圖1. 在英國進行了諸多大型核聚變實驗之歐洲聯合環體反應爐(JET tokamak：Joint European Torus，一種磁限制之等離子體物理實驗的反應爐)的內部。
The inside of the JET tokamak, which conducted major nuclear fusion experiments in the UK. JET was a magnetically confined plasma physics experiment。
Scientists pursuing fusion energy say they have found a way to overcome one of their biggest challenges to date — by using artificial intelligence.
追求聚變(融合)能源的科學家們表示，他們已經找到了一種，利用人工智慧，來克服迄今為止，其最大挑戰之一的方法。
Nuclear fusion has for decades been hailed as a near-limitless source of clean energy, in what would be a game-changing solution to the climate crisis. But experts have only achieved and sustained fusion energy for a few seconds, and many obstacles remain, including instabilities in the highly complex process.
幾十年來，核聚變一直被譽為一種，近乎無限的潔淨能源。這將成為氣候危機之改變遊戲規則的一個解決方案。不過，專家們僅獲得並維持聚變能源幾秒鐘，且仍然存在諸多障礙，包括高度複雜過程中的不穩定性。
There are several ways to achieve fusion energy, but the most common involves using hydrogen variants as an input fuel and raising temperatures to extraordinarily high levels in a donut-shaped machine, known as a tokamak, to create a plasma, a soup-like state of matter.
有若干種獲得聚變能源的方法。不過，最常見的是，使用氫變體作為輸入燃料，並在被通稱為托卡馬克(環磁機)之甜甜圈狀的機器中，將溫度提高到極高水平，來產生一種如湯狀態物質的等離子體。
But that plasma needs to be controlled and is highly susceptible to “tearing” and escaping the machine’s powerful magnetic fields that are designed to keep the plasma contained.
不過，等離子體需要受控制，且極易“被撕裂”而逃離，該機器被設計來保持，此些被容納之等離子體的強大磁場。
On Wednesday, researchers from Princeton University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory reported in the journal Nature they found a way to use AI to forecast these potential instabilities and prevent them from happening in real time.
於週三(2024年2月21日)，美國普林斯頓大學及普林斯頓等離子體物理實驗室的研究人員們，在《自然》雜誌上報導了，他們找到了一種，使用人工智慧，來預測此些潛在之不穩定性，並即時阻止它們發生的方法。
The team carried out their experiments at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, and found that their AI controller could forecast potential plasma tearing up to 300 milliseconds in advance. Without that intervention, the fusion reaction would have ended suddenly.
該團隊，在位於美國聖地牙哥市的DIII-D(托卡馬克)國家聚變設施，進行了其諸多實驗，且發現他們的人工智慧(AI：Artificial Intelligence)控制器，能提前300毫秒，預測潛在的等離子體被撕裂。沒有那種干預，聚變反應將會突然結束。
“The experiments provide a foundation for using AI to solve a broad range of plasma instabilities, which have long hindered fusion energy,” a Princeton spokesperson said.
一名普林斯頓大學的發言人宣稱：「此些實驗，為使用人工智慧來解決長久以來，一直阻礙聚變能源之廣泛的等離子體不穩定性，提供了基礎。」
The findings are “definitely” a step forward for nuclear fusion, said Egemen Kolemen, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University and an author on the study.
該項研究的撰文人之一，普林斯頓大學機械暨航太工程學教授，Egemen Kolemen表示，此些發現“肯定”是邁向核聚變的一步。
“This is one of the big roadblocks — disruptions — and you want any reactor to be operating 24/7 for years without any problem,” Kolemen told CNN. “And these type disruption and instabilities would be very problematic, so developing solutions like this increase their confidence that we can run these machines without any issues.”
Kolemen告訴CNN：「這是諸多大障礙之一(諸多混亂)，不過人們希望任何反應器能，沒有任何問題，運轉持續達多年。但是，此些類型的混亂及不穩定，會是很有問題的。因此，研發類似此的諸多解決方案，增強了我們能毫無問題，運轉此機器的信心。」
Fusion energy is the process that powers the sun and other stars, and experts have been trying for decades to master it on Earth. It is achieved when two atoms that usually repel are forced to fuse together. It’s the opposite of nuclear fission — the type widely used today — which relies on splitting atoms.
聚變能源是供給太陽及其他恆星動力的變化過程，幾十年來，專家一直在嘗試，於地球上掌控它。當兩個通常相互排斥的原子被迫融合在一起時，這實現了。這與當今廣泛被使用，依賴分裂原子的核裂變相反。
Scientists and engineers near the English city of Oxford earlier this month set a new nuclear fusion energy record, sustaining 69 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds, using just 0.2 milligrams of fuel. That’s enough to power roughly 12,000 households for the same amount of time.
本月(2024年2月)初，英國牛津市附近的科學家及工程師們，締造了一項新的核聚變能源記錄。僅使用0.2毫克燃料，維持了69兆焦耳的聚變能源達5秒鐘。那足以在相同時間內，為大約1萬2千個家庭提供電力。
But that experiment still used more energy as input than it generated. Another team in California, however, managed to produce a net amount of fusion energy in December 2022, in a process called “ignition.” They have replicated ignition three times since.
不過，那項實驗仍使用了，比其產生之更多的能量作為輸入。然而，在加州的另一支團隊，於2022年12月，在一次被稱為“點火”的過程中，設法產生了，淨量的聚變能源。打從那時起，他們已經重複點火三次。
Despite the promising progress, fusion energy is a long way from becoming commercially available – well beyond the years that deep, sustained cuts to planet-warming pollution are required to stave off worsening impacts of the climate crisis.
儘管該有指望的進展，聚變能源離成為商業上可資使用，還是一條漫長的路。遠超出了，大幅度、持續減少對地球變暖的污染，來避免氣候危機日益惡化之影響，所需的年數。
Scientists say those pollution cuts are required this decade.
科學家們表示，這十年所需的是削減那些污染。
網址：https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/21/climate/nuclear-fusion-ai-climate-solution/index.html
翻譯：許東榮
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