Please provide a reference for those laboratory results. I did not see anything in the link you provided that said fusion had been obtained using a Z-pinch.
See Technical Paper II linked at focusfusion's website. It says "We have determined the density of the plasma that produces the neutrons by the DDreaction. There is strong evidence that this is the same volume that traps the high-energy electrons and produces the hard X-ray radiation (see Sect. 3.4). In 25% of the deuterium shots at optimum fill pressure (two out of eight), 14.1 MeV neutrons were observed. These 14.1 MeV neutrons are produced by the fusion of deuterium nuclei with tritons produced by DD fusion reactions and then trapped in the high-density regions by strong magnetic fields. This was observed in one of the two deuterium shots with the best X-ray data (shot 81602), as well as in one shot (shot 80910) that was made before the X-ray detectors were functional (Fig.5). Shot 80910 also had the highest number of DD neutrons(5x1010). The DT neutrons were detected by time of flight measurements using the 9 meter and 17.4 meter scintillators. The DT neutron detection cannot possibly be cosmic rays or other noise sources. ... snip ... We have ruled out any source for the DT neutrons other than a dense plasmoid where the tritons are produced, along with the DD neutrons."
Now perhaps I'm misinterpreting that or they were wrong about what their data means. But in any case, there seems to be a lot of activity surrounding z-pinch research, not only by Eric Lerner's group but by others (at Sandia Labs, for instance) and from what I read many of them seem to think that fusion is occurring due to z-pinch produced x-rays. Whether it can be controlled is another matter but this seems to support the electric universe theorists contention that since z-pinch phenomena appear to be evident on the sun, that phenomena might be producing the by products that we interpret as evidence of fusion taking place in the core.
Originally Posted by BeAChooser
So if z-pinches are what we see on the surface of the sun (as electric universe proponents contend), then there is likely to be fusion occurring on the surface (and above the surface) of the sun.
Why is fusion likely? Research into Z-pinch fusion has been ongoing for about 50 years with no successful fusion of the pinched plasma that I am aware of
Here are some other sources confirming z-pinch fusion:
http://www.cfn.ist.utl.pt/17IAEATM_RUSFD/doc/files/proceedings/P3.pdf "Preliminary Results of a 10kJ Z-Pinch ... snip ... A yield of 10
7 - 10
8 D-D fusion reactions by shot is reported when the optimum conditions are reached ... snip ... A deep and extended revival of the z-pinch experiments in the plasma and fusion community has been developed by the spectacular advances made during the last decade reaching high energy density by means of implosion of annular current sheaths."
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-2913380_ITM "May 2003 ... snip ... Scientists from the Sandia National Laboratory (Albuquerque) have reported successfully compressing a small pellet containing fusion fuel using x-rays from the z-pulsed power facility ... snip ... this is the first time such experiments have shown fusion reactions"
http://jp4.journaldephysique.org/index.php?option=article&access=doi&doi=10.1051/jp4:2006133156 "2006 ... snip ... Production of thermonuclear neutrons from deuterium filled capsule experiments driven by z-pinch dynamic hohlraums at Sandia National Laboratories' Z facility"
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007PhPl...14b2701V "2007 ... snip ... Z-Pinch Plasma Neutron Sources ... snip ... For recent deuterium gas-puff shots on Z, our analytic estimates and one- and two-dimensional simulations predict thermal neutron yields ~3×10
13, in fair agreement with the yields recently measured on Z"
http://www.plasma-universe.com/index.php/Z_Machine
, due mostly to plasma instabilities.
Looks like those problems may have been overcome.
If fusion in a Z-pinched plasma in a controlled lab environment is so elusive, fusion in uncontrolled conditions like the surface of the sun is even less likely.
http://www.physorg.com/news11538.html "2006 ... snip ... Sandia’s Z machine has produced plasmas that exceed temperatures of 2 billion degrees Kelvin — hotter than the interiors of stars. The unexpectedly hot output, if its cause were understood and harnessed, could eventually mean that smaller, less costly nuclear fusion plants would produce the same amount of energy as larger plants. The phenomena also may explain how astrophysical entities like solar flares maintain their extreme temperatures. ... snip ... the radiated x-ray output was as much as four times the expected kinetic energy input. ... snip ... more unusually, high ion temperatures were sustained after the plasma had stagnated — that is, after its ions had presumably lost motion and therefore energy and therefore heat — as though yet again some unknown agent was providing an additional energy source to the ions."
Well I guess you have never heard of the hydrogen bomb.
Let's hope that the mainstream's fusion reactors aren't hydrogen bombs. (just kidding)
