Scientists May Have Tamed Fusion’s #1 Nemesis

A breakthrough in plasma control brings us a step closer to safe, limitless power.
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  • The biggest problem at the heart of nuclear fusion is how to contain ultra-hot plasma for long enough to sustain energy-producing reactions.
  • One of the big hurdles for containing plasma is eliminating “tearing mode”—instabilities where magnetic field lines containing plasma break.
  • Now, researchers from Princeton University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have trained an AI to notice these “tearing mode” plasma disruptions before they happen and keep the fusion reaction stable.

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