HEFEI, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese researchers have developed a method that enables plasma density limits to be exceeded in experiments conducted on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the “artificial sun.” This finding provides an important physical basis for high-density operation in magnetic confinement fusion devices.
The research was conducted in collaboration with institutions such as the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Aix-Marseille University in France. The findings of the study were published in the journal Science Advances on Friday.
As part of the study, the Chinese research team developed a theoretical model based on self-organizing plasma-wall interactions. This model revealed the critical role of radiation instability caused by boundary impurities in triggering the plasma density limit, thereby illuminating the underlying physical mechanism.
Source/Xinhua Türkiye