# Is Sandia's Z-machine where it's at vis-a-vis nuclear fusion?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 19, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234 "2012-10-19T15:51:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234/1 "2012-10-19T15:51:18Z")

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I have heard that Sandia’s Z-machine has the potential to be used for greater than break-even aneutronic nuclear fusion and what’s more, that potential is closer that what is seen at the NIF or ITER. How true is this claim?

Thanks,  
Rob

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**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234/2 "2012-10-19T16:25:53Z")

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ITER is currently a hole in the ground…

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234/3 "2012-10-19T16:55:34Z")

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Well the claim I heard was that the physics and engineering problems of the Z-machine are understood much better than those of the ITER.

Rob

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sandias-z-machine-where-its-at-vis-a-vis-nuclear-fusion/638234/4 "2012-10-19T20:59:27Z")

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Last I heard, the most promising work was on tokamak-like designs, and was being done in Europe.