I-Tungsten ifaneleka ngokukhethekile njengempahla yezingxenye ezicindezeleke kakhulu zomkhumbi ezivale i-plasma ehlanganisiwe eshisayo, okuyinsimbi enephuzu eliphakeme kakhulu lokuncibilika. Nokho, ububi buwukuba brittleness kwayo, okuthi ngaphansi kokucindezeleka kuyenze ibe ntekenteke futhi ithambekele ekulimaleni. Inoveli, impahla eyinhlanganisela eqine kakhudlwana manje isithuthukiswe yiMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) eGarching. Iqukethe i-homogeneous tungsten enezintambo ze-tungsten eziboshwe ezishunyekiwe. Ucwaningo lokungenzeka lusanda kukhombisa ukufaneleka okuyisisekelo kwenhlanganisela entsha.

Inhloso yocwaningo olwenziwe kwa-IPP ukuthuthukisa isikhungo sikagesi, njengelanga, esithola amandla ekuhlanganisweni kwenuclei ye-athomu. Uphethiloli osetshenziswayo yi-low density hydrogen plasma. Ukuze kokhele umlilo we-fusion, i-plasma kufanele ivalelwe ezindaweni ezinozibuthe futhi ifudunyezwe ngezinga lokushisa eliphezulu. Emgogodleni kufinyelelwa amadigri ayizigidi eziyi-100. I-Tungsten iyinsimbi ethembisa kakhulu njengempahla yezingxenye ezihlangana ngqo ne-plasma eshisayo. Lokhu kuboniswe ngophenyo olunzulu kwa-IPP. Inkinga engakaxazululeki kuze kube manje, kube ukuntenga kwezinto: I-Tungsten ilahlekelwa ukuqina kwayo ngaphansi kwezimo zesikhungo samandla. Ingcindezi yendawo - ukushuba, ukunwebeka noma ingcindezi - angeke kugwenywe izinto ezinikezela kancane. Kunalokho kwakheka imifantu: Ngakho-ke izingxenye zisabela ngokuzwela kakhulu ekulayishweni kwendawo.

Yingakho i-IPP yabheka izinhlaka ezikwazi ukusabalalisa ukungezwani kwendawo. Izitsha zobumba eziqiniswe nge-fibre zisebenza njengamamodeli: Isibonelo, i-brittle silicon carbide yenziwa iqine ngokuphindwe kahlanu uma iqiniswa ngemicu ye-silicon carbide. Ngemva kwezifundo ezimbalwa zokuqala usosayensi we-IPP u-Johann Riesch wayezophenya ukuthi ingabe ukwelashwa okufanayo kungasebenza ngensimbi ye-tungsten.

Isinyathelo sokuqala kwaba ukukhiqiza ukwaziswa okusha. I-matrix ye-tungsten kwakudingeka iqiniswe ngemicu emide eboshiwe ehlanganisa intambo ye-tungsten ephume ngaphandle izacile njengezinwele. Izintambo, ekuqaleni ezazihloselwe njengemicu ekhanyayo yamalambu okukhanya, lapho zihlinzekwa yi-Osram GmbH. Izinto ezihlukahlukene zokuzimboza zaphenywa kwa-IPP, kuhlanganise ne-erbium oxide. Imicu ye-tungsten eboshwe ngokuphelele yayibe isihlanganiswa, ihambisane noma ilukwe. Ukugcwalisa izikhala phakathi kwezintambo nge-tungsten u-Johann Riesch kanye nozakwabo wabe esesungula inqubo entsha ngokuhlanganyela nozakwethu wasezimbonini waseNgilandi u-Archer Technicoat Ltd. Nakuba ama-workpieces e-tungsten ngokuvamile acindezelwa ndawonye kusuka kumpushana wensimbi ezingeni lokushisa eliphezulu kanye nokucindezela, okwengeziwe indlela emnene yokukhiqiza inhlanganisela yatholakala: I-tungsten ifakwa ezintanjeni ezivela engxubeni yegesi ngokusebenzisa inqubo yamakhemikhali emazingeni okushisa aphakathi nendawo. Bekungokokuqala ngqa ukuthi i-tungsten eqiniswe nge-tungsten-fibre ikhiqizwe ngempumelelo, kube nomphumela oyifunayo: Ukuqina kokuphuka kwenhlanganisela entsha kwase kuphindeke kathathu maqondana ne-tungsten engenantambo ngemva kokuhlolwa kokuqala.

Isinyathelo sesibili kwakuwukuphenya ukuthi lokhu kusebenza kanjani: Isici esibalulekile saba ukuthi ibhuloho lemicu liyaqhekeka ku-matrix futhi lingasabalalisa amandla asebenza endaweni kokokusebenza. Lapha ukuxhumana phakathi kwemicu kanye ne-tungsten matrix, ngakolunye uhlangothi, kufanele kube buthaka ngokwanele ukuze kuvuleke lapho kwakheka imifantu, ngakolunye, kuqine ngokwanele ukudlulisa amandla phakathi kwemicu ne-matrix. Ezivivinyweni zokugoba lokhu kungabonwa ngokuqondile nge-X-ray microtomography. Lokhu kubonise ukusebenza okuyisisekelo kwento.

Okunqumayo ngokusebenziseka kwezinto, nokho, ukuthi ukuqina okuthuthukisiwe kugcinwa lapho kusetshenziswa. U-Johann Riesch ukuhlole lokhu ngokuphenya amasampula ayehlanganiswe ukwelashwa okushisayo kwangaphambili. Lapho amasampula efakwa emisebeni ye-synchrotron noma efakwa ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu se-electron, ukuwelula nokuwagoba nakho kwaqinisekisa kulesi simo izici zezinto ezibonakalayo ezithuthukisiwe: Uma i-matrix yehluleka lapho igcizelelwa, imicu iyakwazi ukuvala imifantu eyenzekayo futhi iyinqande.

Izimiso zokuqonda nokukhiqiza izinto ezintsha sezixazululiwe. Amasampuli manje azokhiqizwa ngaphansi kwezimo ezithuthukisiwe zenqubo kanye nokusebenzelana okuthuthukisiwe, lokhu kuyimfuneko yokukhiqiza okukhulu. Izinto ezintsha nazo zingathakazelisa ngale komkhakha wocwaningo lwe-fusion.