The new experiments begin in a Chinese ‘artificial sun’ that is 8 times hotter than the real sun (and with the goal of raising its temperature even more).

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December 22, 2021 23:05 GMT

The device aims to recreate nuclear fusion, a process similar to that that occurs in stars, including the Sun, and could become a nearly inexhaustible source of clean energy.

Last December, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began a new round of experiments under its “artificial sun” project, a nuclear reactor called Tokamak Advanced Experimental Superconductor (EAST), reach Xinhua Agency.

The device, which is about 11 meters high and 8 meters in diameter, weighs more than 400 tons, seeks to re-establish nuclear fusion, a process similar to that which occurs in stars, including the Sun, which can become An almost inexhaustible clean energy source. Nuclear fusion inside the reactor can only be achieved if the temperature of the ions that are part of the plasma exceeds 100 million degrees Celsius.

According to Song Yuntao, deputy director of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences, the experiment is being conducted on the basis of previous rounds and seeks to make the “sun” more “hotter” and “long-lasting.”

EAST, which started operation in 2006, Achievement On May 28, raise the plasma temperature to 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds. This is an impressive record: 8 times hotter than the sun’s coreWhich reaches about 15 million degrees Celsius. Moreover, the “artificial sun” managed to increase the temperature to 160 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds.