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UK scientists are celebrating historic progress in using fusion as a clean energy Source, after managing to “capture a star” in a specially built machine.
In the first images released from a new high-speed color camera, it has been possible to photograph a star the size of Earth, glowing pink. plasma,
In the footage, lithium is dropped into plasma, a state of matter that reaches tens of millions of degrees, causing it to glow red when activated.
Inside the company Tokamak Energy’s spherical machine, known as ST40, the material can be seen turning green before magnetic field lines are detected, revealing the plasma’s path.
Operated in partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the machine in Oxford is currently undergoing a $52 million upgrade, focused on lithium, to advance fusion research.
To create fusion, atoms of hydrogen It must be heated to millions of degrees until it becomes plasma, a state of matter that cannot be contained by any solid wall because of its heat.
Instead of confining it with magnetism, the machine uses tiny magnetic coils to stabilize the outer edge of the plasma.
In future power plants, when a mixture of the two forms of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) is heated to high temperatures to create a controlled plasma – hotter than even the Sun’s core – they will fuse to form helium and release energy that can be used to generate electricity and heat.
This hot plasma of fuel is confined using strong magnets in a device called a “tokamak”, which gives the company its name.
Scientists hope that using fusion will produce electricity and heat in the same way as existing power stations. Fusion is extremely efficient, producing several million times more energy per kilogram of fuel than burning coal, oil or gas.
Tokamak Energy spokesman Stuart White said: “We are very proud to operate one of the world’s most advanced fusion energy machines at our Oxford headquarters.
“These new images provide a great look into the future, while also providing invaluable data for our team today as we partner with governments and businesses to deliver clean, unlimited, and secure energy through fusion.”
Tokamak Energy physicist Laura Zhang said: “The color camera is particularly helpful for experiments like this. It helps us quickly identify whether the gaseous impurities we are introducing are radiating to the expected location, and whether the lithium powders are entering the plasma core.”