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Robo-Connery OP t1_j0bgk2b wrote

Reply to comment by NickDanger3di in National Ignition Facility (NIF) announces net positive energy fusion experiment by Robo-Connery

I agree with the sentiment here but I would point out that the first ever successful controlled fusion ignition (so we exclude the obvious fusion weapons) was in 1958 with a theta pinch machine. Fusion is achieved dozens of times a day at a large number of reactors and nif has routinely ignited fusion since it was commissioned. Nif achieved a milestone with this experiment but not the first ever fusion ignition.

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drunkdoor t1_j0s9r4a wrote

Is this article completely wrong then by saying the first ever ignition event just happened?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_ignition

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Robo-Connery OP t1_j0uuk42 wrote

Yes that article is completely wrong.

It even clarifies in the first section:

"Ignition should not be confused with breakeven, a similar concept that compares the total energy being given off to the energy being used to heat the fuel."

edit:

it also changes its definition multiple times throughout the article, that article is horrible. The definitions they give means NIF either achieved it on its first ever experiment or it is impossible for NIF to achieve it (id personally say the latter is true) it also claims it is a necessary pre-req for power - not true remotely. It also precludes all tokamaks from ever achieving it due to external heating being used for plasma control and h-mode access even if internal heating is 10 times higher (or 1000 or a billion).

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