Скачать или смотреть Scientists Built a Mini Star … and It Could Beat the World’s Biggest Machines

For decades, fusion energy followed one rule: bigger is better.

To replicate the power of the sun, scientists built machines that grew larger, heavier, and more complex — culminating in projects like ITER, the largest fusion experiment ever attempted. Yet despite massive budgets and international cooperation, fusion remained “30 years away.”

Then a radical idea changed everything.

⚛️ The Old Assumption

Fusion requires:
• Extreme heat (100 million °C)
• Stable plasma confinement
• Strong magnetic fields

For years, scientists believed only huge reactors could meet these conditions long enough to work.

🧲 The Magnet Breakthrough

New high-temperature superconductors (REBCO tape) can generate magnetic fields twice as strong as previous technology — without needing extreme cooling.

Stronger magnets mean:
• Better plasma confinement
• Smaller reactor size
• Faster development cycles

This insight led to SPARC, a compact tokamak developed by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

🚀 What Makes SPARC Different

• Reactor height: ~3 meters
• Magnetic fields: 20 Tesla
• Target fusion gain: 10x input power
• Cost: ~$3 billion (vs ITER’s ~$50B)
• Timeline: First plasma mid-2020s

SPARC isn’t a power plant — it’s a proof that compact, high-field fusion can work.

⚠️ The Real Challenges

SPARC still faces major hurdles:
• Plasma instability at small scale
• Neutron damage to magnets
• Extreme heat exhaust
• Tritium fuel supply
• Uncharted regulatory territory

Failure is possible — and expected in science.

🔬 Why SPARC Matters Even If It Fails

Even without net energy, SPARC will deliver data never seen before:
• How high-field magnets behave under fusion conditions
• How compact plasmas evolve
• How materials survive neutron bombardment

That knowledge will shape the next generation of reactors, including ARC and beyond.

🌍 The Bigger Picture

SPARC represents a shift in fusion philosophy:
Smaller. Faster. Smarter.

Whether it succeeds or struggles, it proves fusion progress doesn’t depend on size — but on creativity, materials science, and the courage to challenge old assumptions.







































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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