The California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s scientists successfully created a fusion reaction between two hydrogen atoms, and they were also able to sustain the process in a controlled setting, according to a report released on Tuesday by the US Department of Energy.
This significant development in the realm of nuclear fusion may eventually result in the development of a practical renewable energy source. Environmentalists who think that this type of energy can gradually reduce our dependency on fossil fuels welcomed the development as excellent news.
‘This is a great day,’ Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said at a news conference in Washington.
‘Today, we tell the world that America has achieved a tremendous scientific breakthrough. We invested in our national labs and we invested in fundamental research, and tomorrow will continue for a future that is powered, in part by fusion energy,’ she added according to the Associated Press.
According to reports, this was the first instance of nuclear fusion producing net energy gain in a controlled setting. A record-breaking experiment where 2.5 megajoules of energy may be produced by the reaction while only 2.1 megajoules were required to carry out the experiment.
This reaction resembles that which occurs inside the sun slightly, and as a result, this energy may prove useful in the future.
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