BharatNotes
Tokamak
/ˈtoʊkəmæk/A device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine a hot plasma (ionised gas at temperatures exceeding 150 million °C) in a doughnut-shaped (toroidal) chamber for the purpose of achieving controlled nuclear fusion — the most advanced and widely pursued approach to fusion energy, with ITER being the world's largest tokamak under construction.
Context & Background
The tokamak concept was invented by Soviet physicists Igor Tamm and Andrei Sakharov in the 1950s. The name is a Russian acronym: тороидальная камера с магнитными катушками (toroidal chamber with magnetic coils). India's Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar operates the SST-1 tokamak and is a partner in ITER.
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS3 (Science & Technology). Prelims: definition; ITER location (Cadarache, France); 35 partner nations; first plasma target (2033–34). Mains: fusion as the future of clean energy; ITER challenges; India's contribution to ITER; fusion vs fission comparison.
