Nuclear fusion: Koreans exceeded 7 times the temperature of the Sun  

For a full 30 seconds

South Korea’s nuclear fusion reactor, KSTAR , has managed to keep hot plasma at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for a full 30 seconds for the first time. The experiment was terminated at this time limit due to material limitations.

KSTAR uses magnetic fields to generate and stabilize plasma, with the ultimate goal of making nuclear fusion power production a reality.

It is worth mentioning that this feat took place in 2020, but it has only now been peer-reviewed and published in Nature . Since then, KSTAR has broken his own record, reaching all of 70 seconds. But the Chinese “Artificial Sun” has broken every record so far, reaching 120 million degrees and 101 whole seconds.

The technologies needed for long plasma operation at 100 million degrees Celsius are the key to making nuclear fusion power production a reality.

Nuclear fusion reactors like KSTAR use hydrogen isotopes to create a plasma state where ions and electrons are separated, the same processes that take place in the Sun.

KSTAR scientists want to get the reactor running for 300 seconds at 100 million degrees Celsius by 2025.