Major discovery could finally make nuclear fusion viable ⚡

Nuclear fusion, the technology that could one day provide clean and nearly limitless energy, has just taken a major leap forward. Scientists have finally found a solution to a puzzle that has lasted for 70 years. The result: we will soon be able to build simpler and more efficient fusion reactors.

An international team has developed a new method to better control particles inside reactors. This breakthrough, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, is based on an idea from physics called "symmetry theory." Thanks to it, researchers can create the magnetic fields needed for reactor operation much more easily.


Reactors called "stellarators," which are extremely complex to build, particularly benefit from this method. Their magnetic system can now be designed ten times faster without losing precision. This saves a tremendous amount of time and money.

In a fusion reactor, particles called "alpha particles" are released during the reaction. Unfortunately, they tend to escape, reducing the reactor's efficiency. The new method helps keep them better confined, improving performance.

Until now, researchers used classical Newtonian laws for their calculations. But it was very time-consuming and complicated. The new method allows for quickly identifying weaknesses in the magnetic field that confines the plasma.

And that's not all: this technique can also be applied to tokamaks, another type of fusion reactor. These devices have another issue: electrons sometimes escape violently, which can damage them. The discovery could also help solve this problem.

This progress is promising: it could accelerate the arrival of fusion energy in our lives. A clean energy source, with no long-term radioactive waste and nearly infinite reserves. Researchers are already thinking about concrete applications.

How does a nuclear fusion reactor work?

A fusion reactor seeks to replicate what happens in the Sun. It fuses light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, to release energy.

But to do this, the gas (called plasma) must be heated to millions of degrees. To prevent the plasma from touching the reactor walls, it is contained by an extremely powerful magnetic field.

Reactors like stellarators or tokamaks use these fields to keep the plasma in place. The new method helps design these fields more effectively, making reactors more efficient.

Thanks to it, fusion energy could soon become a real solution to global energy problems.

Symmetry theory

In physics, symmetry theory helps identify what remains unchanged in a system, even when it undergoes a transformation. For example, if you rotate a circle, it remains a circle: that's a symmetry.

Scientists use this idea to simplify complex problems. In the case of fusion, it allows for faster calculations on how to create effective magnetic fields.

Symmetries are everywhere in physics, from atoms to stars. They have even led to major discoveries, such as that of quarks.

By applying them to nuclear fusion, we see just how much this theory can help solve concrete problems... and prepare for the future of energy.