The teams research waspublishedearlier this year inPhysical Review E.
Forget the mayonnaise for a second.
What is nuclear fusion, again?
Nuclear fusion is the reaction that powers stars like our Sun.
Forget sandwiches. Consider mayo on fusion.@ Universal Pictures / Artem Golub / Getty Images
In laboratory options, nuclear fusion is done in a couple different ways.
Another way is to blast a small pellet of fuel with lasers, causing fusion.
The different methods yield manifold insights about the practicality and efficiency of various aspects of the fusion process.
Whats mayo got to do with it?
Mayonnaise is an emulsion of egg, oil, and an acid like vinegar.
Some people dont like it.
The condiment is also the key to a perfect grilled cheese (apologies if you disagree).
So theres an elastic phase followed by a stable plastic phase.
The next phase is when it starts flowing, and thats where the instability kicks in.
By delaying or suppressing the instabilities, researchers working on confinement fusion can maintain the fusion reaction for longer.
The research team is lucky they went to the store before I did.
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