For the first time, scientists used a high-temperature superconducting electromagnet to create a field strength of 20 teslas—the most powerful high-temperature magnetic field ever created on Earth. Researchers say this is a positive step toward proving fusion power plants will one day be able to produce more power than they consume.
After three years of collaboration, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along with the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), reached the 20-tesla milestone on September 5. (A tesla is the metric unit for magnetic flux per square meter.) That breakthrough is a big deal, but there's something equally important about the superconducting electromagnets: they meet the requirements to be considered "high-temperature."
Superconducting magnets are made from materials known collectively as superconductors, which are typically metals and alloys that are cooled until they conduct electricity with literally zero resistance. But the temperature at which that change occurs matters a great deal.
 For the first time, scientists used a high-temperature superconducting electromagnet to create a field strength of 20 teslas—the most powerful high-temperature magnetic field ever created on Earth. Researchers say this is a positive step toward proving fusion power plants will one day be able to produce more power than they consume.
After three years of collaboration, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along with the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), reached the 20-tesla milestone on September 5. (A tesla is the metric unit for magnetic flux per square meter.) That breakthrough is a big deal, but there's something equally important about the superconducting electromagnets: they meet the requirements to be considered "high-temperature."
Superconducting magnets are made from materials known collectively as superconductors, which are typically metals and alloys that are cooled until they conduct electricity with literally zero resistance. But the temperature at which that change occurs matters a great deal. With a few discarded pallets, I created a comfortable outdoor sitting space—for a quarter of the price of store-bought models. Electronic gatekeepers to protect packages and tell you who's knocking. It's probably in this weird particle. With a few discarded pallets, I created a comfortable outdoor sitting space—for a quarter of the price of store-bought models. This Japanese-style knife works on everything from fish to meat to vegetables. |
