(Image source from: China’s efforts to create Artificial Sun})
China is well known for its inventions. A new such invention could put an end to the reliance on fossil fuels. The country’s scientists are close to creating Artificial Sun. They managed to create a hydrogen gas, thrice hotter than the sun. Eventually, the artificial solar energy can be used as an inexhaustible source of power. This could end the reliance on fossil fuels, besides solving issue of the world energy crisis.
At the Institute of Physical Science in Hefei, the gas was created by Chinese boffins in a huge magnetic fusion reactor. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) was invented in 1950s by Soviet scientists. The features of EAST include a massive metallic doughtnut-shaped chamber. It is designed as a twist into a figure of eight.
Researchers could use the reactor to produce temperatures of 50 million Kelvins (49.999 million°C). They were able to maintain the temperature for 102 seconds. The core of the sun is believed to around 15 million Kelvins.
Previous experiment by German scientists claimed to have produced hotter temperature than this. But, they could not sustain them for as long. The news is a breakthrough. However, the perfection into the process could take decades for being able to use it as a constant power source.
-Sumana
