A world record and a scientific marvel at the same time. China’s ‘artificial sun’ set a new world record by running for 1,056 seconds at high plasma temperature. This total runtime is the longest ever for an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) fusion energy reactor.
This was a result of a new round of testing by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plasma Physics. The reactor was created to mimic a fusion reaction that happens in the Sun by using hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuel. This is why it has received the moniker of ‘artificial sun.’ While breaking records is a nice thing, these tests and experiments were done to provide insights into plasma physics research that is crucial to establishing industrial-sized reactors that they hope will generate clean energy.
Image credit: CFP
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