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What is a burning plasma?
A burning plasma is one where the energy from fusion itself provides a significant share of the heating. Kronos runs a driven burn, self-heated but sustained by external input.
"Burning plasma" describes how self-sustaining the fusion is; Kronos is honest that its burn is driven, not igniting. See fusion gain (Q) and the Lawson criterion.
Questions & answers
What does 'burning plasma' mean?
A burning plasma is one hot enough that the energy released by fusion — carried by the charged fusion products — provides a significant fraction of the heating that keeps the plasma hot. It's a milestone on the way to ignition, where self-heating would dominate entirely.
Is the Kronos plasma a burning plasma?
Yes, but a driven one. At its endpoint the plasma gain is Q_plasma ≈ 2.4–2.9 — fusion produces several times the external heating power, so self-heating is substantial, but continuous external heating still sustains the burn. Kronos does not claim ignition.
Why is a driven burn acceptable?
Because a driven plant with strong gain and efficient conversion is still strongly net-positive, and a driven burn is easier to control and to switch off — part of the safety case.