With fossil fuel reserves reaching an all time low, countries from all over the globe are in a rat race to develop an alternative energy source. Amongst the most popular types of alternative energy include hydro electricity, geothermal energy and wind energy. However as of late a lot of attention has been given to the prospect of using solar energy through nuclear fusion.
Last month, scientists from the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California have announced their intention to recreate the conditions in the sun. According to the researchers, their study aims to generate 100 million degrees Celsius temperature that might make nuclear power easier and more accessible.
"It is like tapping into the real solar energy as fusion is the source of all energy in the world. It is really exciting physics, but beyond that there are huge social, economic and global problems that it can help to solve" gushed Ed Moses, director of the National Ignition Facility.
Despite their enthusiasm, it seems like Chinese scientists have already beat the team in California in creating their own artificial sun.
Just hours ago, South China Morning Post reported a breakthrough in artificial solar energy. According to the article, Chinese researchers have created hydrogen gas three times hotter than the sun. The experiment, which was conducted in the city of Hefei in the Anhui Province, used the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak or EAST to produce whopping temperatures that reached 50 million Kelvins for 102 seconds.
By comparison, the core of the sun is estimated to only be around 15 million Kelvins. The recent development is an important milestone as the artificial sun can be used as a source of power. Scientists warn however that utilizing solar energy through nuclear fusion still needs years of research. It might take decades before the science is perfected.
