Keypoints:
- China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, state media reported Friday.
- It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius.
- The reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces.
China has announced advancing plans for its nuclear fusion device known colloquially as an “artificial sun.” They say the device, which will reach temperatures of up to 360 million degrees Fahrenheit, is actually more like 12 artificial suns combined. The extremely high temperatures lead to the titular effect: literally, the nucleuses of two or more atoms are fused, and the process generates energy.
On Friday, the state media reported that China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time and marked a great advance in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities.
The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source.
#China’s 'artificial sun' is now hot enough for nuclear fusion https://t.co/KLpCMbDNDG #innovation pic.twitter.com/KvbLIuk8RL
— World Economic Forum (@wef) November 16, 2018
It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, according to the People’s Daily — approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. The reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces.
Chinese scientists have been working on developing smaller versions of the nuclear fusion reactor since 2006.
They plan to use the device in collaboration with scientists working on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor — the world’s largest nuclear fusion research project based in France, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
BENEFITS OF NUCLEAR FUSION
— Nuclear fusion is arguably the best way for humans to generate energy.
— The required raw materials – deuterium and tritium – are easily available in the oceans.
— Nuclear fusion also doesn’t produce any harmful radioactive waste and hence, is extremely environment-friendly
