China’s "Artificial Sun" Breaks New Record In Longest Sustained Ultra-Hot Plasma

[Kaz]

 

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The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the "Artificial Sun", is China’s cutting-edge fusion reactor. Over the last several years, it has consistently broken fusion records, and it can now add a new one to its collection: the longest sustained ultra-hot plasma. They kept it going for 1,066 seconds – that’s 17 minutes and 46 seconds of plasma well beyond 100 million degrees.

As reported by Xinhua, the Chinese state media agency, the achievement happened on Monday, January 20, 2025, led by researchers from the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Back in May 2023, EAST had achieved its previous record of 403 seconds for its ultra-hot plasma. The temperature of this was in the past defined as over 160 million degrees Celsius (288 million degrees Fahrenheit), although if this was the temperature achieved this time it has not yet been disclosed.

EAST previously sustained a plasma of 120 million degrees Celsius (216 million degrees Fahrenheit) for an incredible 1,056 seconds back on December 30, 2021, so no matter which temperature was reached above the 100 million degree mark, the new record is the officially longest sustained ultra-hot plasma. This demonstration is an important step forward in fusion reactors becoming a consistent energy source.

 

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China’s "Artificial Sun" Breaks New Record In Longest Sustained Ultra-Hot Plasma

WWW.IFLSCIENCE.COM

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The plasma was maintained for almost 18 minutes.

 

Am I the only person who doesn't understand fusion technology?  Global warming and climate change are 'problems' that the world must deal with!  Meanwhile, researchers are busy trying to turn earth into a sun.  Does this make sense to anyone else?  I know that everyone is traumatised about nuclear energy, but how long until the AI overlords demand it and we finally listen?  Everyone thinks that our power infrastructure is going to grow to meet the demand, but what we see is that large scale businesses continue to get power while individual homes suffer brownouts.  My city voted not to build a new natural gas power plant, but meanwhile nothing is on the drawing boards to meet the growing demand for power.  Now is a better time than ever to buy a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) backup for your computer!

 

Fun fact, or not so fun fact....  UPS power supplies are actually not uninterrupted.  I had a bad wall socket and the UPS kept shutting off to avoid getting fried.  Wish I'd realized that before buying another UPS!  Imagine my surprise when the new one did the same thing.  Whoops!

[bonami2]

I got faith in nuclear but the problem is no one want to use nuclear. In Quebec Canada we have a out of service one.

 

Nuclear Facility - Gentilly-2

WWW.CNSC-CCSN.GC.CA

 

The point of artificial Sun and Fusion is mostly to make power without the side effect of nuclear i would says.

 

They could make electricity free for everyone if they wanted with those tech!