United States Designs a Magnet More Powerful Than Earth's Magnetic Field

The world's largest reactor will be powered by a magnet that can heat up to 10 times the capacity of the Sun's core.

The United States named it "central solenoid." According to local reports, this will be the heart of the world's largest fusion reactor. Preparations are underway to move it to France, where it will operate permanently. The French government has taken a proactive approach to the project: after all, it will receive the world's most powerful magnet.

'Central solenoid' and the strongest magnet on the planet

The world's most powerful magnet will be used to power a cutting-edge nuclear fusion reactor in France. It will be known as ITER, which translates from Latin as "the way." It is the result of an international study involving 35 countries and aims to show that this is far more sustainable alternative for energy production than using fossil fuels.

According to Live Science coverage, once the reactor is fully assembled, it will be 18 meters tall and 4.3 meters wide. This will enable it to produce a magnetic field of 13 Teslas, which is which is equivalent to 280 thousand times the magnetic field of Earth. Similarly, inside it consists of 6 individual modules that are thermally capable of increasing the conductivity of the energy generated.

It should be noted that the "central solenoid" serves as the heart of the ITER reactor. It is controlled by scientists who in turn have better control over the normally unstable nuclear fusion reactors. It is estimated that in turn it can be heated up to 10 times more than the nucleus of the sun to fuse the atoms involved in the chemical reaction.

Why is it so important?

Nuclear fusion is not new to humanity. On the contrary, the most serious studies of these reactions date back to the 1950s. In the 21st century, however, it has positioned itself as the greenest alternative for energy production on the planet.

Although this is true, nuclear power has some obstacles and risks. The most notable are that it must be maintained. Likewise, it must contain and manipulate the ignited plasma inside the reactors. The central solenoid will facilitate these conditions, because of the strong magnetic field it can generate.

If the ITER reactor succeeds, megaproject officials say, it will open up wide paths for reducing climate-damaging emissions. In the best-case scenario, even energy generation from fossil alternatives will become less important.