China's Artificial Sun Keeps Plasma Going for Over 17 Minutes

China's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), often called the artificial sun, recently set a new world record. It kept plasma stable for a whopping 1, 066 seconds, more than twice its previous record of 403 seconds from 2023. This breakthrough is a big deal for fusion power research. Keeping plasma steady for over 1, 000 seconds is a major milestone. It brings scientists closer to mimicking the sun's nuclear fusion for clean, endless energy. Scientists have been trying to harness fusion energy for over 70 years. One big challenge is dealing with extreme heat. They need to reach and maintain temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius. Another challenge is keeping plasma stable for long periods. The fusion process needs precise control to manage the tiny dance of atomic nuclei. Plus, they want to create a reaction that gives out more power than it uses.

EAST's new record shows progress in keeping plasma steady for longer. This is crucial for future fusion plants. A fusion device needs to run stably and efficiently for thousands of seconds to create a self-sustaining plasma loop, essential for continuous power generation. EAST started in 2006 and is the first tokamak to use superconducting magnets for a deuterium plasma. It maintains plasma in the 'H-mode' or high-confinement regime. This is like a sudden boost in plasma confinement. This is important for future fusion reactors, like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) being built in France. China joined ITER in 2006 and is responsible for about 9% of its work. EAST's success is thanks to upgrades like new diagnostic tools and an improved heating system. It now produces double the power while keeping things stable. A new generation of fusion research facilities is being built in Hefei, China. They'll keep working to make fusion energy practical.

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