THIRTY seconds AT 100 MEGAKELVINS

Back in Dec 2020 we wrote about the Korea Superconducting Tokamak advanced research study (KSTAR) magnetic fusion reactor’s record-breaking feat of heating hydrogen plasma as much as 100 megakelvins for 20 seconds. Last month it broke its own record, extending that to 30 seconds. The target of the program is 300 seconds by 2026. There is a bit of competition going, as KSTAR’s Chinese partner in the worldwide Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the Experimental advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) did a run a week later reaching 70 million degrees for 1056 seconds. It should be noted that KSTAR is reaching these temperatures by heating ions in the plasma, while east takes a different approach acting on the electrons.

The news reports seem to be utilizing Celsius as well as Kelvins interchangeably, however at millions of degrees, that’s most likely much smaller than measurement error. These different milestones are however stepping stones along the path to produce a presentation big fusion reactor, the goal of the worldwide ITER mega-project. currently China, the EU including Switzerland as well as the UK, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, as well as the united states are members of ITER, as well as Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, as well as Thailand are participants. The ITER presentation reactor is being built at the Cadarache facility found 60 km northeast of Marseille, France, as well as is on track for commissioning phase to begin in 2025, going operational ten years later.