2 ms·
I don't know about the physics, but it's an engineering "in mice". They got more energy out of the plasma than they put in with the lasers, yes. But lasers are
by tuatoru 3y ago
I don't know about the physics, but it's an engineering "in mice".
They got more energy out of the plasma than they put in with the lasers, yes. But lasers are only a few percent efficient, and there are huge losses geting the power to the lasers from the capacitor banks (losses are proportional to the square of current, and we're talking very large currents). And there a further inefficiencies up the chain. Overall energy output would be well less than a thousandth of the energy put in. And it was generated only for a tiny fraction of a second.
Down-chain, actually being able to use the generated energy is its own chain of losses and inefficiencies.
TLDR; don't expect to see commercial fusion any time soon, or maybe in your lifetime.
- happytiger 3y agoSure, but it works.