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What Is Artificial Sun?
3 April 2024
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The "artificial sun" isn't a giant glowing ball, but rather a nickname for a nuclear fusion reactor
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Just like our Sun, it aims to achieve fusion, where hydrogen atoms are squeezed together at extreme temperatures, releasing massive energy
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This fusion process is considered the holy grail of clean energy due to its minimal waste and potentially limitless fuel source
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Several countries are developing functional artificial suns, with France's ITER and China's EAST reactors being prominent example
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South Korea's KSTAR has achieved temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, 7 times hotter than the core of Sun
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These reactors use doughnut-shaped chambers called tokamaks to confine superheated plasma, where electrons are stripped from atoms
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Powerful magnetic fields are crucial for controlling this hot plasma and keeping it from touching the reactor walls
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While achieving sustained fusion has been a challenge, recent breakthroughs like China's record-setting operation for 48 seconds offer hope
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If successful, artificial suns could revolutionise energy production, providing a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels
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However, there are still significant hurdles to overcome, including the immense engineering challenges and the need for commercially viable reactors
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Despite the complexities, the potential rewards of a clean and limitless energy source make the pursuit of an artificial Sun a highly desirable goal
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