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Korea’s nuclear fusion device, KSTAR, succeeded in maintaining an ultra-high plasma with an ion temperature of 100 million degrees or more for 20 seconds, and set the world record for maintaining the artificial sun.
Seoul National University and Columbia University jointly conducted an experiment to create a high-temperature plasma using Kestar.
Kestar is a tokamak type nuclear fusion research device that traps ultra-high temperature plasma with a powerful magnet. In order to realize a nuclear fusion reaction like the sun, hydrogen isotopes must be placed in a container enclosed in a huge coil inside the casita, and ions and electrons are separated to form a plasma state, and the heated state must be maintained.
Until now, there have been nuclear fusion devices capable of maintaining plasma at temperatures above 100 million degrees for a short time. However, it has never been held for more than 10 seconds. This is because it is difficult to maintain magnetism enough to form plasma at a high temperature of 100 million degrees.
Kista succeeded in reaching a plasma temperature of 100 million degrees for the first time in 2018. At that time, it could hold for 1.5 seconds. In the 2019 experiment, 100 million degrees of plasma could be maintained for 8 seconds, but in this experiment, the 2019 record more than doubled.
Yun Si-woo, director of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, said that the technology required for long-term maintenance of ultra-high temperature plasma of 100 million degrees is the key to realizing nuclear fusion energy and is an important component in commercial fusion reactors in the future. He added that this experiment will be an important turning point in the competition to establish a technology that maintains ultra-high temperature plasma for a long time.
Kestar’s ultimate goal is to maintain plasma over 100 million degrees for 300 seconds by 2025. Related information can be found here .
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