China launches fusion 'artificial sun' for the first time

China has used its fusion reactor for the first time, taking a step forward in developing technologies that will become a powerful and limitless source of clean energy. CNN.

Photo: video frame YouTube / New China TV

The HL-2M Tokamak reactor in Chengdu, Sichuan province, is designed to use a powerful magnetic field to melt hot plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius - more than 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun.

The reactor, which is called the "artificial sun" because of the enormous amount of heat and energy it produces, was completed last year.

Chinese scientists have been working on a scaled-down version of the technology since 2006 in experiments designed to lay the groundwork for future large-scale power generation.

On the subject: 12-year-old American assembled a nuclear reactor at home and got into the Guinness Book of Records

The new reactor will also provide technical support for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's largest reactor, which is being built in Marseille, France, state media reported. China is one of six countries participating in the project.

Scientists have been working on nuclear fusion for decades, which some regard as a major advance in energy production. Reactors are designed to mimic the physics of stars by fusing atomic nuclei, releasing enormous amounts of energy that can be controlled and eventually converted into electricity.

Unlike nuclear fission, which is used in nuclear power plants, fusion creates little radioactive waste and carries less risk of environmental disaster.

But merging is extremely difficult and expensive. Estimates of the total costs of building and operating the ITER range from $ 22 billion to $ 65 billion, making it one of the most expensive science projects in the world, and it will likely take decades before it becomes a viable means of generating electricity.

In early December, the UK announced its own move towards a fusion power plant, starting to search for a site to install.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

The government hopes the construction of a spherical tokamak for power generation (STEP), which will be connected to the grid, will be completed by 2040.

Professor Ian Chapman, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, said "the plans will prove that fusion is not a distant dream but an emerging reality."

“STEP is about moving from research and development to delivery,” he added.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Japan wants to dump tons of radioactive water into the ocean: it threatens to change human DNA

Nuclear America: 10 Interesting Facts About US Nuclear Weapons

Helps master the Moon and Mars: mold from Chernobyl can protect astronauts from radiation

Nuclear tests in the Pacific: why dozens of years later, the threat from radiation has not subsided

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.