South Korea ’s “ artificial sun ” machine has just been fitted with some equipment that could allow it to generate high - temperature plasma over 100 million arcdegree Celsius ( 180 million degrees Fahrenheit ) for even long periods .
The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research ( KSTAR ) is an experimental machine located in Daejeon , South Korea . Its job is to provide the incredibly red-hot conditions that would be call for to perform sustained nuclear fusion , the mighty operation that burns withinthe Sunand other stars .
The KSTAR twist “ cooks up ” these radical - high temperatures using a tokamak , a large doughnut - shaped nuclear reactor that can draw rein and control plasma – a red-hot , charge throttle made of positive ions and free - move electron .
The artificial sun first reached 100 million degrees Celsius in 2018 , which it sustained for just 1.5 seconds . In 2019 , this was extended to 8 seconds , thena whopping 20 secondsin 2020 . Itslatest record , attain in 2022 , managed to sustain 100 million degree Celsius for 30 seconds .
Just of late , the gimmick was fit with a bunch of new upgrades that could reserve it to maintain this psyche - blowing temperature for even longer . In sum , the update require supercede the carbon divertor with one made of tungsten , a material that boast a high-pitched melting point and other worthy tone .
The experiments using the new tungsten divertor environment are set to proceed until February 2024 . With the help of this new equipment , the team is now aiming to achieve 300 seconds by the end of 2026 .
Nuclear nuclear fusion appears when two light nuclear nucleus combine to form a heavier lens nucleus , releasing a colossal amount of energy in the appendage . The immense energy could theoretically be captured to producenear - unlimited amount of electrical energy .
This is the process that occur at the heart of the gravid fusion equipment in our solar system : the Sun . However , unlike the marrow of asterisk , the plasma on Earth needs extremely high temperatures to achieve atomic fusion because it is not being compressed by gravity .
It require these high temperature to supply the nuclei with enough energy to overcome their reciprocal electrical repulsion . The plasma also want to be contained by secure magnetic athletic field . As you could no doubt conceive of , create these conditions for free burning periods is no easy feat .
However , that ’s not lay off the existence ’s scientist , who are understandably eager to masternuclear unification . In France , teams of engineers and scientist are currently putting together the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ( ITER ) , the human beings ’s enceinte fusion experimentation . The previous upgrades at KSTAR will further add to our cognition about atomic merger and will eventually be used in the ITER experiment .
" In KSTAR , we have implement a divertor with tungsten material which is also the choice made in ITER . We will strive to contribute our best efforts in receive the necessary datum for ITER through KSTAR experiment , " Dr Suk Jae Yoo , president of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy , say in astatement .
