Physicist's Contribution Leads to Historic Energy Gain in Nuclear Fusion

Physicist Annie Kritcher and her team at the US Department of Energy's National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion by compressing atoms tightly enough to generate more energy than the reaction consumes, a goal that had eluded laboratories for decades. The NIF's successful experiment has sparked optimism about the future of fusion energy, which could provide a safe, clean, and almost limitless source of power. Kritcher and her team are now working on further experiments to increase fusion yields and aim to eventually develop a prototype laser fusion energy reactor.