Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough with their “artificial sun” fusion reactor. The team led by Professor Ping Zhu and Associate Professor Ning Yan set a new world record using the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST).
In a study published in Science, the reactor maintained high-temperature plasma for 1,066 seconds at 100 million degrees Celsius. This temperature is over six times hotter than the Sun’s core.
Nuclear fusion, the process powering the artificial sun, combines hydrogen isotopes under extreme heat and pressure to generate energy. However, keeping the plasma stable in the doughnut-shaped reactor has been a major challenge for scientists.
The EAST team achieved stability by creating an “ELM-free regime.” This involved controlling the interaction between the plasma and reactor walls to remove turbulence. Normally, this turbulence disrupts the fusion process. With it eliminated, the artificial sun could operate for longer than previous records.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, this artificial sun success marks a significant step toward harnessing clean and nearly limitless energy on Earth. While scientists have not yet produced more energy than the reactor consumes, this achievement offers hope for the future of sustainable power.
Experts say that artificial sun technology could eventually reduce dependence on fossil fuels and help address global energy shortages. Prolonged plasma control is essential to building reactors that generate more energy than they use.
China’s EAST reactor continues to demonstrate that stable nuclear fusion is becoming increasingly feasible. Researchers worldwide are watching closely, as breakthroughs in artificial sun technology could reshape global energy production.
The success highlights China’s growing leadership in fusion research. With each record-setting run, the artificial sun project brings humanity closer to a future powered by safe, clean, and virtually limitless energy.
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