Scientists have worked for decades to control nuclear fusion, wherein isotopes of hydrogen fuse to form helium, thereby releasing enormous amounts of energy. The nuclear fusion reaction is the same process that produces the vast energy of the Sun. If achieved, it would provide a near unlimited form of clean energy. The fusion reactions require the isotopes to be confined at temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees. At these temperatures, the atoms in the fuel are ripped apart, forming a plasma. Very hot plasma is thought to be best confined by magnetic fields.
