Mayo is weirdly nice for understanding nuclear fusion experiments

This elastic-to-plastic transition may happen in experiments that use lasers to kick off nuclear fusion. In such experiments, lasers blast a metallic capsule containing the gasoline, elevating pressures and temperatures so excessive that atomic nuclei within the gasoline fuse collectively, releasing power (SN: 2/16/24). Scientists hope to ultimately use nuclear fusion as a supply of energy.

However it’s troublesome to review how supplies behave underneath the intense circumstances required for fusion. So of their newest experiment, the scientists checked out how mayo blended with a gasoline — air — as they rotated a wheel that they’d dolloped the mayonnaise into. The centrifugal power of the spinning wheel accelerated the mayo into the gasoline. 

After the wheel stopped spinning, the scientists noticed whether or not the glob returned to its authentic form, modified form or broke aside. This decided the border between the elastic and plastic habits, they reported within the Might Bodily Assessment E. 

The mayo and air are akin to the molten metallic of a fusion gasoline capsule and the gasoline it incorporates. The molten capsule has some properties of a strong — like gloopy mayo, it doesn’t movement by itself — however it might probably break aside underneath sufficient power. If the metallic turns into plastic earlier than fusion happens, the gasoline might escape, spoiling the fusion try.

Working with mayo does have one downside. Whenever you present up within the grocery store checkout line with 48 containers of mayo, you’re sure to draw consideration. “We typically get plenty of questions from the grocery shops,” Banerjee says, “why we’re shopping for that a lot mayonnaise.”