- China has achieved a true milestone by attaining a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius. This is an unparalleled temperature, and over seven times the estimated temperature of the sun’s core. This is a game breaker, not just a game changer. Beijing - China has achieved a true milestone by attaining a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius. This is an unparalleled temperature, and over seven times the estimated temperature of the sun’s core. This is a game breaker, not just a game changer. Big issues The super-efficient fusion reactor has been a sort of Holy Grail for physicists and engineers for many decades. China’s reactor, in fact, has gone well beyond the parameters for energy production. It’s not necessary to deliver 100 million degrees to provide the sort of power required for electricity generation. 1 million degrees would be quite adequate, and infinitely more efficient than the clunky, extremely toxic 19th century fossil fuel power currently in use. The extremely high level of efficiency required to achieve 100 million degrees, however, takes China’s fusion program to a new, and fascinating, level. This sort of power can be harnessed to produce space vehicle drives, weapons, and less appealingly, potentially catastrophic meltdowns. (Also note that the 100 million degree figure would have to be reached with very small amounts of material, for the sake of both safety and viability of practical research. You don’t just suddenly generate fusion in tons of material. Research of this kind would have to be done in micrograms, easily manageable amounts. Even so, it’s still far more efficient than any previous experimentation.) The mere fact that China was able to safely achieve this very high temperature, on the other hand, points to excellent technology, good safety management, and more to come. Fusion power is an ongoing subject of research around the world. The United States has no less than Future issues If the balance of fusion technology seems to be tilted towards China, you can expect the rest of the world to challenge this situation. Fusion power has almost unspeakable commercial potential, and can deliver another Holy Grail, cheap power, in vast amounts. In the current political environment, that sort of competition may get ugly. Accusations of scientific espionage, real or imaginary, are common. The sheer value of fusion power could cause some rather grim situations, including an “Intellectual Property War” for key technologies. That’s not at all unlikely, and could cause global IP piracy to escalate from its already horrific levels. Militarily, fusion power isn’t an instant option for anyone. Fusion warheads could be destructive, sure, but they could also be own goals. They’d be expensive to make, very hard to hide, and difficult to manage as active warheads. (For example, can you trigger fusion-able materials the same way you can trigger fissionable materials? Probably not, with existing technologies.) A fusion weapons system could also cause a very negative response from other nuclear powers who don’t want to be at a disadvantage against these potentially very high yield, much more powerful, weapons. Technological advantages, however, can play out economically in very different ways. China could become an energy exporter using fusion power. That would be a gigantic cash cow, and also integrate Chinese power supplies with the rest of the world. Goodbye oil, coal, etc., and hello Gung Ho Fat Choy PLC, your friendly global power company. Fossil fuel economies couldn’t compete, on any level, even in theory, with the possible efficiencies of fusion power systems. Fossil fuels require vast infrastructures, massive amounts of raw materials, and an entire global distribution system. Fusion doesn’t require anything but the means to generate fusion reactions. It can ship its power anywhere. If that sounds like a real power struggle, (excuse the expression) with fusion as the only working competitive option, you see the problems. Whole fossil fuel dependent national economies would crash, and the rest of the world would have to reconfigure to fusion. Strong positives for fusion On a much more positive note, fusion power could also deliver the clean energy required to end the global pollution disaster which is killing people worldwide. Fusion can use steam, and/or any kind of secondary pressure or magnetic systems, to drive any type of power system. These types of power systems don’t and can’t generate microparticulate matter, which is the truly toxic part of fossil fuel pollution, or chemical toxins. This clean power would also be able to power electric vehicles, eliminating the endless toxic horrors of vasoconstrictive exhaust fumes which are contributing to any number medical issues, like hypertension and coronary disease, two of the world’s biggest, and most expensive, mass pandemic conditions. Even asthma, another galloping global medical environmental issue, could benefit. (Someone will have to explain to me at some point why epidemiologists never seem to refer to the 16 billion tons of pollutants released in to the air every year as an environmental factor in any type of disease, beyond vague causal associations. Lazy, or too damn gutless to mention the obvious?) Anyway, fusion is now over the horizon in terms of a realistic future technology. It’s been coming for a long time, but this is the first real ray of sunlight in a new day for energy production. Let’s just hope our fearless “leaders” don’t turn it in to another nightmare for humanity. The big breakthrough was achieved by China's Institute of Plasma Physics Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) facility. This level of power is capable of generating enormous amounts of energy for use in power systems. It may also be an emerging answer to China’s hideously difficult fossil fuel pollution problems.The super-efficient fusion reactor has been a sort of Holy Grail for physicists and engineers for many decades. China’s reactor, in fact, has gone well beyond the parameters for energy production. It’s not necessary to deliver 100 million degrees to provide the sort of power required for electricity generation. 1 million degrees would be quite adequate, and infinitely more efficient than the clunky, extremely toxic 19th century fossil fuel power currently in use.The extremely high level of efficiency required to achieve 100 million degrees, however, takes China’s fusion program to a new, and fascinating, level. This sort of power can be harnessed to produce space vehicle drives, weapons, and less appealingly, potentially catastrophic meltdowns.(Also note that the 100 million degree figure would have to be reached with very small amounts of material, for the sake of both safety and viability of practical research. You don’t just suddenly generate fusion in tons of material. Research of this kind would have to be done in micrograms, easily manageable amounts. Even so, it’s still far more efficient than any previous experimentation.)The mere fact that China was able to safely achieve this very high temperature, on the other hand, points to excellent technology, good safety management, and more to come.Fusion power is an ongoing subject of research around the world. The United States has no less than 20 research programs under way. The EU has multiple research organisations involved in its research programs.If the balance of fusion technology seems to be tilted towards China, you can expect the rest of the world to challenge this situation. Fusion power has almost unspeakable commercial potential, and can deliver another Holy Grail, cheap power, in vast amounts.In the current political environment, that sort of competition may get ugly. Accusations of scientific espionage, real or imaginary, are common. The sheer value of fusion power could cause some rather grim situations, including an “Intellectual Property War” for key technologies. That’s not at all unlikely, and could cause global IP piracy to escalate from its already horrific levels.Militarily, fusion power isn’t an instant option for anyone. Fusion warheads could be destructive, sure, but they could also be own goals. They’d be expensive to make, very hard to hide, and difficult to manage as active warheads. (For example, can you trigger fusion-able materials the same way you can trigger fissionable materials? Probably not, with existing technologies.) A fusion weapons system could also cause a very negative response from other nuclear powers who don’t want to be at a disadvantage against these potentially very high yield, much more powerful, weapons.Technological advantages, however, can play out economically in very different ways. China could become an energy exporter using fusion power. That would be a gigantic cash cow, and also integrate Chinese power supplies with the rest of the world. Goodbye oil, coal, etc., and hello Gung Ho Fat Choy PLC, your friendly global power company. Fossil fuel economies couldn’t compete, on any level, even in theory, with the possible efficiencies of fusion power systems. Fossil fuels require vast infrastructures, massive amounts of raw materials, and an entire global distribution system. Fusion doesn’t require anything but the means to generate fusion reactions. It can ship its power anywhere.If that sounds like a real power struggle, (excuse the expression) with fusion as the only working competitive option, you see the problems. Whole fossil fuel dependent national economies would crash, and the rest of the world would have to reconfigure to fusion.On a much more positive note, fusion power could also deliver the clean energy required to end the global pollution disaster which is killing people worldwide. Fusion can use steam, and/or any kind of secondary pressure or magnetic systems, to drive any type of power system. These types of power systems don’t and can’t generate microparticulate matter, which is the truly toxic part of fossil fuel pollution, or chemical toxins.This clean power would also be able to power electric vehicles, eliminating the endless toxic horrors of vasoconstrictive exhaust fumes which are contributing to any number medical issues, like hypertension and coronary disease, two of the world’s biggest, and most expensive, mass pandemic conditions. Even asthma, another galloping global medical environmental issue, could benefit.(Someone will have to explain to me at some point why epidemiologists never seem to refer to the 16 billion tons of pollutants released in to the air every year as an environmental factor in any type of disease, beyond vague causal associations. Lazy, or too damn gutless to mention the obvious?)Anyway, fusion is now over the horizon in terms of a realistic future technology. It’s been coming for a long time, but this is the first real ray of sunlight in a new day for energy production. Let’s just hope our fearless “leaders” don’t turn it in to another nightmare for humanity. This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com </s> China has built an 'artificial sun' that reaches temperature six times that of the core of our star.

The state-of-the-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 the temperature at which nuclear fusion occurs.

Scientists across the globe are locked in a race to build the world's first operational nuclear fusion 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.

Scientists at the China's Hefei Institutes of Physical Science announced their fusion machine reached hit 100 million C (180 million F) on Tuesday.

This is more than six times hotter than the core of the sun, which peaks at around 15 million C (27 million F).

Scientists believe that nuclear fusion occurs at 100 million C - causing charged deuterium and tritium particles join together in a huge burst of energy.

These particles normally repel each other, and enormous temperatures are required to overcome their opposing forces.

The goal of the team's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is to better understand the process of fusion ahead of building a full reactor.

Nuclear fusion reactors work differently to fission reactors because they fuse two nuclei, rather than splitting them.

The process promises a vast resource of cheap energy and is far safer than fission, producing almost no dangerous nuclear waste.

A practical fusion reactor must not only be capable of sustaining extreme temperatures, but also remain stable at these temperatures for long periods.

EAST currently holds the world record for sustaining a reaction in a Tokamak - a poultry 101.2 seconds back in 2017.

The Tokamak is the world's most developed magnetic confinement system and is the basis for the design of many modern fusion reactors.

It involves light elements, such as hydrogen, smashing together to form heavier elements, such as helium.

For fusion to occur, hydrogen atoms are placed under high heat and pressure until they fuse together. </s> Chinese researchers pushing to find a major clean energy source have created an incredible artificial sun that can reach temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius – a heat so intense it makes the real sun seem merely lukewarm.

The earth-based solar simulator has reached mind-bending temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, the research team announced Tuesday. Now, that’s hot. For comparison, the real sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius.

The Institute of Plasma Physics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it has been testing an “artificial sun,” known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sci-fi-sounding contraption has been designed to replicate the way in which the star at the center of our solar system generates its colossal energy.

EAST is a large, donut-shaped machine set inside a round box. Located on Science Island in Eastern China's Anhui Province, the project is using nuclear fusion to create immense heat; it costs a massive $15,000 a day just to turn on the machine.

The goal of the EAST is to understand nuclear fusion and to one day use it as an alternative source of power on Earth. This could pave the way for using clean energy – currently, nuclear energy created through fission leaves a long-lasting toxic waste.

The news comes soon after China announced its plans to roll out a series of fake moons to illuminate urban streets at night. The ‘moons’ are actually satellites, and the hope is that they can replace standard street lighting and save energy.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> Chinese researchers pushing to find a major clean energy source have created an incredible artificial sun that can reach temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius - a heat so intense it makes the real sun seem merely lukewarm.The Institute of Plasma Physics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it has been testing an "artificial sun," known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sci-fi-sounding contraption has been designed to replicate the way in which the star at the center of our solar system generates its colossal energy.EAST is a large, donut-shaped machine set inside a round box. Located on Science Island in Eastern China's Anhui Province, the project is using nuclear fusion to create immense heat; it costs a massive $15,000 a day just to turn on the machine.The news comes soon after China announced its plans to roll out a series of fake moons to illuminate urban streets at night. The 'moons' are actually satellites, and the hope is that they can replace standard street lighting and save energy. </s> Chinese researchers reached a new milestone with their ‘artificial sun’ that was designed to replicate the process our natural sun uses to generate energy.

In a push to find a major clean energy source, researchers in China have created an artificial sun that can reach temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, a heat so intense it makes the real sun seem lukewarm by comparison.

As China’s sun is an experiment for nuclear fusion, it won’t be launched up into the skies like their fake moon

RT reports: The earth-based solar simulator has reached mind-bending temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, the research team announced Tuesday. Now, that’s hot. For comparison, the real sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius.

The Institute of Plasma Physics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it has been testing an “artificial sun,” known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sci-fi-sounding contraption has been designed to replicate the way in which the star at the center of our solar system generates its colossal energy.

EAST is a large, donut-shaped machine set inside a round box. Located on Science Island in Eastern China’s Anhui Province, the project is using nuclear fusion to create immense heat; it costs a massive $15,000 a day just to turn on the machine.

The goal of the EAST is to understand nuclear fusion and to one day use it as an alternative source of power on Earth. This could pave the way for using clean energy – currently, nuclear energy created through fission leaves a long-lasting toxic waste.

The news comes soon after China announced its plans to roll out a series of fake moons to illuminate urban streets at night. The ‘moons’ are actually satellites, and the hope is that they can replace standard street lighting and save energy. </s> China is all about the artificial celestial bodies at the moment. Just weeks after we learnt the country was making a fake moon we're learning that its earth-based sun simulator is producing temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius.

The core of the actual Sun reaches around 15 million degrees Celsius so this artificial sun is considerably hotter. But scientists believe that this is around the minimum temperature needed to create conditions suitable for nuclear fusion.

At 100 million degrees celsius it's possible to force charged deuterium and tritium particles together to get them to fuse. Usually these particles repel each other, making fusion impossible without massive internal temperatures.

Deuterium and tritium are isotopes of hydrogen and there's a plentiful supply available to use. One company Tokamak Energy claims that it's possible to create fusion reactors for power generation by 2030.

The goal of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is to understand nuclear fusion and one day use it as an alternative source of power on Earth.

Nuclear fusion could create enormous amounts of power without the risk of a meltdown and with very little dangerous waste creation. Fusion relies on combining two nuclei instead of splitting an atom in the way nuclear fission reactors do.

The difficulties of sustaining a reaction on Earth are considerable. EAST needs to be able to survive the massive temperatures and it needs to do so for extended periods of time to be practical for energy generation.

EAST currently has the world record for sustaining a reaction in the Tokamak. Scientists achieved what's called a steady-state H-mode for 101.2 seconds back in 2017. </s> China today launched a 712-km quantum communication line, stated to be the world’s longest secure telecommunications network, which boasts of ultra-high security making it impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through them.

The new quantum communication line links Hefei, capital of Anhui province, to Shanghai, the country’s financial hub.

It is part of a 2,000-km quantum communication line connecting Beijing and Shanghai, according to Chen Yu’ao, professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei and chief engineer of the Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication line.

The 712-km line has 11 stations and it took three years of construction, Mr. Chen said.

It is impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through them.

Experts from 18 countries witnessed a secure remote video meeting between Hefei and Shanghai via the quantum line at a recent international conference on quantum technology.

The Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication line is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

In August, China successfully launched the world’s first quantum satellite. It was nicknamed “Micius” after a fifth century BC Chinese philosopher and scientist.

The Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication line will be connected to the satellite through the line’s station in Beijing, enabling the space-to-Earth quantum communication network. </s> BEIJING — Research by Chinese geologists suggests that the mountain above North Korea's main nuclear test site has likely collapsed, rendering it unsafe for further testing and requiring that it be monitored for any leaking radiation.

The findings by the scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China may shed new light on North Korean President Kim Jong Un's announcement that his country was ceasing its testing program ahead of planned summit meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump.

The results also support some of the findings of an earlier study by another group of Chinese researchers that was published last month by the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Nuclear explosions release enormous amounts of heat and energy, and the North's largest test in September was believed early on to have rendered the site in northeastern North Korea unstable.

Chinese authorities have said they've detected no radiation risk from samples collected along the border. Calls to those departments were not immediately answered on Thursday.

The data in the latest Chinese study was collected following the most powerful of North Korea's six nuclear device tests on Sept. 3, which is believed to have triggered four earthquakes over the following weeks. The yield of the bomb was estimated at more than 100 kilotons of TNT, at least 10 times stronger than anything the North had tested previously. (The bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotons.)

The University of Science and Technology of China paper, authored by Tian Dongdong, Yao Jiawen and Wen Lianxing, said the first of those earthquakes, which occurred 8 ½ minutes after the explosion, was "an onsite collapse toward the nuclear test center," while those that followed were an "earthquake swarm" in similar locations.

"In view of the research finding that the North Korea nuclear test site at Mantapsan has collapsed, it is necessary to continue to monitor any leakage of radioactive materials that may have been caused by the collapse," the authors said in a summary dated Monday and viewed Wednesday on the university's website.

The study is peer-reviewed and has been accepted for publication by the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The Chinese study makes sense and is based on well understood research, said Rowena Lohman, a seismologist at Cornell University who wasn't part of the work. She said she believes there's an international effort that monitors these tests for radiation.

A study published last month by the journal, authored by a team led by Liu Junqing at the earthquake bureau in Jilin province along the border with North Korea, found similar results of the Sept. 3 explosion. It described the aftershock that followed seconds later as most likely a "rapid destruction of an explosion-generated cracked rock chimney due to cavity collapse."

North Korea's nuclear tests are of special concern to Beijing, since the test site near the town of Kilju is less than 60 miles from the border with China.

North Korean nuclear tests have caused seismic events in Chinese border towns and cities, forcing evacuations of schools and offices, sparking fears of wind-born radiation and leading to a backlash among some Chinese against their country's unpredictable traditional ally.

Ties between the sides have been deteriorating for years, although Kim made a long-anticipated visit to Beijing last month after China's implementation of United Nations economic sanctions reduced trade between them by as much as 90 percent.

The quakes that followed the September test were not man-made and didn't appear to cause any damage in the area. The region isn't one where earthquakes naturally occur and no quakes were detected after the five smaller nuclear tests North Korea has conducted since 2006.

Kune Yull Suh, a professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University, warned last year that further tests could threaten to cause a volcanic eruption at Mount Paektu, which is about 60 miles away.

On Saturday, North Korea announced it will close its nuclear testing facility and suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests — a move welcomed by Trump as "big progress" — and which comes ahead of the planned summit between him and Kim.

However, the North stopped short of suggesting it will give up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related components. </s> NASA has successfully demonstrated the working of its Kilopower Nuclear Fission Reactor — a system designed to power bases on moon, Mars, and beyond and make deep-space exploration a reality.

The tests, dubbed Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment, were conducted at National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nevada facility over last five months. Though the tech is still a prototype, it worked as the agency expected and generated electricity with fission power, while demonstrating signs of stability and safety.

“We threw everything we could at this reactor, in terms of nominal and off-normal operating scenarios and KRUSTY passed with flying colors,” David Poston, the chief reactor designer at NNSA’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, said in a NASA statement.

The small, lightweight system, according to the space agency, uses solid, cast uranium-235 as fuel, which undergoes fission reactions to generate heat and convert that into electricity. When fully developed, it should be able to generate 10 kilowatts of power, which is enough to run several households for up to 10 years.

During the recent tests, which were conducted in four phases, scientists and engineers at NASA checked how the whole thing worked and dealt with failures. In the first two powerless phases, they checked how every component of the system worked, while the next two phases, they heated the core and checked the complete functioning of the reactor.

As part of the final phase, scientists simulated a 28-hour long mission which included everything, from starting the reactor and ramping up its power to holding its operation and finally shutting it down. According to a Gizmodo report, the reactor produced an output greater than four kilowatts at temperatures going around 800 degrees Celsius with a whopping 35 percent power efficiency.

The experiment even included a few failure points — such as a sudden decrease in power, engine failure, or failure of heat pipes — but the system kept working despite those glitches.

“We put the system through its paces,” lead Kilopower engineer Marc Gibson said. “We understand the reactor very well, and this test proved that the system works the way we designed it to work. No matter what environment we expose it to, the reactor performs very well.”

That said, the nuclear reactor would be the key to the agency’s upcoming deep-space missions to Moon, Mars, and beyond.

“Safe, efficient and plentiful energy will be the key to future robotic and human exploration,” Jim Reuter, NASA’s acting associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) in Washington, said in the same statement. “I expect the Kilopower project to be an essential part of lunar and Mars power architectures as they evolve.”

As the tech is not dependent on solar energy, it is being seen as an essential element for lunar and Martian missions. On moon where nights are equal to 14 Earth days, the reactor could come handy enabling astronomers to explore shadowed craters, while on Mars it could provide power during prolonged "sunlight-reducing" dust storms or enable landing at high-northern latitudes where ice might be present.

For now, the agency will conduct additional risk-reduction activities on the reactor project to prepare it for future flight testing sometime in the future.
China's Hefei Institutes of Physical Science announces that its Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor in Hefei has reached a milestone of 100 million degrees celsius.