中国的“人造太阳”一度是我们太阳系中最热的地方

中国的“人造太阳”一度是我们太阳系中最热的地方

It appears that the light of the moon isn't the only thing China is interested in improving.

看来，月光并不是中国唯一有兴趣改善的地方。

Scientists from China's Institute of Plasma Physics announced that the university's nuclear fusion machine — officially known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak or EAST — had successfully achieved a temperature exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit). That's a temperature nearly seven times hotter than the core of the sun.

中国等离子体物理研究所的科学家宣布，该大学的核聚变机——官方名称为实验先进超导托卡马克或东方——已经成功达到了超过1亿摄氏度(1.8亿华氏度)的温度。这个温度几乎是太阳核心温度的7倍。

For a brief period of time earlier this fall, a nuclear fusion reactor in China produced temperatures nearly seven times hotter than the core of the sun. (Photo: Matej Pavlansky/Shutterstock)

It's absolutely mind-boggling to consider, but for a brief period of time the EAST reactor in China was the hottest spot in our entire solar system.

这绝对是令人难以置信的，但在很短的一段时间里，中国东部的反应堆是我们整个太阳系中最热的地方。

While stealing temperature records from the sun is impressive alone, the point behind the 360-metric-ton EAST fusion reactor is to push humanity ever closer to a revolution in energy production.

虽然从太阳窃取温度记录本身就令人印象深刻，但这座360公吨重的东聚变反应堆背后的目的是推动人类更接近能源生产革命。

"It's certainly a significant step for China's nuclear fusion program and an important development for the whole world," associate professor Matthew Hole from the Australian National University told ABC News Australia. "The benefit is simple in that it is very large-scale base load [continuous] energy production, with zero greenhouse gas emissions and no long-life radioactive waste."

澳大利亚国立大学副教授马修·霍尔在接受澳大利亚ABC新闻采访时表示:“这无疑是中国核聚变项目的重要一步，也是全世界的重要发展。”“好处很简单，因为它是非常大规模的基本负荷(连续)能源生产，没有温室气体排放，也没有长寿命的放射性废物。”

Scientists are hopeful

科学家们抱有希望

Meet China's Institute of Plasma Physics' Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak or EAST. (Photo: Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Unlike nuclear fission, which relies on the splitting of a heavy, unstable nucleus into two lighter nuclei, fusion instead squeezes two light nuclei together to unleash vast amounts of energy. It's a process that not only powers the sun (and stars in general) but is also low on radioactive waste. In fact, the main output is helium — an element that the Earth is surprisingly "light" on reserves.

核裂变依靠的是将一个重而不稳定的原子核分裂成两个较轻的原子核，而聚变则是将两个较轻的原子核挤压在一起，释放出大量的能量。这个过程不仅为太阳(以及整个恒星)提供能量，而且还能减少放射性废物。事实上，主要的产出是氦——一种地球上储量少得惊人的元素。

Tokamaks like the one at China's Institute of Plasma Physics or, as shown in the 360-video below, at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), heat heavy isotopes of deuterium and tritium using extreme electric currents to create a charged plasma. Powerful magnets then keep this superheated gas stable, allowing scientists to raise the heat to scorching levels. For now, that process is only temporary, but scientists around the world are hopeful that the ultimate goal — a burning of plasma maintained by its own fusion reaction — is achievable.

就像中国等离子体物理研究所或麻省理工学院等离子体科学与聚变中心(PSFC)所展示的那样，托卡马科斯用极端电流加热氘和氚的重同位素来产生带电等离子体。强大的磁铁使这种过热的气体保持稳定，使科学家能够把温度提高到灼热的水平。目前，这一过程只是暂时的，但世界各地的科学家都希望最终目标——通过自身的聚变反应维持等离子体的燃烧——是可以实现的。

According to John Wright, principal research scientist at MIT's PSFC, we're still an estimated three decades away from building a self-sustaining fusion reaction. In the meantime, progress must be made not only in maintaining the high-energy fusion reaction, but also bringing down the costs of building the reactors.

据麻省理工学院PSFC的首席研究科学家约翰·赖特(John Wright)说，我们距离建立一个自给自足的聚变反应还有大约30年的时间。与此同时，不仅要在维持高能聚变反应方面取得进展，还要降低反应堆建设成本。

"These experiments can easily happen within 30 years," Wright told Newsweek. "With luck, and societal will, we will see the first electricity generating fusion power plants before another 30 years pass. As the plasma physicist Artsimovich said: 'Fusion will be ready when society needs it.'"

“这些实验很容易在30年内完成，”赖特告诉《新闻周刊》。“如果幸运的话，加上社会的意愿，我们将在未来30年看到第一座核聚变发电厂。正如等离子体物理学家阿特西莫维奇(Artsimovich)所说:‘当社会需要核聚变时，它就会出现。’”