192 Laser Beams Combined to Form One Megajoule Laser Shot [Lasers]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...8833-800wi.jpgThe folks at the national Ignition Facility decided to demonstrate fusion by focusing the energy of 192 super powerful lasers onto a tiny target. They certainly proved their concept by producing a one megajoule laser shot. Yeah, that's pretty powerful.
This demonstration is being proclaimed as a "key step towards nuclear fusion" by the National Nuclear Security Administration. After all, this is apparently the first time such a level of laser energy was reached. More experiments will occur in the summer of this year, but you can start with the pewpew jokes now. [Physorg]
Laser beam pictured is not the 1 megajoule beam, instead it's a picture by Daily Galaxy


http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizm...?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizm...?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizm...84:D7DqB2pKExk</img> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizm...84:V_sGLiPBpWU</img>
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmo...~4/NNva6p2lfTY

More...