Researchers are using mayonnaise in groundbreaking nuclear fusion research. This may sound like a joke, but there’s some serious science behind it.
Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun, is seen by many scientists as the “holy grail” of energy. In nuclear fusion, light atomic nuclei are fused into heavier nuclei, releasing vast amounts of energy. Unlike nuclear fission, the technology used in current nuclear power plants, nuclear fusion produces little radioactive waste and the fuel is abundant on Earth.
However, replicating the extreme conditions of the Sun here on Earth is a huge challenge. The Sun’s core has temperatures of around 15 million degrees Celsius and enormous pressure due to gravity. For nuclear fusion to occur on Earth, much higher temperatures, over 100 million degrees Celsius, are needed because scientists cannot simulate the Sun’s gravity.
Physics of mayonnaise
Scientists have been working on different ways to create and control these extreme conditions for decades. Now a team of researchers at Lehigh University in the US has come up with a truly amazing approach. They are using mayonnaise to better understand the physics of nuclear fusion.
“Mayonnaise behaves like a solid, but it starts to flow under pressure,” says Arindam Banerjee of Lehigh University. “This is similar to how plasma behaves under similar conditions.” press releasePlasma is the state in which hydrogen changes during nuclear fusion.
No expensive experiments needed.
The research team uses a specially designed rotating cylinder to simulate plasma flow conditions. Using mayonnaise, they can study the physics of plasma flows without the extreme temperatures and pressures typically required in fusion experiments. Not only is it easier, it’s also several times cheaper.
The results of this research could lead to the design of fusion reactors that remain more stable throughout the fusion process, which has remained an unsolved problem until now. This could be one of many steps forward in the development of practical nuclear fusion as an energy source.
Read more energy news and stay informed with our newsletter.
More Stories
Which can cause an increase in nitrogen.
The Central State Real Estate Agency has no additional space to accommodate Ukrainians.
The oystercatcher, the “unlucky national bird,” is increasingly breeding on rooftops.