General Fusion Group Ltd, in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), has announced a significant compressional plasma heating result. Their Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) demonstration achieved electron temperatures over 12 million degrees Celsius, or more than 1 keV, using Magnetised Target Fusion (MTF).
The UKAEA, the UK's national fusion laboratory, co-published these findings. The measurements were taken using Thomson scattering methods, a laser-based technique for accurately measuring plasma temperature without disturbance.
This result marks a step forward for General Fusion's MTF approach, which aims to deliver economical clean power from fusion energy. The LM26 programme is designed to reach key technical milestones on the path to a first-of-a-kind fusion plant in the next decade, with a goal to begin operating around 2035.