From CNET: Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory may have achieved a remarkable new high point for fusion reactions, generating even more energy than was pumped in during a recent experiment, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The publication suggests scientists "with knowledge of preliminary results from a recent experiment" have discussed the result and analysis is ongoing. A major announcement is scheduled to take place at LLNL on Tuesday, Dec. 13. It's expected to be livestreamed by the Department of Energy at approximately 7 a.m. PT.
The National Ignition Facility operates an "inertial confinement fusion" experiment, which sees almost 200 lasers fired directly at a tiny capsule of hydrogen. According to Nathan Garland, a physicist at Griffith University in Australia, the lasers create a plasma around the capsule which eventually starts an implosion -- these conditions allow for fusion reactions to take place.
Fusion is the reaction that powers our sun and it works by smashing two heavy atoms together. This requires extreme pressure and extreme heat but trying to recreate the conditions in a lab is "super difficult," noted Garland.
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