Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.

Researchers generate fusion at 100 million Kelvin for 20 seconds
Tokamak geometry and the parameter evolution of a FIRE mode. a, The plasma configuration of a FIRE mode in KSTAR. The colour of the lines indicates the ion temperature in kiloelectronvolts, with 10 keV corresponding to ≈120 million kelvin. b–i, The time evolution of main physics and engineering parameters (shot 25860). b, The plasma current (Ip), toroidal magnetic field strength at the magnetic axis (BT), neutral beam injection power (PNBI) and electron cyclotron resonance heating power (PECH). c, The energy confinement enhancement factors relative to the ITER89P and the IPB98(y,2) scaling law (H89 and H98y2) and stored plasma energy (WMHD). d, The line-averaged electron density (ne) and line-averaged fast-ion density from NUBEAM calculations (nfast). e, The central ion and electron temperature (Ti,0 and Te,0). f, The Dα emission intensity. g, The loop voltage. h, The internal inductance (li), normalized beta (βN) and the magnetic fluctuations detected by Mirnov coils. i, The carbon line radiation intensity from C2+→3+. Credit: Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05008-1

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in South Korea working with two colleagues fromPrinceton University and one from Columbia University have achieved a new milestone in the development of fusion as an energy source. The group describes their work in a paper that was published in Nature.

Scientists have been trying to create fusion reactions inside power plants as a way of generating heat for conversion to electricity. The main goal hasn't been achieved despite significant progress. It is difficult for scientists to control fusion reactions because of instabilities that prevent the reaction from continuing. The heat that is generated is in the millions of degrees. It's levitated with magnets because materials couldn't hold it that hot.

The other approach is called an edge-transport barrier, and it shapes the plasma in a way that prevents it from escaping. The type of internal transport barrier used by the researchers at Korea's Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research Center is similar to the one used by the other approach. It works by putting pressure on the center of the plasma to keep it under control.

The researchers decided to use the internal transport barrier due to the fact that it results in denser plasma. They say that a higher density makes it easier to generate higher temperatures. It makes it easier to use the equipment used for containment.

The team was able to keep the reaction going for 20 seconds by generating heat up to 100 millionKelvin. This is the first time that both temperatures and reactions have been achieved at the same time.

The researchers next plan to retrofit their facility to make use of what they learned over the past several years of research, replacing some components, such as carbon elements on the chamber walls with new ones made of Tungsten.

More information: H. Han et al, A sustained high-temperature fusion plasma regime facilitated by fast ions, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05008-1 Journal information: Nature

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Bob YirkaPhys.org Tokamak geometryFIRE modeplasma
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