January 30, 2009 By Chad Vander Veen
Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., are taking the idea of alternative energy to new extremes using the Z Machine -- the world's largest X-ray generator. The Z Machine's purpose is to produce temperatures that exceed those of the hottest stars in the universe. To do this, the machine discharges a magnetic field and an electrical current across a steel wire mesh. This produces, albeit for only fractions of a second, plasma that has reached 6.6 billion degrees Fahrenheit, which in turn generates X-rays. Scientists hope this energy can be used to develop clean nuclear fusion technology.
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