Could nanomachines reduced turbulence?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of using nanomachines to control turbulence in plasma within a tokamak, a device used for nuclear fusion. Participants argue that the extreme temperatures required for plasma generation would render nanomachines ineffective due to material limitations. Furthermore, the concept of nanobots operating at the atomic scale is deemed unrealistic, as current technology allows manipulation of atoms through chemistry rather than mechanical devices. The conversation highlights the challenges of integrating nanotechnology into high-energy environments like plasma.

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  • Understanding of plasma physics and tokamak operation
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noblegas
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Right now I think one of the key problems with confining fusion in a tokamak is that turbulence is generated within the plasma. I was wondering if it were hypothetically possible a hypothethical nanomachine to control the random bombard of atoms that create turbulence and thus cease turbulence. Is that scenario plausible , since their is a similar scenario being proposed to inject nanomachines in the body of a cancer patient to fight off cancer cells.
 
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I was wondering if it were hypothetically possible a hypothethical nanomachine to control the random bombard of atoms that create turbulence and thus cease turbulence. Is that scenario plausible

No. I can think of quite a few reasons why this wouldn't work. One of the most obvious being that the machines would have to operate in an environment that is hot enough to create a plasma, what kind of material would you build them from?

Also, on a more serious note. The idea of "nanobots" that are REALLY nm sized is very, very far fetched. Yes, it might one day be possible to create relatively sophisticated machines that are small enough to be injected in the body (although I doubt it) but we are still talking about machines on the micron (and probably tens or hundreds of microns) scale; much bigger than single atoms. And we can already manipulate single atoms. It is called chemistry.
 
f95toli said:
No. I can think of quite a few reasons why this wouldn't work. One of the most obvious being that the machines would have to operate in an environment that is hot enough to create a plasma, what kind of material would you build them from?

Also, on a more serious note. The idea of "nanobots" that are REALLY nm sized is very, very far fetched. Yes, it might one day be possible to create relatively sophisticated machines that are small enough to be injected in the body (although I doubt it) but we are still talking about machines on the micron (and probably tens or hundreds of microns) scale; much bigger than single atoms. And we can already manipulate single atoms. It is called chemistry.

Well, why haven't chemists been able to reduce turbulence then in plasmas? I didn't think chemist worked with high energy phenomena like plasma. The idea of Nanobots farfecteched? Scientists have already invented the "nanocar"(http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=7850&SnID=971109686) why not the nanobot? In addition, if the tokamak and some light bultbs are able to within hold the plasma without itself disintegrating, which can't the nanobot withstand the wrath of the plasma.
 

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