CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Indian scientists at the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, have commissioned a new high-power gyrotron heating system for the Steady State Superconducting Tokamak-1 (SST-1), marking an important development in the country’s fusion energy research programme.
The newly commissioned system operates at a frequency of 82.6 gigahertz (GHz) and delivers 400 kilowatts (kW) of power. It is designed to heat plasma inside the experimental fusion machine, helping researchers investigate the conditions required for controlled nuclear fusion.
A gyrotron is a specialised high-frequency microwave device used to deliver energy to plasma. In fusion experiments, this heating is essential for raising plasma temperatures and studying how the extremely hot, electrically charged gas can be confined using powerful magnetic fields.
The SST-1 programme focuses on understanding plasma behaviour and developing technologies relevant to sustained fusion reactions. Plasma in fusion research can reach temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, far hotter than the core of the Sun. The reported core temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees Celsius highlight the extreme conditions being investigated in advanced fusion experiments.
The development also strengthens India’s capabilities in specialised fusion technology, an area pursued by a limited number of countries. Progress in high-power plasma heating can support experiments aimed at improving plasma stability, confinement and energy efficiency.
Nuclear fusion seeks to generate energy by combining light atomic nuclei, potentially offering a low-carbon energy source with substantial long-term potential. However, producing commercially viable fusion electricity remains a major scientific and engineering challenge.
India’s continued investment in fusion research is expected to contribute to international scientific collaboration and the development of advanced energy technologies.
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