The content discusses a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion research, where the KSTAR fusion reactor in South Korea has set a new world record by sustaining a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds. This temperature is 17,857 times hotter than the surface of the Sun and nearly 7 times hotter than the core of the Sun.
The article explains the process of nuclear fusion, which powers the Sun. In the core of the Sun, the temperatures and pressures are so high that hydrogen atoms have enough kinetic energy to overcome the repulsive force and fuse into a single larger helium atom. This fusion process releases a small amount of spare mass in the form of subatomic particles, which can then be harnessed to generate energy.
The article notes that this latest achievement by the KSTAR reactor, which surpasses its own previous record of 31 seconds, represents a significant leap forward in fusion energy research. While it does not immediately unlock the potential of fusion as a practical energy source, it demonstrates the progress being made in sustaining the extreme conditions necessary for fusion to occur, bringing us closer to the realization of this "utopian energy source."
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by Will Lockett at medium.com 04-21-2024
https://medium.com/predict/nuclear-fusion-record-smashed-6456859abf27Deeper Inquiries