
How to Tame a Blast Wave
A blast wave slams into a surface, and the surface starts to wrinkle like a carpet when you drag your foot across it. These wrinkles grow, curl into vortices, and stir everything around. In fusion, such mixing is a big problem: the fuel doesn't compress evenly, and the reaction fizzles out.
Physicists have found a way to stop this process without touching the wave itself.