CHINA BUILDS AN "ARTIFICIAL SUN"

[hope]

China builds an "artificial sun" that can hit temperatures of 180 MILLION degrees F in its quest to produce
near-limitless cheap energy.

The state-of-the-art machine is designed to replicate the processes of the sun.
It hit a landmark this week when it reached 180 million F for the first time.
This is believed to be the temperature at which nuclear fusion occurs.

China has built an "artificial sun" that reaches temperatures six times that of the core of our closest star.

The -state-of-art reactor is designed to replicate the processes of the sun as part of a project to turn
hydrogen into cost effective green energy.

It reached a key milestone this week when it hit 180 million F (100 million C ) for the first time, which
is believed to be th temperature at which nuclear fusion occurs.
Scientists across the globe are locked in a race to build the world's first operational nuclear reactor.

The victor will unlock a source of near-limitless clean energy worth billions that some believe could
save the planet from the -CLIMATE CHANGE crisis.


By Harry Petitit
For Dailymail 14 Nov, 2018

[Nazheek]

The world's first fusion reactor, at one hundred million degrees, at least ten years earlier than we expected it to be constructed.

This is definitely more exciting than the grape surgery.

[Redbeck]

This could be a game changer Hope thank you so much for bringing it to our attention and Nazheek thank you for your contribution as well as a veritable flurry of other replies, your own posts and contributions to those of others are invaluable. Redbeck

I thought this additional information plus the expanded pictures would be helpful to understand the significance of this development. The thirst for research on the subject was triggered by Hope's original post (Which in a sense is what the site is all about] and as a result I also discovered the Chinese also have plans to launch an "artificial moon" bright enough to replace city streetlights by 2020. Furthermore, Chinese scientists plan to send three artificial moons into space over the next four years.

According to associate professor Matthew Hole from the Australian National University said China’s achievement was an important step for nuclear fusion science. Dr Hole said that developing fusion reactors could be the solution to global energy problems.

"The benefit is simple in that it is very large-scale base load [continuous] energy production, with zero greenhouse gas emissions and no long-life radioactive waste.

He added that nuclear fusion reactors also avoid risks associated with the currently employed nuclear fission reactors, which can be adapted into dangerous weapons and are prone to possible catastrophic meltdowns.
Another proclaimed that "if this technology is put in use, the world will no longer feel anxious about the energy crisis".

Current nuclear power plant technology relies on nuclear fission - a chain reaction where uranium atoms are split to release energy - whereas nuclear fusion does exactly the opposite.

One approach to achieving this on Earth is by using what's known as a tokamak, a device designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process that occurs naturally in the Sun and stars to generate energy.

The Chinese tokomak known as EAST that realised the 100 million Celsius feat stands 11 metres tall, has a diameter of 8 metres and weighs about 360 tonnes.



It employs a ring to house heavy and super-heavy isotopes; these are atomic variations of hydrogen known as deuterium and tritium. The isotopes are heated by powerful electric currents within the tokamak, this process tears electrons away from their atoms forming a charged plasma of hydrogen ions.



Powerful magnets which line the inner walls of EAST then corral the plasma into a minute area