> The results from the experiment on 8 August indicate an energy output of over one mega-joule, which marks the threshold agreed for the onset of 'ignition' and is six times the previous highest energy achieved.
They got 1Mj output from > 500TW input - this is a "major milestone" but only a small step on the path to fusion.
NIF is fascinating, and has been promising for the past decade. The idea of kick-starting fusion with lasers sounds awesome, and then more awesome when you realize just how much energy you need for fusion. They're shooting terawatts of laser at a target the size of a hollow grain of rice, and they're not there yet!
They got 1Mj output from > 500TW input - this is a "major milestone" but only a small step on the path to fusion.
NIF is fascinating, and has been promising for the past decade. The idea of kick-starting fusion with lasers sounds awesome, and then more awesome when you realize just how much energy you need for fusion. They're shooting terawatts of laser at a target the size of a hollow grain of rice, and they're not there yet!