News Physics

A potential hindrance to fusion power may help instead

By tamping down turbulence, fusion's alpha particles could boost reactor performance

Interior view of the ITER fusion reactor under construction, showing a massive doughnut-shaped chamber lined with components and scaffolding.

Fusion facilities like ITER (shown under construction in January) will use strong magnetic fields to confine plasma, potentially generating the extreme conditions needed to produce more energy than is required to operate the device.

The ITER Organization

By Emily Conover

Good news for fusion fans: A phenomenon that might have hindered efforts to generate energy using nuclear fusion may actually be beneficial.