BBC: 美国国家点火设施核聚变里程碑突破

Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab

Researchers at a US lab have passed a crucial milestone on the way to their ultimate goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion.

Harnessing fusion - the process that powers the Sun - could provide an unlimited and cheap source of energy.

But to be viable, fusion power plants would have to produce more energy than they consume, which has proven elusive.

Now, a breakthrough by scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) could boost hopes of scaling up fusion.

NIF, based at Livermore in California, uses 192 beams from the world's most powerful laser to heat and compress a small pellet of hydrogen fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place.

The BBC understands that during an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.

This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.

But the latest achievement has been described as the single most meaningful step for fusion in recent years, and demonstrates NIF is well on its way towards the coveted target of ignition and self-sustaining fusion.

For half a century, researchers have strived for controlled nuclear fusion and been disappointed. It was hoped that NIF would provide the breakthrough fusion research needed.

In 2009, NIF officials announced an aim to demonstrate nuclear fusion producing net energy by 30 September 2012. But unexpected technical problems ensured the deadline came and went; the fusion output was less than had originally been predicted by mathematical models.

Soon after, the $3.5bn facility shifted focus, cutting the amount of time spent on fusion versus nuclear weapons research - which was part of the lab's original mission.

However, the latest experiments agree well with predictions of energy output, which will provide a welcome boost to ignition research at NIF, as well as encouragement to advocates of fusion energy in general.

It is markedly different from current nuclear power, which operates through splitting atoms - fission - rather than squashing them together in fusion.

NIF, based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is one of several projects around the world aimed at harnessing fusion. They include the multi-billion-euro ITER facility, currently under construction in Cadarache, France.

However, ITER will take a different approach to the laser-driven fusion at NIF; the Cadarache facility will use magnetic fields to contain the hot fusion fuel - a concept known as magnetic confinement.

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

只翻译下面的一小段:

the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.

通过聚变反应释放的能量的量超过由燃料被吸收的能量的量 - 这是世界上任何核聚变设施实现的第一次。

This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.

这距离实验室“点火”的既定目标还差一步之遥，“点火”也就是当达到核聚变产生与激光器的能量供应一样多的能量的時候。这是因为已知“效率低下/损耗”的不同系统部件意味着，不是所有的能量能通过激光提供的能量被输送到燃料。

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
楼下CDer给的翻译:

聚变反应释放的能量超过了被燃料吸收的能量——这是全世界核聚变设施首次实现这一成果
这距离实验室“点火”的既定目标还差一步之遥。“点火”就是指核聚变产生的能量与供给激光器的能量一样多。因为已知的系统各部分的“效率低下”，并非所有通过激光器传递的能量都被输送到了燃料。

或

第二段，按照字面直译多少有点费解。

不妨意译为：这距离实验室的既定目标，即“点火”，又前进了一步。所谓“点火”，就是说核聚变的输出能量达到（或超过）为启动核聚变所输入的总能量水平。本次试验产生的核聚变能量仅超过了燃料球直接吸收的激光能；但由于激光系统各组件的能量损耗，被吸收的激光能仍小于整个系统的能耗。


Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab

Researchers at a US lab have passed a crucial milestone on the way to their ultimate goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion.

Harnessing fusion - the process that powers the Sun - could provide an unlimited and cheap source of energy.

But to be viable, fusion power plants would have to produce more energy than they consume, which has proven elusive.

Now, a breakthrough by scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) could boost hopes of scaling up fusion.

NIF, based at Livermore in California, uses 192 beams from the world's most powerful laser to heat and compress a small pellet of hydrogen fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place.

The BBC understands that during an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.

This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.

But the latest achievement has been described as the single most meaningful step for fusion in recent years, and demonstrates NIF is well on its way towards the coveted target of ignition and self-sustaining fusion.

For half a century, researchers have strived for controlled nuclear fusion and been disappointed. It was hoped that NIF would provide the breakthrough fusion research needed.

In 2009, NIF officials announced an aim to demonstrate nuclear fusion producing net energy by 30 September 2012. But unexpected technical problems ensured the deadline came and went; the fusion output was less than had originally been predicted by mathematical models.

Soon after, the $3.5bn facility shifted focus, cutting the amount of time spent on fusion versus nuclear weapons research - which was part of the lab's original mission.

However, the latest experiments agree well with predictions of energy output, which will provide a welcome boost to ignition research at NIF, as well as encouragement to advocates of fusion energy in general.

It is markedly different from current nuclear power, which operates through splitting atoms - fission - rather than squashing them together in fusion.

NIF, based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is one of several projects around the world aimed at harnessing fusion. They include the multi-billion-euro ITER facility, currently under construction in Cadarache, France.

However, ITER will take a different approach to the laser-driven fusion at NIF; the Cadarache facility will use magnetic fields to contain the hot fusion fuel - a concept known as magnetic confinement.

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

只翻译下面的一小段:

the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.

通过聚变反应释放的能量的量超过由燃料被吸收的能量的量 - 这是世界上任何核聚变设施实现的第一次。

This is a step short of the lab's stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as the lasers supply. This is because known "inefficiencies" in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.

这距离实验室“点火”的既定目标还差一步之遥，“点火”也就是当达到核聚变产生与激光器的能量供应一样多的能量的時候。这是因为已知“效率低下/损耗”的不同系统部件意味着，不是所有的能量能通过激光提供的能量被输送到燃料。

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
楼下CDer给的翻译:

聚变反应释放的能量超过了被燃料吸收的能量——这是全世界核聚变设施首次实现这一成果
这距离实验室“点火”的既定目标还差一步之遥。“点火”就是指核聚变产生的能量与供给激光器的能量一样多。因为已知的系统各部分的“效率低下”，并非所有通过激光器传递的能量都被输送到了燃料。

或

第二段，按照字面直译多少有点费解。

不妨意译为：这距离实验室的既定目标，即“点火”，又前进了一步。所谓“点火”，就是说核聚变的输出能量达到（或超过）为启动核聚变所输入的总能量水平。本次试验产生的核聚变能量仅超过了燃料球直接吸收的激光能；但由于激光系统各组件的能量损耗，被吸收的激光能仍小于整个系统的能耗。