Russian nuclear engineers will light artificial sun on New Year's Eve

Pravda ^ | 12/30/2003 | Pravda

[joyful1]

Russian nuclear engineers will light artificial sun on New Year's Eve - 12/30/2003 12:12

Russian engineers from the Federal nuclear center in Saratov will attempt to light an artificial sun on the Earth.

A powerful explosion has been created by scientists on one of the famous research grounds. Russian engineers managed to create a special magnetic field which is 20 million times more powerful than that of the Earth's. This has been reported by a director of All-Russian scientific research center at the research institute of experimental physics Victor Selemir, reports ITAR-TASS.

According to Selemir, "Such super powerful magnetic fields will allow us to control a thermonuclear reaction, which in turn will become an endless and at the same time pollution-free enerhy source."

"Our sun is basically a huge thermonuclear reactor. We must first gripe previously heated plasma with extremely powerful magnetic field in a very short period of time (several nanoseconds-a billion part of a second) in order to 'light' our sun prototype," says Selemir. As a result, mechanical energy converts to heated plasma. Temperature reaches 100 million degrees, remarks Selemir. So far, Russian scientists have only managed to reach the gripe in 5 microseconds. The entire research process is scheduled to take place on a specially constructed facility in Saratov.

They are certain that such thermonuclear electro stations will be our future energy source. "Unlimited amount of isotopic hydrogen in the world's ocean will be used as fuel," notes Selemir.

Source: Newsru

[joyful1]

Humans can now clone humans, travel to the moon, and as the Russians are boasting, humans can even create their very own "sun."

What next? Is there anything new under the sun?

[TheGeezer]

The problem is creating and sustaining the tokamak (spelling?), the container for the fusion reaction. The energy released by fusion of 2 hydrogen atoms into 1 helium atom tends to vaporize anything near it: it is a hydrogen bomb contained somehow so its heat can be used to generate eletricity.

[nuconvert]

I'm intrigued.

"Temperature reaches 100 million degrees, remarks Selemir. So far, Russian scientists have only managed to reach the gripe in 5 microseconds. The entire research process is scheduled to take place on a facility in Saratov."

Gripe?

How do you contain something that reaches 100 million degrees?

"specially constructed"

Can they build houses from this material whatever it is?

[nuconvert]

pong

[Qwinn]

My question is, what percentage of the energy created by the reaction would be used up by the maintenance of the magnetic field containing it?

Qwinn

[50sDad]

We must first gripe previously heated plasma with extremely powerful magnetic field in a very short period of time (several nanoseconds-a billion part of a second) in order to 'light' our sun prototype," says Selemir.

Complain, complain, complain! Can't we just get series?

[Mr. Bird]

I'm not a physicist, but I believe the capability of creating such large magnetic fields is nothing new. Some magnets used in MRI scanners create fields at 30 times the earth's. So I would think the energy required to sustain such a field would be negligible, relative to the thermonuclear reaction.

[askrenr]

If they manage to do this it is wonderful news. It could very well lead to pollution free, cheap energy; unfortunately many years down the road.

[MindBender26]

How do you contain something that reaches 100 million degrees?

You are effectively creating a magnetic bottle.

This is very important. If we can make a tokamak work, and we probably can within 20 years, it will produce essentially "free heat" forever.

That heat can spin turbines. That means free electricity.

That radically changes the world energy situation. it will reduce oil consumption 80%, and the Arabs cease to be world powers.

It's that significant.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Are there plans to create 9 tiny planets to orbit this sun? Neat! Hope these dudes don't blow up the earth.

CG

[MJY1288]

Between Russia creating it's own "Sun" and Wesley Clark's "Time Machine"

I'm not sure which is more important :-)

[joyful1]

Excuse, me fellow freepers, but shouldn't this kind of "experiment" from our "enemies---whoops I mean 'friends'" the Putie Put Russians, terrify us.

[joyful1]

P.S.S. (I'll say this then shut up)

Couldn't some kind of a hi-tech magnetic weapon been behind the downing of our Space Shuttle last winter?

[smith288]

That radically changes the world energy situation. it will reduce oil consumption 80%, and the Arabs cease to be world powers.

It's that significant.

So like the fabled "water powered motor", the inventors will either be killed off or extorted from allowing such a product reach the masses?

</tin foil off>

[Qwinn]

Uh, I dunno about that. They've made ones 30 times the earth's? They're claiming the required field is 20 MILLION times the earth's. That's hardly a negligible difference, and not being a physicist, I don't know if the enerfy required to increase the size of that field would be linear, exponential or logarithmic.

The light from 20 million lightbulbs is a hell of a lot more than the light from 30 lightbulbs. With 30 lightbulbs I can light my house. With 20 million lightbulbs I can light a small city. Sounds like about the energy ratios that would compete with a thermonuclear reaction to me.

Qwinn

[justrepublican]

They are certain that such thermonuclear electro stations will be our future energy source. "Unlimited amount of isotopic hydrogen in the world's ocean will be used as fuel," notes Selemir.

So why then did Putin promise to knock off 65% of Iraq's debt to get oil contracts ?

[edwin hubble]

"That heat can spin turbines. That means free electricity."

Nuclear fission was expected to be almost free, because the fuel lasts for years.

Operating expenses and capital costs of fusion will be huge, even though the fuel may be 'free'.

[Qwinn]

Mmmm. Not really. I have no fear that if they can do it, we can recreate it pretty quickly thereafter. Knowing if it -can- be done is half the battle, when you're starting from as advanced a technological footing as we are.

Who knows? We may already know how to do it, but given that the Greens haven't let us build a new freaking -normal- nuclear reactor in the United States for decades, why should they have thought -this- would get a pass? They may just be waiting till 2004 when the Dems can no longer obstruct it to bring it out ;)

Qwinn

[SJSAMPLE]

Weren't the Russians "experimenting" when they blew up Chernobyl and a good chunk of the Ukraine?

[Eaker]

Some magnets used in MRI scanners create fields at 30 times the earth's.

I have 30 dollars.

create a special magnetic field which is 20 million times more powerful than that of the Earth's.

I don't have 20 million dollars. There is a big difference.

Happy New Year, Mr. Bird!