MIANYANG, CHINA — China is building a version of America's Z machine that will simulate thermonuclear explosions at a much larger scale.
The South China Morning Post reports that according to a Beijing-based nuclear physicist, researchers at the nuclear weapons development base in Mianyang are building a Z machine designed to produce 60 million joules of energy.
To do this, electrical pulses are fired at a target consisting of hundreds of tungsten wires. The flow of energy dissolves the tungsten into plasma and creates a strong magnetic field.
Exploded particles are forced inward. They then collide with each other to produce intense radiation in the form of X-ray energy, creating conditions that reflect a nuclear explosion.
The facility would allow researchers to see how weapons fare under extreme conditions. It could also help develop technology to harness clean energy in unlimited quantities.
Associate professor Liu Bo from Sichuan University's Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology says the machine could be powerful enough to start fusion. This occurs when atomic nuclei merge, and results in the release of vast amounts of energy.
The South China Morning Post reports that according to a Beijing-based nuclear physicist, researchers at the nuclear weapons development base in Mianyang are building a Z machine designed to produce 60 million joules of energy.
To do this, electrical pulses are fired at a target consisting of hundreds of tungsten wires. The flow of energy dissolves the tungsten into plasma and creates a strong magnetic field.
Exploded particles are forced inward. They then collide with each other to produce intense radiation in the form of X-ray energy, creating conditions that reflect a nuclear explosion.
The facility would allow researchers to see how weapons fare under extreme conditions. It could also help develop technology to harness clean energy in unlimited quantities.
Associate professor Liu Bo from Sichuan University's Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology says the machine could be powerful enough to start fusion. This occurs when atomic nuclei merge, and results in the release of vast amounts of energy.
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