brw cover story: nuclear power, page-10

theory of fusion re: brw cover story: nuclear powe A bit of brief info for those that are interested;

The sun produces energy via a thermonuclear fusion process which relies on the fine balance between the heat & pressure generated by the force of gravity which wants to collapse all it's mass inwards against the huge energy released by fusion exerting an outward force to prevent the collapse, in a self regulating and correcting feedback loop ie too much fusion - sun expands slightly blowing off excess energy, which then allows gravity to get the upper hand, starting the compression cycle, which creates more heat and more fusion etc. etc. etc.

But containing it in a reactor is quite a feat that will I think take many many years to overcome - latest research centres around containing a hot dense ball of plasma in an extremely strong magnetic field.
The problems to be overcome are;
1. Stopping the plasma from "leaking" out of the fusion core area which isn't great because the matter is several MILLION degrees with enormous kinetic energy
2. How to introduce a steady supply of fuel into the core area and remove the fusion products without upsetting the whole process
3. How to extract the energy produced in a useful way so it can be harnessed effectively
4. How to make it self-sustaining and controllable

If it is eventually achieved it is safe to say it would be one of if not the greatest achievement of Humankind.