithium isotope) and Bi-209 (an isotope of Bismuth). Then they compared its output with that of the complete fusion reaction involving the same isotopes.
     They utilized the GALILEO Array (a grammar-ray detector) in combination with the 4π Si-ball EUCLIDES (an advanced laser detector) to study gamma-ray emissions and detect charged particles during the reactions.
     The researchers note that they also used a special method known as the gamma-gamma coincidence, to study different gamma rays identified in the ONS. They said, “The gamma-gamma coincidence was crucial in isolating specific reaction channels, allowing the team to pinpoint the behavior of nuclei under different conditions with high accuracy.”
     The results of ONS between Bi-209 and Li-6 surprised the researchers. Here’s what the researchers found:

In the tested reaction, the weekly bound Li-6 collides with much heavier Bi-209. The result of this interaction indicates that one-neutron transfer is capable of producing output similar to that of a fusion reaction.
     The study authors said that “One-neutron stripping process yields results comparable to those of complete fusion reactions especially in energy regions near nuclear barriers. Contrary to previous expectations, the results indicate that the one-neutron transfer plays a dominant role at lower energies, exceeding the output of fusion reactions.”
     These findings may unlock new opportunities for employing one-neutron transfer in areas such as nuclear energy research.
     The study authors added that “The process underscores the intricate and nuanced nature of nuclear reactions, providing a steppingstone for future scientific breakthroughs in nuclear science and technology.”

     Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Stellarex Inc to investigate the development and deployment of fusion energy in Ontario. The MoU will see them work together to identify potential future siting and deployment of a stellarator fusion energy device in the province. Under the MoU, the two partners will also explore establishing a center of excellence for fusion energy in Ontario.
     Fusion energy technology development company Stellarex is a spinout of Princeton University in the U.S. It is dedicated to the near-term realization of commercial fusion energy production employing stellarators. The stellarator approach to fusion energy utilizes extremely strong electromagnets to generate twisting magnetic fields to confine plasma and create the right conditions for fusion reactions. Stellarators offer increased plasma stability when compared with tokamaks. They use a torus-shaped magnetic chamber to confine the plasma, require less injected power to sustain the plasma, and allow for the burning plasma to be more easily controlled and monitored. However, stellarators are much more complex than tokamaks to design and construct.
     Stellarex has already established supply-chain and fusion ecosystem relationships in Ontario and in the Canadian nuclear sector. It has MoUs with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Hatch, and Kinectrics, as well as several academic institutions in the province.
     Kim Lauritsen is the OPG Senior Vice President for Enterprise Strategy and Energy Markets. She said, “Ontario Power Generation has watched with interest as fusion-related technology has progressed over the past few years. As the technology moves toward commercial implementation, this MoU recognizes the role fusion may play as Ontario’s demand for clean energy increases over the next several decades.”
     Todd Smith is an Ontario Minister of Parliament. He said, “The world is watching Ontario as we build the next generation of reliable, affordable and clean nuclear power, including the first Small Modular Reactor in the G7.” An MoU was signed during a tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France. He added that Ontario’s well-established supply chain and experienced operators give the province a “nuclear advantage” and make it “the place to be when it comes to the growing fusion-related industry, creating another opportunity for more good-paying jobs in our communities”.
     OPG is preparing to build the first of up to four GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Darlington site. It has already completed early-phase site preparation work. OPG plans to complete construction of the first unit by the end of 2028 for commercial operation by the end of 2029.
     In May of this year, Stellarex signed an MoU with Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics which is home to the Wendelsten 7-X. The 7-X is the world’s largest stellarator-type fusion device. The partners will collaborate in specific areas of fusion energy science and technology, including the optimization of plasma confinement and power/particle control, by leveraging their shared expertise.
     Vancouver-based General Fusion is a private company which intends to build a commercial fusion power plant based on Magnetized Target Fusion technology. In another initiative to explore bringing fusion energy to Ontario, General Fusion signed an MoU in early 2022 to collaborate with Bruce Power and Nuclear Innovation Institute to evaluate the potential installation of a fusion power plant in Ontario.

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     The new model enhances our understanding of pedestals and brings scientists closer to achieving the greater goal of designing a fusion reactor that generates more power than it consumes.
     Parisi’s second paper in the series deals with how well the EPED model aligns with the height and width of the pedestal for different plasma shapes.
     He said, “Your core fusion pressure, and therefore your power, is so sensitive to how high your pedestal is. And so, if we were to explore different shapes for future fusion devices, we definitely want to make sure that our predictions work.”
     Parisi began with old data from experimental discharges in NSTX and then modified the plasma’s edge shape. He discovered that changing the shape had a very big effect on the width-to-height ratio of the pedestal. Parisi also found that some shapes could lead to several possible pedestals. This was particularly true in tokamaks shaped like NSTX and its descendant, which is currently being upgraded, NSTX-U. This would give those running a fusion experiment a choice between, for example, a steep or shallow pedestal.
     Parisi said, “When people came up with these pedestal models, they were trying to predict the pedestal width and height because it can change the amount of fusion power generated by a lot, and we want to be accurate. But the way that models are constructed at the moment, they only take into account plasma stability.”
     Heating and fueling are two other important factors and ones that Parisi’s third paper explores. Specifically, Parisi examined certain pedestals and determined the amount of heating and fueling required to achieve it given a particular plasma shape. A steep pedestal usually requires far more heating than a shallow pedestal.
     The third paper also considers how a sheared flow, which occurs when adjacent particles move at different flow speeds, can alter the pedestal height and width. Past experiments in NSTX found that when part of the interior of the reactor vessel was coated in lithium and the flow shear was strong, the pedestal became three to four times wider than when no lithium was added.
     Parisi continued, “It seems to be able to allow the pedestal to continue to grow. If you could have a plasma in a tokamak that was all pedestal, and if the gradients were really steep, you would get a really high core pressure and a really high fusion power.”
     Understanding the variables involved in creating a stable, high-power plasma brings researchers closer to their ultimate goal of commercial fusion power.
    Jack Berkery is co-author of the published papers and deputy director of research for NSTX-U. He said, “These three papers are really important for understanding the physics of spherical tokamaks and how the plasma pressure organizes into this structure where it increases sharply at the edge and maintains high pressure in the core. If we don’t understand that process, we can’t confidently project to future devices, and this work goes a long way toward achieving that confidence.”

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     Harnessing energy from plasma requires a precise understanding of its behavior during nuclear fusion to keep it hot, dense and stable. A plasma’s edge can become unstable and bulge. A new theoretical model brings the prospect of commercial fusion power closer to reality.
     Jason Parisi is a staff research physicist at PPPL. He said, “The model refines the thinking on stabilizing the edge of the plasma for different tokamak shapes.” Parisi is the lead author of three articles describing the new model that were published in the journals Nuclear Fusion and Physics of Plasma. The primary paper focuses on a part of the plasma referred to as the pedestal which is located at the edge. The pedestal is prone to instabilities because the plasma’s temperature and pressure often fall sharply across this area.
     The new model is important because it is the first to match pedestal behaviors that were seen in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). Conventional tokamaks are shaped like donuts. However, NSTX is one of several tokamaks that are shaped more like a cored apple. The difference in tokamak proportions impacts plasma and the pedestal.
     Parisi and his team explored the limits of pedestals and investigated how much pressure could be applied to plasma inside a fusion reactor before instabilities appeared. They examined disruptions in the pedestal called ballooning instabilities. These are bulges of plasma that jut out, like the end of a long balloon when squeezed.
     Parisi said, “The model is an extension of a model that people have used in the field for maybe 10 years, but we made the ballooning stability calculation a lot more sophisticated.”
      To create their model, the researchers looked at the relationship between the pedestal measurements and ballooning instabilities. Parisi said the new model fit well on the very first try. He continued, “I was surprised by how well it works. We tried to break the model to ensure it was accurate, but it fits the data really well.”
      The existing model is known as EPED. It is known to work for donut-shaped tokamaks but not for the spherical variety. Parisi said, “We decided to give it a go, and just by changing one part of EPED, now it works really well.” The results also give researchers a better picture of the contrast between the two tokamak designs.
     Parisi added, “There is certainly a big difference between the stability boundary for the apple shape and the standard-shaped tokamak, and our model can now somewhat explain why that difference exists.” The findings could help minimize plasma disruptions in fusion reactors.
     Tokamaks are designed to increase the pressure and temperature of plasma, but instabilities can thwart those efforts. If plasma bulges out and touches the walls of the reactor vessel, it can erode the walls over time.
     Instabilities can also carry energy away from plasma. Knowing how steep a pedestal can be before instabilities occur could assist researchers to find ways to optimize plasmas for fusion reactions based on the proportions of the tokamak.
     While Parisi added that it’s not yet clear which shape is most advantageous, the model suggests other experiments that would try to exploit the positive aspects of the apple shape and see how much benefit they could provide.
Please read Part 2 next

     Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has been awarded a contract to provide an additional twelve outer vertical targets for the divertor to be used in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). MHI has already delivered six of the components.
     The value of the contract was not disclosed. It was awarded by Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST). It follows the initial production order for the manufacture of six units (Unit 1 – Unit 6) received in 2021.
     With the additional twelve units (Unit 7 – Unit 18), MHI will manufacture eighteen of the total fifty-four outer vertical targets. MHI said production of these units will be completed successively. Delivery to QST expected to begin in 2026.
     The divertor is one of the core components of the fusion reactor in the tokamak. It removes the helium residue in the core plasma produced by the fusion reaction, unburned fuel and other impurities. It also removes high heat load and particle loading, which are necessary for stable confinement of the plasma. The divertor contains four parts: the outer vertical target is  being procured by Japan, the cassette body and inner vertical target are being manufactured in the EU, and the dome being constructed in Russia.
     The heat load on the divertor reaches a maximum of twenty-four megawatts of thermal energy per square yard. The outer vertical directly faces the plasma due to its structure. It is used in an extreme environment where it is exposed to the heat load and high energy particle loading from the plasma, and its structure has an extremely complex shape requiring high-precision fabrication and processing technology.
     MHI has previously received orders for production for five (of a total of nineteen) toroidal field coils, another core component of ITER, all of which were shipped by 2023.
     In mid-2022, the MHI delivered equipment for confirming and demonstrating the safety of the ‘blanket’ of the ITER. The blanket is one of the components that is a part of the inner wall of the fusion reactor. The testing equipment provided by MHI comprised four systems: the High Heat Flux Test Equipment, the In Box Water Eruption Test Equipment, the Be-Water Reaction Test Equipment, and the Flow Assisted Corrosion Test Loop.
     MHI said that, “Going forward, MHI will continue its efforts for manufacturing of major components such as the divertor and equatorial launcher. In addition, MHI will actively support the design and development of the fusion prototype reactor which is planned to be constructed following the ITER project, contributing to the realization of fusion energy.”
     ITER is a huge international project to build a tokamak fusion device in Cadarache, France, designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. The goal of ITER is to operate at five hundred megawatts (for at least four hundred seconds continuously) with fifty megawatts of plasma heating power input. It is possible that an additional three hundred megawatts of electricity input may be required in operation. No electricity will be produced by ITER.
     Thirty-five nations are collaborating to build ITER. The European Union is contributing almost half of the cost of its construction, while the other six members (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA) are contributing equally to the rest of the cost. Construction of ITER began in 2010 and the original 2018 first plasma target date was put back to 2025 by the ITER council in 2016, but is currently in the process of being revised again.

     Fusion research is heating up as different laboratories explore combining techniques to control instability in plasmas.
     Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have successfully simulated a new combination method for managing fusion plasma. They were able to show how the two united methods offer more flexibility and stability.
     The two processes used are electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) and applying resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP). ECCD is used in magnetic confinement fusion experiments to control and sustain the plasma current. The application of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) includes introducing small, controlled magnetic disturbances into the plasma.
    Qiming Hu is the lead author of the study. In an official statement, he said, “This is kind of a new idea.” The study was published in Nuclear Fusion. It indicates that even though the work showed a lot of promise, there are serious challenges. One problem is perfecting the methods for minimizing bursts of particles known as edge-localized modes (ELMs) from the plasma, which can be dangerous.
     A fusion reactor known as a tokamak uses magnetic fields to contain the plasma in a donut shape. However, the ELMs can lead to the end of the reaction. They can potentially damage the device in the process. Alessandro Bortolon said, “The best way we’ve found to avoid them is by applying RMPs.
     The magnetic fields initially applied by the tokamak travel around the torus-shaped plasma like a rope. The magnetic fields created by the RMPs weave in and out. They produce fields known as magnetic islands due to their oval shape.
     Magnetic islands in plasma are generally unwanted. If they are too big, the plasma itself can be disrupted. However, in experimental conditions, they can be beneficial.
     Creating RMPs big enough to develop the desired magnetic islands in the plasma is a challenge. This is where the ECCD generates microwave beams. They act as a special component that lowers the current needed to generate the RMPs necessary to make the islands. They make the process more controllable and also perfect the size of the islands for maximum plasma edge stability.
     When the ECCD was aimed in the same direction as the current, the width of the island decreased. When the ECCD was aimed opposite to the current, the pedestal pressure increased. Hu said, “Applying the ECCD in the opposite direction produced opposite results.”
     Hu added that “People think applying localized ECCD at the plasma edge is risky because the microwaves may damage in-vessel components. We’ve shown that it’s doable, and we’ve demonstrated the flexibility of the approach. This might open new avenues for designing future devices.”
     The combination of these two methods improves stability and control. This is essential for energy production via fusion reactions.
     This could mean a reduction in the cost of fusion energy production in commercial-scale fusion devices of the future. Hopefully, it will lead us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change. This can be a step toward a more sustainable future.

     Korean-based energy technology startup First Light Fusion (First Light) has announced a breakthrough for its novel nuclear fusion technology. First Light is a spin-off from the University of Oxford. It has successfully tested its “electric gun” to ignite fuel in its test reactor’s core.
     This milestone was announced just weeks after another breakthrough at its American test facility. It brings sustainable nuclear fusion closer to reality. By using the electric gun, the company has increased the distance its reaction-starting projectile travels by a factor of ten.
     In its previous design, the company used a pulsed power machine to electromagnetically launch projectiles. This permitted them to achieve a maximum standoff distance of 1cm.
     First Light explained in a press release, “The major milestone will help solve one of the key engineering challenges in designing a projectile fusion power plant. It forms part of the Oxford-based firm’s ongoing work to design a pilot power plant capable of producing commercial energy from fusion,”
     First Light is investigating nuclear fusion by using a unique method called inertial confinement fusion. This method involves firing a high-speed projectile to create high temperatures and pressures. These, in turn, trigger a fusion reaction.
     This new method generates the high temperatures and pressures required for fusion reactions by using a projectile to compress a target containing fusion fuel at a very high speed. This process resembles the firing of a spark plug in an internal combustion engine.
     First Light explained that “This creates the extreme temperatures and pressures required to achieve fusion by compressing a target containing fusion fuel using a projectile traveling at a tremendous speed. The ‘Standoff’ distance is the distance between where the ‘projectile’ is launched and the ‘target’— where the fusion implosion happens,”
     First Light faced a major challenge to increase the distance between the projectile and the target in its fusion reactor. Employing the electric gun method, the start-up managed to increase the projectile distance to ten cm, ten times more than its previous record.
     First Light explained that “The challenge is to be able to launch a projectile accurately, at velocities of several kilometers per second, while keeping it in a solid state when it hits the fusion fuel. This is a major challenge in First Light’s approach with its pilot power plant design requiring the projectile to be fired at very high speeds and accuracy.”
     This is only part of the challenge for First Light with its novel reactors. They also need to reach a distance of about ten feet to create a viable power plant. However, the technique promises to bring this “Holy Grail” of energy production to life.
     First Light explains that “First Light’s aim is to design the lowest risk and simplest, most scalable plant design possible. By increasing the energy per shot, and reducing the frequency, First Light aims to achieve a smaller overall plant size with a much lower risk,”
     Mila Fitzgerald is a Scientist at First Light Fusion. She said that “This is a milestone moment for First Light and the result of a huge amount of effort, time, and perseverance from the whole team. As we scale up our approach and look to design a pilot power plant based on First Light’s projectile approach – one of the key challenges is being able to fire a projectile at high speeds and from a further distance. That is the basis of our current pilot plant design. This experiment demonstrates a way for us to do that and is an exciting step in the right direction.”