Tag

Inertial Confinement Fusion

All articles tagged with #inertial confinement fusion

science13 days ago•7 min saved

LLNL Laser Experiments Correct Diamond Melting Curves for Fusion and Planetary Science

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have corrected long-standing errors in diamond melting temperature estimates by using laser-driven shock experiments. By blasting diamond samples and tracking the process with X-ray diffraction, they found previous theoretical and experimental data were off by hundreds of degrees. This updated data is critical for improving inertial confinement fusion (ICF) efficiency at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and for modeling carbon behavior in ice giants like Neptune. While the findings do not impact magnetic confinement fusion for power generation, they significantly enhance our understanding of diamond under extreme planetary pressures.

via Hackaday|

#diamond #inertial-confinement-fusion #lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory

energy18 days ago•15 min saved

LLNL Laser Shocks Reveal Diamond Melts at 12,680°F and Floats on Its Own Melt

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers resolved a 20-year dispute over diamond's melting point by using the OMEGA laser to shock-compress tiny diamond samples. The team measured a melting temperature of 12,680°F (7,300 K) at 145 million psi, aligning experimental data with quantum simulations. A key finding is that solid diamond floats on its own liquid, similar to ice on water, indicating the liquid phase is denser. This data improves models for ice-giant interiors and suggests gentler initial shocks could enhance fusion energy gain at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

via Autonocion.com|

#diamond-melting-point #energy #extreme-pressure-physics

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Lab Replays Neptune’s Diamond Rain to Sharpen Fusion Power Prospects

Lawrence Livermore researchers used laser-driven shocks on tiny diamond samples to reproduce the extreme pressures and temperatures found deep in Neptune and Uranus, melting diamond while recording its atomic structure, temperature, density and reflectivity. The work suggests slower initial shocks could improve fuel compressibility and boost energy yield in inertial confinement fusion, offering new atomic-scale benchmarks for modeling ice-giant atmospheres and guiding fusion experiments.

via Gizmodo|

#diamond #fusion #high-pressure

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Diamond Remains Diamond Under Extreme Shocks, Solving 20-Year Melting Mystery

Laser-driven shock experiments up to pressures beyond Neptune’s core show diamond melts without forming an intermediate phase, and melting temperatures now match quantum simulations—resolving a 20-year discrepancy. The results hint that slightly slower initial shocks could triple fusion energy gain in inertial confinement fusion and provide tighter constraints for modeling diamond rain in ice giants like Neptune and Uranus.

via Science Daily|

#diamond #high-pressure-physics #ice-giants

space1 month ago•40 min saved

Diamond melts under extreme pressure, aligning with theory and boosting fusion energy prospects

LLNL researchers used the Omega Laser Facility to shock-compress synthetic diamond up to about 1 terapascals, directly observing melting via X-ray diffraction and finding the diamond retains its cubic structure all the way to melting. The results resolve a ~20-year gap between experiments and theory, show that a weaker initial shock could fully melt diamond in NIF implosions to improve fuel compressibility and energy yield, and provide tighter constraints on carbon behavior under extreme pressures relevant to ice-giant interiors (diamond rain).

via The Brighter Side of News|

#diamond-melting #fusion-energy #high-pressure-physics

energy1 month ago•7 min saved

Diamond under extreme pressure hints at 3x fusion energy gain

Researchers at LLNL found that diamond melts under extreme pressures (up to 1 TPa) and temperatures around 7,300 K via shock compression, resolving decades-long discrepancies between experiments and simulations; the findings, which indicate a shock-induced melting pathway and persistence of diamond structure, could triple energy gain in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion and inform models of planetary interiors.

via Interesting Engineering|

#diamond-melting #energy #high-pressure-physics

science-and-technology1 year ago•3 min saved

Thales Aims to Recreate the Sun on Earth with Lasers

Thales has launched a project called GenF to develop an artificial sun using laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, aiming to create a sustainable and clean energy source within a decade, supported by French government funding and collaborations with research institutions.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#france #fusion-energy #inertial-confinement-fusion

science-and-technology2 years ago•4 min saved

"Breakthrough in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Exceeds Energy Input"

Scientists from the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics have developed an effective "spark plug" for direct-drive methods of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), demonstrating the ability to achieve fusion reactions that produce more energy than the amount of energy in the central hot plasma. The experiments, conducted using the OMEGA laser system, represent a significant step towards achieving fusion at a future facility and offer promising implications for the future of laser fusion technology.

via Phys.org|

#fusion #inertial-confinement-fusion #laboratory-for-laser-energetics