Nuclear Fusion Flares on a Tabletop
By blasting clusters of deuterium atoms with a small, yet powerful laser, researchers have achieved the long-held dream of sparking nuclear fusion on a lab bench.
References:
Ditmire, T., et al. 1999. Table-top fusion experiments with laser-heated, exploding deuterium clusters. Centennial Meeting of the American Physical Society. March. Atlanta.
Further Readings:
Ditmire, T., et al. 1997. High-energy ions produced in explosions of superheated atomic clusters. Nature 386(March 6):54.
Peterson, I. 1996. Sparking fusion. Science News 150(Oct. 19):254.
______. 1996. Surfing a laser wave. Science News 149(Feb. 10):95.
Sources:
Todd Ditmire
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Laser Program, L-477
Livermore, CA 94550
Gerard A. Mourou
University of Michigan
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
6113 IST Building
2200 Bonisteel Boulevard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2099
From Science News, Vol. 155, No. 13, March 27, 1999, p. 196. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.
