US hints at "major scientific breakthrough" in nuclear fusion; official announcement expected soon

An article published by The Financial Times on Sunday claimed that scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have created a "net energy gain" in a fusion reactor experiment.

It might be a major step forward in the search for carbon-free energy if scientists could produce more energy in a fusion reaction than was consumed during the process.

Officials from the Energy Department and LLNL have refused to confirm or authenticate the FT's report that the US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will "announce a major scientific breakthrough". The "research is continuing," according to an official.


The FT reported that the fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain of 120 per cent happened within the previous two weeks, citing three persons with knowledge of the early results.

The Washington Post reported that two people familiar with the research later confirmed the conclusion and that a leading fusion scientist said, "To most of us, this was simply a matter of time."



Since nuclear fusion produces no waste and no greenhouse gases, some scientists think it has the potential to be an energy source in the coming time.

Fission, the process now used in nuclear power plants, fuses two atomic nuclei instead of splitting a single nucleus.

The fusion facility has over 200 lasers, each the size of three football fields, that blast a tiny area with a lot of energy to initiate a fusion reaction.

FAQs:

1. What does LLNL stand for?
   Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
2. How many lasers does LLNL have?
   It has over 200 lasers in the fusion facility.