One step closer to infinite energy: 43 seconds at 30 million degrees

The nuclear energy we use today works by splitting uranium fuel into atomic nuclei (fission) to produce electricity. While this method doesn't emit carbon, it does produce dangerous radioactive waste. This is where a solution the scientific world has long sought comes in: nuclear fusion. Fusion, which occurs within the Sun, is a process in which hydrogen nuclei combine under extreme heat and pressure to form helium, releasing enormous energy. Fusion promises carbon-free, clean, and virtually infinite energy. It also produces much less radioactive waste than fission. However, this technology is still in the experimental stages. To date, scientists have primarily worked on reactors called tokamaks, which contain plasma in a "ring" shape with a magnetic field.

Besides tokamaks, another serious candidate is the "stellarator" type reactor, a much more complex system. WORLD RECORD

The Wendelstein 7-X stellarator reactor in Germany has set a new world record for nuclear fusion. In an experiment conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, this advanced reactor maintained a stable plasma reaction for 43 seconds. This record represents one of the longest plasma durations to date, not only for stellarators but for all fusion reactors, including tokamaks. Previous records were also set by the JT60U tokamak in Japan and the JET tokamak in the UK. The Wendelstein 7-X's achievement elevates the triple product level, a crucial factor in the scientific community, to the level of tokamaks.

These three critical factors are:- Ion density in the plasma

- Temperature of the ions

- How long the energy is trapped in the plasma (thermal insulation time)

In the 43-second experiment, these values came closer than ever to the threshold required for fusion to transition to commercial production. 30 MILLION DEGREES

This achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of several countries. The US Department of Energy 's Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a special fuel injector for the reactor. CIEMAT in Spain and the HUN-REN Energy Research Center in Hungary also contributed. The reactor was fed with 90 pellets of frozen hydrogen ions for 43 seconds. The plasma was heated to 30 million degrees Celsius using microwave heating. This process was achieved using electron cyclotron resonance, the most efficient heating method for fusion.

The pellet injector has been programmed to operate at automatic pulse frequencies—a first in fusion history, according to Popular Mechanics.

Professor Thomas Klinger of the Max Planck Institute commented on the development: “The new record is a tremendous achievement for the international team. It impressively demonstrates the potential of Wendelstein 7-X. Being able to increase the triple multiplication in long-duration plasmas to tokamak levels is a significant milestone on the path to developing a stellarator suitable for commercial energy production.” This record brings humanity one step closer to achieving its dream of clean, sustainable, and safe energy. However, the consensus is that fusion technology is still a long way from becoming available and commercially viable.