Chapter 387 The United States Can’t Sit Still

For controlled nuclear fusion technology, using helium-3 and hydrogen to simulate high-density plasma operation experiments is completely different from directly using deuterium-tritium raw materials for ignition operation.

In fact, apart from the route of inertial confinement that simulates hydrogen bomb explosions, there are only a handful of countries and devices that have actually conducted ignition operation experiments on the route of magnetic confinement.

The former does not require very high experimental equipment. It is enough to form magnetic field confinement and allow high-temperature plasma flow to run in the reactor chamber.

Although helium-3 and hydrogen can simulate the operating state of high-density plasma at high temperatures, it is still different from the fusion ignition of deuterium-tritium raw materials.

When helium-3 and hydrogen are running in the reactor chamber, they will not really produce fusion phenomenon. This is the biggest difference.

When each deuterium atom and tritium atom fuses, it will release huge energy and neutrons, which will affect the high-temperature plasma running in the reactor chamber.

In addition, the neutron beam released during the fusion process will also break away from the restraint of the confining magnetic field, causing extremely serious damage to the first wall material.

This is what will inevitably happen during the deuterium-tritium fusion process.

Neutrons cannot be restrained by magnetic fields, which is common sense in the physics community.

If someone can really restrain neutrons, the entire theoretical physics community and even the entire physics community will have to kneel down and ask him to guide the way forward.

Neutron irradiation produced by deuterium-tritium fusion is one of the most difficult problems to solve in the entire controlled nuclear fusion.

The damage to materials caused by neutron irradiation is not only atomic transmutation and destruction of internal chemical bonds, but also the purest physical structure damage.

It is like bullets hitting a steel plate, and each time it will cause a hole in the steel plate.

Of course, it is just at the microscopic level.

How to solve the neutron irradiation problem generated during deuterium-tritium fusion and the choice of the first wall material are also super difficult problems in controlled nuclear fusion.

Now that the Dawn Fusion Device has come to this point, facing the neutron irradiation produced by deuterium-tritium fusion is already a matter of the moment.

In the main control room, Xu Chuan held his breath and looked at the main monitoring screen.

After the deuterium-tritium raw materials were injected into the Dawn Fusion Device, they were quickly transformed into a plasma state under the support of the ICRF heating antenna system.

The outer coil formed a confining magnetic field to quickly confine the plasmatized deuterium-tritium raw materials in the channel formed by the CNC model, and the fine-tuning magnetic field stably regulated these trace amounts of high-temperature plasma, running in the chamber.

If you have a pair of eyes that can see the microscopic, you will see the most beautiful scene in the universe in the Dawn Fusion Device at this moment.

Under a high temperature of hundreds of millions of degrees, the electrons on the outer layer of the deuterium-tritium atoms are stripped away, and the nuclei are exposed. The extremely high temperature brings extremely high activity to these plasmas. Every atomic nucleus is like a car on a highway, speeding on the road.

When a deuterium nucleus collides with a tritium nucleus, the most wonderful reaction in the universe occurs!

Deuterium-tritium fusion forms a helium atom and a neutron, and releases a huge amount of energy.

This is the source of all life and the ultimate energy in human dreams.

In the main control room, as the deuterium-tritium raw materials are plasmatized, reports are heard one after another excitedly.

"High-temperature deuterium-tritium plasma is detected!"

"The external field superconducting coil is in good operating condition!"

"Fusion reaction is observed!"

"Strong neutron irradiation is detected on the first wall!"

"."

Every time a report is heard, everyone's heart beats violently.

The most exciting thing is the report of "Fusion reaction is observed".

This means that in the Dawn fusion device, the plasma deuterium-tritium raw materials have successfully completed collision and fusion, releasing a large amount of energy.

Perhaps the fusion reaction is only a tiny fraction of this milligram of deuterium-tritium raw materials, but it still shines like a star and makes people intoxicated.

At this moment, the deuterium-tritium plasma flowing in the Dawn fusion device is like a dream coming true.

Although its mass is only one milligram, although its operation time is only a short minute, although it is only a phased achievement for controlled nuclear fusion.

But it is still extremely bright, as long as a century, just like a red sun rising from the east.

With the closure of the ICRF heating antenna, the current supply of the superconducting coil stopped, and the plasma temperature in the reactor chamber also dropped rapidly.

When the entire Dawn fusion device completely stopped running, the cheers that had been suppressed for a long time finally resounded in the laboratory.

"Success! We succeeded!"

I don't know who shouted, the solemn atmosphere was instantly ignited, and everyone cheered.

Some people cheered excitedly, some hugged each other to celebrate, and some people gently wiped the moisture from the corners of their eyes with their hands.

Standing in the crowd, Xu Chuan also showed a bright smile.

In any case, today, they have created a new glory, and history books will also be written by them.

The successful operation of high-density plasma for more than two hours and the ignition of deuterium-tritium materials means that the Dawn Fusion Device has successfully entered the second stage on the road to controlled nuclear fusion.

Throughout the world, there is no country or experimental reactor that can achieve this level!

They are now the world's number one in the field of controlled nuclear fusion.

Of course, as this experiment runs, they have many troubles and problems to solve.

The biggest trouble is the neutron radiation produced during the ignition and fusion of deuterium-tritium raw materials.

Although this experiment only ran for a short minute, and although the magnetic field constrained by the CNC model still played a stable role and firmly controlled the high-temperature plasma turbulence, and although the deuterium-tritium raw materials were only one milligram,

the neutron irradiation produced during the deuterium-tritium fusion process still caused a certain degree of damage to the Dawn fusion device, whether it was the first wall material or other equipment.

Fortunately, the operation time was not long, the irradiation amount was not large, and the damage caused by neutron irradiation was within the repairable range.

However, even so, the Dawn fusion device could not start running experiments again in a short time.

Of course, although the price paid was high, the harvest was also quite rich.

High-density plasma operation data for more than two hours, the feasibility of ignition operation of deuterium-tritium material fusion in the tokamak device, neutron irradiation data of the first wall material, etc.

These are extremely valuable experimental data.

Especially the neutron irradiation data of the first wall material, its scientific research value cannot be converted into money.

In the world, there is such data obtained after one minute of ignition and fusion of real deuterium-tritium materials, which can be said to be unique.

Perhaps some devices that have ventured into ignition operation before also have similar data, but Xu Chuan can be sure that the ignition operation time will basically not exceed ten seconds.

In China, this has never happened before.

Even the most advanced EAST has never conducted ignition and operation experiments on deuterium-tritium materials.

The second ignition operation of the Dawn Breaking Device did not attract much attention from the outside world, and there was not much discussion on the Internet.

However, in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, it is completely different.

Two hours of high-density plasma operation and one minute of deuterium-tritium fusion ignition operation brought a shock that was no less than the 45-minute operation time of the first creation. '

Almost all scholars who are engaged in controlled nuclear fusion know what this means.

Although the start of deuterium-tritium fusion ignition operation is only the first step towards the true realization of controlled nuclear fusion. But compared to those who are still wandering outside the door, this is already a huge lead.

Princeton PPPL Laboratory, United States.

Halifax Bruce, the director who was discussing with Fefferman how to further optimize the control model of the PPPL device, received this amazing news.

Across from him, looking at Halifax Bruce with a complex expression, Fefferman asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Hearing the question, Halifax came back from his distraction and said with a hint of envy in his tone: "In China, Professor Xu restarted the Dawn fusion experiment for the second time. Not only did he achieve two hours of high-density plasma operation, he also tried a one-minute deuterium-tritium raw material fusion ignition operation."

Hearing this, Fefferman was stunned for a moment and said, "Two hours? Deuterium-tritium fusion ignition? Are they progressing so fast?"

Halifax Bruce smiled bitterly and said, "The news report has come out, it should be true . "

After a pause, he continued: "In comparison, we are far behind. The longest high-density plasma operation time that PPPL has achieved so far is only a dozen seconds. As for the deuterium-tritium fusion operation, it is even more distant. "

Speaking of this, Halifax looked at Fefferman and said bitterly: "It seems that what you said at the beginning was right. Professor Xu is the real key in controlling plasma turbulence."

From the high-density plasma operation of 45 minutes and more than two hours achieved by the Dawn Fusion Device, no one would believe that Xu Chuan does not have an excellent plasma turbulence control solution.

It is even possible that he has already completed the research and development of the mathematical model of plasma turbulence.

After all, with major research institutions still advancing in seconds, the two-hour operation time is really too exaggerated.

At the beginning, PPPL Laboratory also had such an opportunity.

Fefferman once told him that only if Professor Xu joined, they would have the hope of developing a control model for high-temperature plasma turbulence. But he did not take it seriously. Although he did invite him personally, he gave up after only one invitation.

Now, the other party has already walked ahead. The plasma turbulence control model that they studied with Feferman at PPPL is still far away, and the operating time of the PPPL device is still at the second level.

On the other side, Feferman shook his head and said, "From the perspective of mathematical ability alone, I am afraid that there are few people in the current mathematics community who can match him."

"Maybe I can still compare with him in some areas of expertise, but in terms of comprehensiveness, let alone me, even the omnipotent Professor Tao is probably not his opponent."

"Two of the seven millennium problems, this achievement can only be compared with a handful of people throughout the history of mathematics."

"Maybe his influence is not as great as those great mathematicians in history, but as long as he is still developing in the mathematics community, his influence will increase over time."

Halifax Bruce shrugged and seemed to think of something. After thinking for a moment, he excitedly said: "Feferman, do you think we have the opportunity to purchase a batch of high-temperature copper carbon from Professor Xu?" Silver composite superconducting materials.”

"Judging from Planck's stellarator Helix 7X, it is not just the mathematical model of plasma turbulence that affects the running time. I believe that the Planck Institute of Plasma definitely does not have a mathematical model, but they used the high temperature to Superconducting materials can still run for half an hour on the stellarator. "

"If it can be purchased, the PPPL device may also be able to operate for half an hour."

Fefferman thought for a while and said: "There is indeed a chance. He is a person who is very nostalgic. If it is purchased in the name of Princeton, he should agree."

After a pause, he added: "If Deligne and Witten are involved, the probability will be even greater."

Hearing this, Halifax fist-bumped and said with a smile: "Of course, I will visit Deligne and Witten."

On the other side, Washington.

When the dawn fusion device made another two-hour progress, U.S. energy leaders finally couldn't sit still and held a press conference in the White Room.

Standing in front of the podium, Dan Brouillette, the director of the U.S. Energy Corporation, was talking eloquently, delivering a speech on the controllable nuclear fusion technology that has attracted much attention recently, and at the same time announced that he would increase investment in the field of controllable nuclear fusion, etc. wait.

At the same time, Dan Brouillette also responded to the long-circulated rumors that the United States intends to withdraw from the ITER organization. Of course, this is not his main purpose.

The purpose of publicly responding to this point at a press conference is not just to simply boost national confidence, but also to defeat the goal of another country.

"The United States has never planned to withdraw from ITER. On the contrary, not only will we not withdraw, we will continue to increase our investment in ITER and fulfill our responsibilities and obligations in ITER."

"At this point, the United States will not be like a certain country that uses ITER to obtain a large amount of technology in the field of controllable nuclear fusion, but never fulfills its responsibilities and obligations."

"Using ITER's sharing agreement to draw technology from ITER to strengthen itself, but not sharing its own research, is obviously a violation of the agreement. At this point, our great United States will continue to assume the position of the world's police and protect ITER member states. Interests!"

"At the same time, we will also increase investment in the field of controllable nuclear fusion, increase cooperation with allies, and do our best to complete the research and development of controllable nuclear fusion technology as soon as possible."

"."

PS: Please give me monthly votes. Big guys, please give me some monthly votes. The ranking has dropped all the way.