German lab takes further step closer to nuclear fusion

Scientists in Germany flipped the switch on an experiment they hope will advance the quest for nuclear fusion, considered a clean and safe form of nuclear power.

Following nine years of construction and testing, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald injected a tiny amount of hydrogen into a doughnut-shaped device — then zapped it with the equivalent of 6,000 microwave ovens.

The resulting super-hot gas, known as plasma, lasted just a fraction of a second before cooling down again, long enough for scientists to declare the start of their experiment a success.

“Everything went well today,” said Robert Wolf, a senior scientist on the project.

“With a system as complex as this you have to make sure everything works perfectly and there’s always a risk.”

The experiment in Greifswald is part of a worldwide effort to harness nuclear fusion, a process in which atoms join at extremely high temperatures and release large amounts of energy.

Advocates acknowledge that the technology is probably many decades away, but argue that, once achieved, it could replace fossil fuels and conventional nuclear fission reactors.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who holds a doctorate in physics, personally pressed the button at yesterday’s launch.