China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the ‘artificial sun’, has set a new world record by sustaining a plasma temperature over 100 million degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds.
The breakthrough was announced on Monday by the research team in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of practical fusion energy, which could provide a nearly limitless source of clean power.
EAST is designed to replicate the fusion reactions that occur in the sun, using hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuel. By achieving and maintaining such extreme temperatures in a steady-state high-confinement mode (H-mode), the device demonstrates the potential for stable operation in future fusion reactors.
H-mode operation reduces turbulence at the plasma edge, enhancing energy confinement and effectively doubling the confinement time compared to the low-confinement mode (L-mode). This makes it the preferred operational mode for upcoming fusion projects, including the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
“Sustaining H-mode for over 1,000 seconds is a remarkable step forward,” said a spokesperson from the research team. “It provides valuable data and experience for realizing fusion energy on an industrial scale.”
Since its launch in 2006, EAST has conducted over 150,000 plasma experiments, continually pushing the limits of long-pulse, high-confinement operations. Previous milestones included maintaining H-mode for 30 seconds in 2012, 60 seconds in 2016, 101 seconds in 2017, and 403 seconds earlier this year.
The facility incorporates advanced technologies such as superconducting magnets, ultra-high vacuum systems, and precision control mechanisms to manage intense magnetic fields and large electric currents. With nearly one million components working in unison, EAST has secured approximately 2,000 patents.
This latest accomplishment not only showcases China’s growing capabilities in fusion research but also contributes significantly to global efforts aimed at developing clean and sustainable energy sources for the future.
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China's 'artificial sun' sets new world record: 100m C for 1,066 sec
cgtn.com
