Plasma confinement
Plasma confinement refers to the methods used to contain plasma, a state of matter where gases become ionized and consist of free electrons and ions. In fusion research, controlling plasma is crucial because it can reach extremely high temperatures and must be kept away from reactor walls to avoid cooling down or damaging equipment. Techniques like magnetic confinement (using strong magnetic fields) and inertial confinement (using lasers or other means to compress plasma) help maintain stable conditions necessary for nuclear fusion, aiming to replicate the sun's energy production on Earth.
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Plasma confinement refers to the methods used to contain plasma, a hot, ionized gas made of charged particles. This is crucial for applications like fusion energy, where we harness the energy produced by fusing atomic nuclei. Since plasma naturally wants to expand and cool down, magnetic fields or physical containers are used to keep it stable and confined. Proper confinement maintains the high temperatures and pressure needed for fusion to occur efficiently, potentially providing a powerful and sustainable energy source.