Secrets From Within Planets Pave Way For Cleaner Energy

 From: ScienceDaily - October 24, 2008

Research that has provided a deeper understanding into the centre of planets could also provide the way forward in the world's quest for cleaner energy. An international team of scientists, led by the University of Oxford, working alongside researchers at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Central Laser Facility, has gained a deeper insight into the hot, dense matter found at the centre of planets and as a result, has provided further understanding into controlled thermonuclear fusion.

The full paper on this research has been published, 19 October, in the scientific journal, Nature Physics. This deeper insight into planets could extend our comprehension of fusion energy – the same energy that powers the sun, and laser driven fusion as a future energy source. Fusion energy is widely considered an attractive, environmentally clean power source using sea water as its principal source of fuel, where no greenhouse gasses or long lived radioactive waste materials are produced.