China has successfully completed the second test of its nuclear fusion reactor, known as "Artificial sun", because it mimics the energy-generation process of the Sun.
The so called 'artificial sun' nuclear fusion reactor has set a new world record after running at 216 million degrees Fahrenheit (120million°C) for 100 seconds, according to state media. Fusion is a nuclear technology that can produce very high levels of energy without generating large quantities of nuclear waste
The 'artificial sun' machine, called as Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also achieved a peak temperature of 288 million °F (160million°C) – more than ten times hotter than the sun.
Chinese scientists hope that EAST machine will unlock a powerful green energy source in Beijing's quest for 'limitless clean power'. EAST is China's largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, which uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma.
The Sun in our galaxy produces energy through a nuclear fusion reaction. Inside the Sun, the hydrogen atoms collide with each other and fuse at extremely high temperatures – around 15 million degrees centigrade – under enormous gravitational pressure. Every second, 600 million tons of hydrogen are fused to create helium. During this process, part of the mass of the hydrogen atoms becomes energy.
China's fusion reactor device was first fired up last December, with a plasma temperature of 180 million°F (100 million°C) for 100 seconds.
China's next goal could be to run at a consistent temperature for a week, according to Li Miao, director of the physics department of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.
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