I-fusion reactor ibhodlela kazibuthe eliqukethe izinqubo ezifanayo ezenzeka elangeni. Amafutha e-Deuterium kanye ne-tritium ayahlangana ukuze akhe umhwamuko wama-ion we-helium, ama-neutron nokushisa. Njengoba le gesi eshisayo, ene-ionized—ebizwa ngokuthi i<em>plasma—ivutha, lokho kushisa kudluliselwa emanzini ukuze kwenziwe isitimu sokuvula izinjini eziphehla ugesi. I-plasma eshisa kakhulu ibeka usongo oluqhubekayo odongeni lwe-reactor kanye ne-divertor (esusa imfucuza ku-reactor yokusebenza ukuze igcine i-plasma ishisa ngokwanele ukushisa).

“Sizama ukuthola indlela ebalulekile yokuziphatha kwezinto ezibhekene ne-plasma ngenhloso yokuqonda kangcono izindlela zokucekela phansi ukuze sikwazi ukwakha izinto eziqinile, ezintsha,” kusho usosayensi wezinto zokwakha u-Chad Parish we-Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Ungumbhali ophezulu wocwaningo kujenaliImibiko Yesayensiehlole ukucekelwa phansi kwe-tungsten ngaphansi kwezimo ezihambisana ne-reactor.

Ngenxa yokuthi i-tungsten inezinga eliphezulu lokuncibilika lazo zonke izinsimbi, iyikhandidethi lezinto ezibhekene ne-plasma. Nokho, ngenxa yokuqina kwaso, isikhungo samandla esithengiswayo cishe singase senziwe ngengxubevange ye-tungsten noma inhlanganisela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi, ukufunda ngokuthi ukuqhuma kwe-athomu okunamandla kuyithinta kanjani i-tungsten nge-microscope kusiza onjiniyela bathuthukise izinto zenuzi.

“Ngaphakathi kwesikhungo sikagesi esixubene kukhona onjiniyela abanonya kunabo bonke abake bacelwa ukuba bakhe izinto zokwakha,” kusho uPherishi. “Kubi kakhulu kunengaphakathi lenjini yejethi.”

Abacwaningi bahlola ukusebenzisana kwe-plasma nezingxenye zomshini ukuze benze izinto ezingafanelani nezimo zokusebenza ezinzima kangaka. Ukuthembeka kwempahla kuwudaba olubalulekile ngobuchwepheshe benuzi bamanje nobusha obunomthelela omkhulu ezindlekweni zokwakha nezokusebenza kwezikhungo zikagesi. Ngakho-ke kubalulekile ezintweni zonjiniyela ukuze kube nzima ukuphila isikhathi eside.

Ocwaningweni lwamanje, abacwaningi baseNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eSan Diego, bahlasele i-tungsten nge-helium plasma ngamandla aphansi abalingisa i-fusion reactor ngaphansi kwezimo ezijwayelekile. Ngaleso sikhathi, abacwaningi kwa-ORNL basebenzise i-Multicharged Ion Research Facility ukushaya i-tungsten ngama-ion e-helium anamandla alinganisa izimo ezingavamile, njengokuphazanyiswa kwe-plasma okungase kufake inani elikhulu ngokungavamile lamandla.

Besebenzisa i-electron microscopy yokudlulisela, i-scan transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy kanye ne-electron nanocrystallography, ososayensi baphawule ngokuvela kwamabhamuza kukristalu ye-tungsten nokuma nokukhula kwezakhiwo ezibizwa ngokuthi “ama-tendril” ngaphansi kwezimo zamandla aphansi neziphezulu. Bathumele amasampula enkampanini ebizwa ngokuthi i-AppFive ye-precession electron diffraction, indlela ethuthukisiwe ye-electron crystallography, ukuze kucatshangelwe izindlela zokukhula ngaphansi kwezimo ezihlukene.

Sekuyiminyaka embalwa ososayensi bazi ukuthi i-tungsten isabela kuyi- plasma ngokwenza amathenda ekristalu esikalini sezingxenye zezigidi zemitha, noma ama- nanometer—utshani obuncane bohlobo oluthile. Ucwaningo lwamanje luthole ukuthi amathenda akhiqizwa ukuqhuma kwamandla aphansi ayekhula kancane, ecolekile futhi ebushelelezi—akha ukhaphethi ominyene we-fuzz—kunalawo adalwe ukuhlasela kwamandla aphezulu.

Ezinsimbi, ama-athomu athatha ilungiselelo lesakhiwo elihlelekile elinezikhala ezichaziwe phakathi kwazo. Uma i-athomu isuswa, indawo engenalutho, noma "isikhala," sihlala. Uma imisebe, njengebhola lebhilidi, ikhipha i-athomu endaweni yayo futhi ishiye isikhala, leyo athomu kufanele iye ndawana thize. Iziphonsela phakathi kwamanye ama-athomu ku-crystal, ibe i-interstitial.

Ukusebenza okujwayelekile kwe-fusion-reactor kuveza isiphambukisi ekuguquguqukeni okuphezulu kwama-athomu e-helium anamandla aphansi kakhulu. "I-helium ion ayishayi kanzima ngokwanele ukuthi ikwazi ukushayisana nebhola lebhilidi, ngakho-ke kufanele inyelele ku-lattice ukuze iqale ukwenza amabhamuza noma okunye ukukhubazeka," kuchaza uParish.

Amathiyori afana no-Brian Wirth, uSihlalo Wombusi we-UT-ORNL, benze imodeli yesistimu futhi bakholelwa ukuthi izinto ezisuswayo ku-lattice lapho amabhamuza ebumba iba ibhulokhi yokwakha yamathenda. Ama-athomu e-Helium azulazula endaweni engahleliwe, kusho uPherishi. Bashayisana namanye ama-helium futhi bahlangane. Ekugcineni iqoqo likhulu ngokwanele ukuthi lingakwazi ukukhipha i-athomu ye-tungsten esizeni sayo.

“Njalo uma ibhamuza likhula liphusha amanye ama-athomu ambalwa e-tungsten ezindaweni zawo, futhi kufanele aye ndawana thize. Bazokhangwa ngaphandle,” kusho uPherishi. "Lokho, sikholwa ukuthi, yindlela le nanofuzz ​​eyakha ngayo."

Ososayensi bekhompyutha basebenzisa ukulingisa kumakhompiyutha amakhulu ukuze bafunde izinto ezisetshenziswayo ezingeni le-athomu, noma usayizi we-nanometer kanye nezikali ze-nanosecond time. Onjiniyela bahlola ukuthi izinto ezisetshenziswayo zifinyela, ziqhekeke, futhi ziziphathe kanjani ngemva kokuchayeka isikhathi eside ku-plasma, esikalini sobude besentimitha nehora. “Kodwa bekunesayensi encane phakathi,” kusho uPherishi, okuhlolwa kwakhe kugcwalise lesi sikhala solwazi ukuze kufundwe izimpawu zokuqala zokuwohloka kwezinto kanye nezigaba zokuqala zokukhula kwe-nanotendril.

Ngakho ingabe i-fuzz yinhle noma yimbi? “I-Fuzz kungenzeka ibe nakho kokubili izinto ezilimazayo nezizuzisayo, kodwa kuze kube yilapho sazi kabanzi ngayo, ngeke sikwazi ukwenza izinto zonjiniyela ukuze sizame ukuqeda okubi sibe sigcizelela okuhle,” kusho uPherishi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-tungsten engacacile ingase ithathe imithwalo yokushisa engaqhekeza i-tungsten eyinqwaba, futhi ukuguguleka kungaphansi ngokuphindwe ka-10 ngokufiphala kune-tungsten yobuningi. Ehlangothini lokususa, ama-nanotendrils angagqashuka, enze uthuli olungapholisa i-plasma. Umgomo olandelayo wososayensi uwukufunda ukuthi izinto ezibonakalayo zishintsha kanjani nokuthi kulula kangakanani ukuhlephula ama-nanotendrils kude phezulu.

Ozakwethu be-ORNL bashicilele ukuhlola kwakamuva kwe-electron microscopy okukhanyisa ukuziphatha kwe-tungsten. Ucwaningo olulodwa lwabonisa ukukhula kwe-tendril akuzange kuqhubeke kunoma yikuphi ukuma okuthandwayo. Olunye uphenyo lwembula ukuthi impendulo ye-tungsten ebheke ku-plasma ku-helium athomu flux yavela ku-nanofuzz ​​kuphela (ekushintsheni okuphansi) kuya ku-nanofuzz ​​kanye namabhamuza (ekushintsheni okuphezulu).

Isihloko sephepha lamanje sithi "Morphologies of tungsten nanotendrils etshalwe ngaphansi kokuchayeka kwe-helium."