HEFEI, JAN. 20 --The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), often referred to as China's "artificial sun," achieved a significant scientific milestone by maintaining steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for a remarkable 1,066 seconds on Monday. This accomplishment sets a new world record and represents a notable breakthrough in the pursuit of fusion power generation.
Notably, the duration of 1,066 seconds is considered as a key step in fusion research. The breakthrough, accomplished by the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP), the Hefei Institutes of Physical Scienece (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), significantly surpasses the previous world record of 403 seconds, which was also established by EAST in 2023.
The ultimate goal of an artificial sun is to create nuclear fusion similar to those occurring in the sun, thereby offering humanity with an endless, clean energy source, and enabling space exploration beyond the solar system.
Scientists worldwide have dedicated over 70 years to achieving this goal. However, the successful generation of electricity from a nuclear fusion device requires overcoming key challenges, including reaching temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, maintaining stable long-term operation, and ensuring precise controllability.
"A fusion device must achieve stable operation at high efficiency for thousands of seconds to enable the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, which is essential for the continuous power generation of future fusion plants," said SONG Yuntao, ASIPP director and also vice president of HFIPS. He emphasized that the recent record is of monumental significance, marking a critical step toward the realization of a functional fusion reactor.
GONG Xianzu, head of the division of EAST Physics and Experimental Operations, noted that several systems of the EAST device have been upgraded since the previous round of experiments. For instance, the heating system, which previously operated at the equivalent power of nearly 70,000 household microwave ovens, has now doubled its power output while maintaining both stability and continuity.
Since starting operation in 2006, EAST has served as an open testing platform for both Chinese and international scientists to conduct fusion-related experiments and research.
China officially joined the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program in 2006 as its seventh member. According to the agreement, China is responsible for about 9 percent of the project's construction and operation -- and ASIPP is the primary institution of the Chinese mission.
ITER, which is under construction in southern France, is poised to become the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment and the largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor upon completion.
In recent years, EAST has consistently achieved groundbreaking advancements in the high-confinement mode, a fundamental operational mode for experimental fusion reactors such as ITER and the future China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). These achievements provide invaluable insights and references for the development of fusion reactors globally.
"We hope to expand international collaboration via EAST and bring fusion energy into practical use for humanity," said SONG.
In Hefei, Anhui Province, China, the site of EAST, a new generation of experimental fusion research facilities is currently under construction. These facilities are intended to further accelerate the development and application of fusion energy.
EAST maintained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds on Monday. (Image by HFIPS)
