I ask you to build tractors, but you build rockets?

Hefei, EAST comprehensive laboratory.

Ai Quan hurriedly walked past an inconspicuous building, and inside it was the most advanced tokamak nuclear fusion device in the country and even the world: EAST.

These mushroom scientists from the Academy of Nuclear Science also have a basic understanding of the progress of EAST. While marveling at the imagination of the local team, they can't help but sigh.

EAST has many innovative ideas and is highly feasible in theory, giving people a glimpse of the dawn of controllable nuclear fusion.

However, shortcomings in materials and control technology have become the biggest obstacles. Currently, the world does not have the conditions to meet the requirements, so EAST can only wait.

Wait for breakthroughs to be made one after another in superconducting, strong magnetism, lasers, materials, etc., and then gradually increase the ignition time until one day we can stably output considerable energy to the outside world.

These difficult problems in the field of basic science are destined to take a long time to wait. An important prerequisite for the predicted success of the test in 2050 is that other aspects of research can keep up, otherwise it will still be empty talk.

In contrast, the super hydrogen bomb project has progressed rapidly and has completely completed the final four options.

For the most feasible No. 1 plan, some liquid deuterium and liquid helium-3 samples were transported from the northwest, and the experimental machine was built here.

Eventually, all four experimental devices will be sent to the moon and placed around the test nuclear bomb. They will use the hydrogen bomb as a trigger to try to induce nuclear fusion involving helium-3 through a special configuration.

The reaction utilization rates of Plans No. 4 to 1 are designed to be between 0.85% and 2.2% respectively. However, as long as Plan No. 3, with a reaction rate of more than 1%, is successful, the higher authorities are willing to design a billion-ton hydrogen bomb based on it.

This is far from the ultimate reaction utilization rate of helium-3, but it is enough to satisfy people. In fact, Ai Quan is very worried about Plan 4, which Yu Min personally designed. Whether he can ignite helium-3 is still a big deal. question.

Yu Min had limited energy and only proposed the most conservative Plan 4. He led Plan 2, and the EAST team was responsible for Plans 1 and 3 respectively.

But in fact, no program group has more confidence, and they are all ready to give up or wait for subsequent trials.

Ai Quan, who was worried, opened the door of the office area as usual, and then found that the atmosphere today was different.

There is no tense silence or hurried footsteps, nor is there a group of people seriously arguing around the blackboard with chalk heads all over the floor.

Fu Mingdong looked extremely excited and was vigorously shaking the information in his hand.

Yu Min, who was sitting in a wheelchair next to him, was also smiling, and most of the others were the same, as if they had encountered something great.

"Director Ai, come and see the good news!"

Fu Mingdong walked over happily and poked at a stack of A4 paper.

"The masters are among the people. I never thought that one day, those of us engaged in cutting-edge physics would actually benefit from the market!"

"what's the situation?"

Ai Quan muttered as he took the information and found that it was actually an equipment technical parameter list provided by a supplier. The letters XAP at the top and the flat X-shaped logo separated from top to bottom were very conspicuous. He often saw this logo.

There is no specific equipment model below, only two technologies are stated:

Super strong artificial magnetic field and precise control technology above 150T (Tesla, unit of magnetic field strength);

An enhancement technology that amplifies laser power to more than a hundred times based on multiple reflections of gaseous plasma.

The following is some simple relevant data, indicating the potential and current development level of the first two technologies. Of course, the most important thing is that the relevant equipment can be customized for EAST, but it requires an interview with a chief engineer-level person in charge.

On each page of the information, there is also a seal of the General Armament Department and a steel stamp with the word "Top Secret" underneath, indicating that it is internal information and is strictly prohibited from being transmitted to outsiders.

Just by looking at it briefly, Ai Quan can fully understand the necessity of doing this.

The first ultra-strong magnetic field technology of 150 Tesla and above is so shocking. The magnetic field strength of the nuclear magnetic resonance instrument does not exceed 1.5 or 2T, and the current laboratory limit does not exceed 20T. The country is working on related technologies from 35T to 40T. .

One can imagine how difficult it is to achieve 150T, and judging from the data, it seems that the size and power consumption of the device provided by Xinyuan are not too exaggerated.

He had never heard of the second plasma mirror technology, codenamed "trampoline", but the ultimate potential of a thousand-fold amplification was amazing, especially since Xinyuan had already achieved considerable technological achievements.

He finally understood why everyone was so excited. Strong magnets and lasers were precisely the main technologies used to ignite the Tokamak fusion device. If the data were true, EAST would improve the feasibility of controllable nuclear fusion after modification.

"How's it going? The internal reference was just sent over. I'm going there next month, no, next week. It's really hard to believe that a private company would get involved in such high-end technology!"

Fu Mingdong was excited, but Ai Quan suddenly thought of more:

"But any behavior of enterprises is aimed at making profits. What products do they develop these two technologies for? Do rockets and spacecraft need to use these?"

"Of course, cough..."

Fu Mingdong lowered his voice. Although everyone in the office was qualified to know, he was still extra careful:

"Strong magnetic technology should be a subsystem technology of the 'trampoline'. Its main purpose is to enhance the laser power. What I know is that United Mining plans to use lasers to smelt ore on the moon and build a super large laser satellite to directly illuminate the ore from space. .”

"Then isn't this thing just..."

Ai Quan, who has a background in equipment design, instantly thought of the use of weapons and imagined the appearance of smelting satellites in earth orbit.

Since it has enough ability to smelt raw ore, the output power must be more than 10 megawatts, so it is probably not too different to do other things.

Fu Mingdongshen nodded in agreement. Although he and the laser are not the same system, they both belong to high-energy physics and have some basic knowledge. He can guess pretty well.

However, he doesn't care much about the weapon system. He is mainly excited that EAST can usher in a major hardware upgrade.

"Wait a minute, if Xinyuan becomes an important parts supplier to EAST, will they also be involved in the nuclear fusion project? Will this..."

"Other companies may be good, but Xinyuan... I think they are more reliable than some state-owned enterprises. At least they don't have foreign executives or overseas assets. Besides, if they can even participate in that thing, then joining EAST is almost the same.

Moreover, their nuclear department is also very powerful. Fission technology is at its peak. The leaders may be as good as you and me. It is also a good thing to join. Mr. Yu has a very high opinion of Professor Cheng, saying that he is also a leader of the younger generation. "

"That's true, hey, aviation, aerospace, automobiles, electronics, and now adding lasers and nuclear fusion, is this Umbrella or Stark Industries?"