South Korea sets new world record in nuclear fusion, heating plasma to Sun’s core temperature

NEW DELHI: Scientists in South Korea have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in nuclear fusion technology, setting a new world record by sustaining temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for an extended period. This temperature, seven times hotter than the core of the sun, was maintained during a nuclear fusion experiment, marking a significant advancement in the development of this futuristic energy source.

Nuclear fusion, which mimics the processes powering the sun and other stars, involves fusing two atoms together to release vast amounts of energy. This clean energy source promises to provide unlimited energy without contributing to carbon pollution, positioning it as a pivotal solution in combating climate change. However, the technical challenges of replicating this process on Earth have been immense, a CNN report said.

The key to achieving fusion energy lies in the tokamak, a donut-shaped reactor that heats hydrogen variants to create a plasma—a state of matter where atomic nuclei and electrons are separated. According to Si-Woo Yoon, director of the KSTAR Research Center at the Korean Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), maintaining high temperature and high density plasmas where fusion reactions can occur over long durations is crucial for the success of future nuclear fusion reactors.

The KSTAR device, dubbed an "artificial sun" by the KFE, achieved this latest record by sustaining plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees for 48 seconds during tests conducted between December 2023 and February 2024. This achievement surpasses the previous record of 30 seconds set in 2021.

Modifications to the process, including the substitution of tungsten for carbon in components known as diverters—which remove heat and impurities from the fusion reaction—were instrumental in extending the duration of the plasma state.

The ultimate goal for KSTAR is to maintain these plasma temperatures for 300 seconds by 2026, a milestone that Si-Woo Yoon considers a "critical point" for scaling up fusion operations. The advancements made in South Korea are expected to contribute significantly to the development of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in southern France, the world's largest tokamak, which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy.

This announcement follows a series of breakthroughs in nuclear fusion research, including a successful reaction at the National Ignition Facility in the United States that produced more energy than was used to power it, and a record-setting fusion energy output near Oxford, England.
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