Latest News

  • Home
  • Global
  • CHINA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN REACHES FUSION TEMPERATURES THRICE THAT OF THE REAL SUN
CHINA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN REACHES FUSION TEMPERATURES THRICE THAT OF THE REAL SUN
15 November 2018 IST
CHINA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN REACHES FUSION TEMPERATURES THRICE THAT OF THE REAL SUN

At 100 million °C, the reactor attained the minimum temperature needed for sustained nuclear fusion.

 
 

Researchers from China's Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences announced that China’s ‘artificial sun’ just became the hottest known nuclear fusion experiment on Earth — literally, with the plasma reaching 100 million degrees Celsius.
 
For some perspective, our solar system’s real Sun is only about 15 million degrees Celsius in comparison.
 
While that comparison in itself is mind-blowing, the temperature also has another important significance for nuclear energy researchers: 100 million degrees Celsius is thought to be the minimum temperature needed for self-sustaining nuclear fusion on Earth.
 
The artificial Sun (not to be confused with the 'artificial moons' China intends to send up to space soon), is a popular name given to one of the most promising nuclear fusion experiments to date. Designed to replicate the process our Sun uses to generate energy, researchers set up the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor in 2006.
 
A ‘Tokamak’ is a reactor design that resembles a donut — a donut that generates powerful magnetic forces to contain unimaginably hot plasma inside the reactor during nuclear fusion. The walls of a tokamak are built to absorb the massive amounts of heat from the continuous splitting of atoms in the reactor’s core.
 

 
 

The process of nuclear fusion, where two hydrogen atoms combine in a reaction that produces an enormous amount of energy, is often called the ‘great white whale’ of global energy. Nuclear reactors like EAST are a means to exactly that: an almost infinite supply of energy that is clean.
 
One of the few hurdles to unleashing nuclear fusion as an energy source is sustaining the fusion reaction for longer than a handful of minutes. The longest recorded reaction is was at the Tore Supra tokamak in France (also known as WEST), for 6 minutes and 30 seconds in 2003.
 
Between the records set by EAST and WEST, could the world have an artificial Sun lighting up our homes at night in a few years?
 

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
'Worse than prison': A rare look inside China's detention camps to 'brainwash' Muslims

ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...

Recently posted . 181K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
What The Shape Of Your Belly Button Says About Your Health

If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...

Recently posted . 7K views . 2 min read
 

 Article
Top 10 Best Gym Equipment Brands in India 2018

Body fitness is one thing that everyone wants to maintain irrespective of age. Going to the gym and doing some great exercise always helps to maintain your body fit...

Recently posted . 3K views . 2 min read
 

 Article
Top 10 Horrifying Acts of Chemical Warfare and Gas Attacks

In this age of terror, there might be nothing more terrifying than the thought of an attack carried out with chemical weapons. We’ve all heard the horrific ...

Recently posted . 3K views . 4 min read
 

 
 

More in Global

 Article
Remember Chand Nawab of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ fame? He is back with another funny video

Pakistani TV journalist Chand Nawab is back with another video and it’s funnier than before.  

Recently posted. 533 views . 0 min read
 

 Article
Watch: Children Were Allowed Into A Lion's Cage. Then, A Girl Was Attacked

Fortunately, the young girl escaped with just a few cuts and bruises. The shocking footage quickly went viral with many asking why nobody - neither their parents ...

Recently posted. 456 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Goodbye nostalgia? Obama’s popularity rating soars before he steps down

US President Barack Obama's prevalence rating has hit another high, a most recent survey has said, quite recently before the surveys to choose his successor at ...

Recently posted. 483 views . 9 min read
 

 Video
The Best Lao Tzu Quotes



Recently posted . 538 views
 

 Reviews
Leaseweb hosting review



Recently posted . 999 views . 67 min read
 

 Article
Israeli Scientists Have Developed A Cure For Cancer, Which Is 100% Effective & Coming By 2020

A medical breakthrough from Israel can effectively cure cancer, the deadly disease that kills millions of people around the world every year.  ...

Recently posted. 812 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Why Every Indian Should Be Proud of Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata is another man, who continued the legacy of India’s most trusted business. When someone is insulted, anger is the only outcome. However, great pe...

Recently posted. 650 views . 1 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.
Anonymous

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top