American nuclear physicists from the University of Rochester Laser Energy Laboratory have successfully tested the OMEGA laser “spark plug” for fusion reactors. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Physics (NatPhys).
OMEGA is the largest scientific laser in the world today.
Using the setup, scientists have conducted several successful tests by firing 28-kilojoule beams at small capsules fueled by deuterium and tritium. As a result, the containers exploded, creating a plasma hot enough to trigger the fusion of the fuel nuclei.
In experiments at OMEGA, direct laser irradiation was applied to the object. An alternative method involves converting the light into X-rays that fire the capsules. But this requires almost 100 times more energy; about 2000 kilojoules.
According to scientists, they succeeded in breaking new ground in experiments using artificial intelligence tools.
“An important factor contributing to the success of the final tests was the development of a new explosion (compression) design method based on statistical predictions and verified by machine learning algorithms. Predictive models allow us to narrow down the range of promising projects before conducting experiments,” said one of the study’s authors Professor Riccardo Betti.
Previous scientists was created New material to protect thermonuclear reactors from hot plasma.