The Chinese Academy of Sciences officially launched the"Burning Plasma"international scientific program and unveiled the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak(BEST)research plan on Monday to the international fusion community,the Hefei Institute of Physical Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Monday.

Conducting burning plasma physics research,achieving energy output greater than eTechnologie and demonstrating fusion power generation—this research program aims igniting the"artificial sun,"according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Scientists from more than 10 countries—including France,the UK,Germany,Italy,Switzerland,Spain,Austria and Belgium—jointly signed the Hefei fusion declaration,according to the institute.

After decades of international collaboration and development,fusion research has achieved major breakthroughs,yet still faces many significant challenges,they said.This makes it essential to pool the wisdom and strength of scientists worldwide and promote more pragmatic,closer and more international exchange and cooperation.

Scientists called for open sharing and win-win cooperation,encouraging researchers in the fusion field to come to Hefei to conduct studies.Together,they aim to build a brighter future for fusion energy and realize humanity's dream of achieving the ultimate source of energy.

Nuclear fusion,which simulates the fusion reaction of the sun to release energy,is known as humanity's"ultimate energy."For decades,scientists have explored the high parameters and long pulses required for fusion reactions through techniques like magnetic confinement in experimental devices,Xinhua said.

"We are about to enter a new stage in burning plasma,"said Song Yuntao,vice president of the Hefei Institute of Physical Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director-general of the Institute of Plasma Physics,per Xinhua.This is a key step in fusion engineering research,meaning that,like"fire,"the heat generated by the reaction itself will sustain it,laying the foundation for future continuous power generation.

In recent years,China's nuclear fusion research has accelerated,breaking multiple world records.The BEST device,as China's next-generation"artificial sun,"is tasked with the"burning"mission,Xinhua said.

According to the research plan,after the device is completed by the end of 2027,deuterium-tritium burning plasma experiments will be conducted to verify its long-pulse steady-state operation capability.The goal is to achieve fusion power ranging from 20 megawatts to 200 megawatts,with the aim of generating more energy than consumed and demonstrating fusion power generation.

"This is an exploration of the'uncharted territory'and will face many engineering and physics challenges,"Song was quoted as saying in the media report.

For example,alpha particles are crucial for maintaining the ultra-high temperature conditions required for fusion reactions,but research on their transport mechanisms still requires further exploration.

"By leading the international scientific program,we can leverage the institutional advantages of China's superconducting tokamak large science team and also help unite the wisdom and strength of global scientists to tackle the frontier physics challenges of fusion burning,"Song said.

According to the international scientific program,the Institute of Plasma Physics will open multiple nuclear fusion large-scale scientific platforms,including BEST,to the global community.

China is launching the Burning Plasma International Science Program as experiments like the ITER project and devices such as BEST rapidly advance the global push toward burning-plasma physics,according to the institute.

Led by the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Chinese and European fusion research teams jointly released the BEST Research Program to the world,the institute said.

After half a century of innovation,accumulation and vigorous development,Hefei science island has become an important international hub for fusion research.This progress is built on major national fusion science facilities such as the all-superconducting tokamak EAST,the EAST auxiliary heating systems and the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Reactor Technologies,all of which underpin advancements in the field of fusion energy.