Overview
- Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences report experimentally accessing a previously theorized “density-free” regime above the empirical Greenwald limit.
- The team controlled startup conditions with high pre-fill gas pressure and electron cyclotron resonance heating to shape early plasma–wall interactions.
- EAST achieved electron densities up to about 65 percent higher than its Greenwald threshold while maintaining stability during the tests.
- Investigators plan to apply the method under higher-performance plasma conditions to assess scalability and robustness.
- Coverage and researchers caution that substantial engineering work remains before breakeven or commercial power, even as China expands fusion investment and sets ambitious timelines.