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  • China’s EAST Tokamak Device

    China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which mimics the energy generation process of the sun, set a new record.

    What is China’s ‘artificial sun’ EAST?

    • The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor is an advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device.
    • The purpose of the artificial sun is to replicate the process of nuclear fusion, which is the same reaction that powers the sun.
    • The EAST is one of three major domestic tokamaks that are presently being operated across the country.
    • Apart from the EAST, China is currently operating the HL-2A reactor as well as J-TEXT.
    • Since it first became operational in 2006, the EAST has set several records for the duration of confinement of exceedingly hot plasma.
    • The EAST project is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which will become the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor when it becomes operational in 2035.
    • The project includes the contributions of several countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.

    How does the ‘artificial sun’ EAST work?

    • The EAST Tokamak device is designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process carried out by the sun and stars.
    • Nuclear fusion is a process through which high levels of energy are produced without generating large quantities of waste.
    • Previously, energy was produced through nuclear fission — a process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom was split into two or more nuclei of lighter atoms.

    Fission vs. Fusion

    • While fission is an easier process to carry out, it generates far more nuclear waste.
    • Unlike fission, fusion also does not emit greenhouse gases and is considered a safer process with a lower risk of accidents.
    • Once mastered, nuclear fusion could potentially provide unlimited clean energy and very low costs.

    But what is Fusion?

    • For nuclear fusion to occur, tremendous heat and pressure are applied on hydrogen atoms so that they fuse together. `
    • The nuclei of deuterium and tritium — both found in hydrogen — are made to fuse together to create a helium nucleus, a neutron along with a whole lot of energy.
    • Fuel is heated to temperatures of over 150 million degrees C so that it forms a hot plasma “soup” of subatomic particles.
    • With the help of a strong magnetic field, the plasma is kept away from the walls of the reactor to ensure it does not cool down and lose its potential to generate large amounts of energy.
    • The plasma is confined for long durations for fusion to take place.

    What is the latest record and why does it matter?

    • The EAST reactor set a new record on Friday when it achieved a plasma temperature of 216 million degrees Fahrenheit and also managed to run for 20 seconds at 288 million degrees Fahrenheit.
    • To put this in perspective, the sun’s core only reaches about 15 million degrees Celsius, which means the reactor was able to touch temperatures that are 10 times hotter than that.
    • The next goal for the scientists behind the experimental reactor is to maintain the high temperature for a long period of time. Previously, the EAST had reached a record temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius in 2018.

    China is not the only

    • But China is not the only country that has achieved high plasma temperatures.
    • In 2020, South Korea’s KSTAR reactor set a new record by maintaining a plasma temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds.

  • Monsoon onset over Kerala delayed: IMD

    • The monsoon’s arrival over Kerala has been delayed to June 3, according to an update by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
    • Private weather forecast agency, Skymet, however, said that the monsoon had arrived.
    • This was because two of the three criteria — as defined by the IMD — had been met.
    • Currently, IMD’s own data indicated that except for the OLR, the other criteria were met. Thus, there is an element of subjectivity in arrival.

    What are those criterias defined by IMD?

    1. Rain-bearing westerlies being at a minimum depth and speed;
    2. At least 60% of the available 14 stations in Kerala and coastal Karnataka, reporting rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days after May 10;
    3. A certain degree of clouding, indicated by a parameter called ‘outgoing long wave radiation’ (OLR), being below 200 W/square meter.

    What is meant by ‘Outgoing Long Wave Radiation’ (OLR)?

    • Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths from 3–100 μm emitted from Earth and its atmosphere out to space in the form of thermal radiation.
    • It is also referred to as up-welling long-wave radiation and terrestrial long-wave flux, among others.
    • The flux of energy transported by outgoing long-wave radiation is measured in W/m.
    • In the Earth’s climate system, long-wave radiation involves processes of absorption, scattering, and emissions from atmospheric gases, aerosols, clouds and the surface.
    • Over 99% of outgoing long-wave radiation has wavelengths between 4 μm and 100 μm, in the thermal infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Factors responsible for south-west monsoon formation:

    1. Intense heating of Tibetan plateau during summer months.
    2. Permanent high pressure cell in the South Indian Ocean (east to north-east of Madagascar in summer).

    Factors that influence the onset of south-west monsoons:

    1. Above points +
    2. Subtropical Jet Stream (STJ).
    3. Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet).
    4. Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.

    Factors that influence the intensity of south-west monsoons:

    1. Strengths of Low pressure over Tibet and high pressure over southern Indian Ocean.
    2. Somali Jet (Findlater Jet).
    3. Somali Current (Findlater Current).
    4. Indian Ocean branch of Walker Cell.
    5. Indian Ocean Dipole.

    Factors responsible for north-east monsoon formation:

    1. Formation and strengthening of high pressure cells over Tibetan plateau and Siberian Plateau in winter.
    2. Westward migration and subsequent weakening of high pressure cell in the Southern Indian Ocean.
    3. Migration of ITCZ to the south of India.

  • IBF to cover Streaming Platforms

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters, is expanding its purview to cover digital streaming platforms and will be renamed the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF).

    Why such a move?

    • The move would bring broadcasters and OTT (over-the-top) platforms, which have seen a substantial jump in their viewership base after the pandemic, under one roof.
    • For this, the IBDF was in the process of forming a new wholly-owned subsidiary to handle all matters of digital media, an official statement said.
    • The IBDF would also form a self-regulatory body, the Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC), for digital OTT platforms.

    Indian Broadcasting Foundation

    • The IBF is a unified representative body of television broadcasters in India.
    • The organization was founded in the year 1999. Over 250 Indian television channels are associated with it.
    • The organization is credited as the spokesman of the Indian Broadcasting Industry.
    • The IBF is the parent organization of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) which was set up in the year 2011.
    • The BCCC examines content-related complaints relating to all non-news general entertainment channels in India.

    Note: The IBF has no statutory backing.

  • UAE’s Golden Visa Scheme

    A Bollywood actor has recently received a golden visa from the UAE government.

    What is the Golden Visa?

    • The Golden Visa system essentially offers long-term residency (5 and 10 years) to people belonging to the following groups: investors, entrepreneurs, individuals with outstanding talents the likes of researchers, medical professionals and those within the scientific and knowledge fields, and remarkable students.
    • The main benefit of the visa will be security.
    • The UAE government has made it clear that they are committed to providing expatriates, investors and essentially everyone looking to make the UAE their home an extra reason to feel secure about their future.

    Who are eligible to apply?

    • For the 10-year visa, investors having no less than AED (Dirham) 10 million worth of public investment, either in the form of an investment fund or a company, can apply.
    • However, at least 60 per cent of the total investment must not be in the form of real estate and the invested amount must not be loaned, or in case of assets, investors must assume full ownership.
    • The investor must be able to retain the investment for a minimum of three years as well.
    • The long-term visa can also include the holder’s spouse and children, as well as one executive director and one advisor.
    • In addition to the aforementioned, foreign nationals who are looking to set up their business in the UAE may also apply for permanent residency (5 years) through the Golden Business Visa scheme.

    Perks for the talent

    • Besides entrepreneurs, individuals with specialized talent can also apply for the visa. They include doctors, researchers, scientists, investors and artists.
    • These individuals may be granted a 10-year visa following accreditations granted by their respective departments and fields and the visa will also be extended to their spouses and children.
    • Exceptional high school and university students are eligible for a 5-year residency visa in the UAE.

  • Thomas Hickey’s 19th century painting on smallpox vaccination

    A 19th-century portrait of three women from Mysore has been going viral as “one of the most important scientific pictures in the history of medicine in India”.

    What did the portrait depict?

    • Believed to be painted in 1805 by Irish-born artist Thomas Hickey, the oil on canvas was initially thought to be portraits of “dancing girls or courtesans”.
    • The painting depicted one of the first vaccine drives in India, with bejewelled women from the Wadiyar dynasty posing for Hickey.
    • The canvas was commissioned to promote participation in the smallpox vaccination programme and the women posing with the scars.

    What is smallpox?

    • Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family.
    • It was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity and caused millions of deaths before it was eradicated.
    • It is believed to have existed for at least 3000 years.

    How and when did the smallpox vaccine reach India?

    • The smallpox vaccine, discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, was the first successful vaccine to be developed.
    • On June 14, 1802, Anna Dusthall, an Anglo-Indian toddler, was the first person in India to be successfully vaccinated against the virus that relied on the cowpox virus, “a mild cousin of smallpox” to trigger immunity.
    • The “vaccine vesicle” that came on the arm of the receiver was a source of lymphatic fluid or pus that would act as a vaccine, leading to an arm-to-arm immunisation chain.
    • The vaccine subsequently travelled to different parts of India, including Hyderabad, Cochin, Madras and Mysore.

    How was the drive carried out?

    • While the lymph was at times reportedly dried and sealed between glass plates to be transported, it often did not survive long journeys, due to which the British had to primarily rely on a human chain.
    • There was also opposition from the domestic population on the introduction of the cowpox virus and also because some believed the goddess of smallpox would be angered by the vaccination.
    • With Tipu Sultan defeated in Mysore, and the reinstatement of the Wadiyars, the East India Company was trying to strengthen its position in South India.
    • It protected the ex-pat population from an epidemic, making vaccination essential.
    • Queen Lakshmi Ammanni, who had lost her husband to smallpox, supported their cause and wanted to vaccine her population against the deadly virus.
    • The painting was supposed to encourage participation in the vaccination drive.

  • Mekedatu Project

    The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone has appointed a joint committee to look into allegations of unauthorized construction activity taking place in Mekedatu, where the Karnataka government had proposed to construct a dam across the Cauvery River.

    What is the Mekedatu Project?

    • Mekedatu, meaning goat’s leap, is a deep gorge situated at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery and Arkavathi, about 100 km from Bengaluru, at the Kanakapura taluk in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district.
    • In 2013, then Karnataka announced the construction of a multi-purpose balancing reservoir project.
    • The project aimed to alleviate the drinking water problems of Bengaluru and Ramanagara district.
    • It was also expected to generate hydro-electricity to meet the power needs of the state.

    Issues with the project

    • Soon after the project was announced TN has objected over granting of permission or environmental clearance.
    • Explaining the potential for damage to the lower riparian state of TN, it said that the project was in violation of the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
    • It stated that the project will affect the natural flow of the river Cauvery considerably and will severely affect the irrigation in TN.

  • What is a Supermoon?

    The Moon will have the nearest approach to Earth on May 26, and therefore will appear to be the closest and largest Full Moon or “supermoon” of 2021.

    Tap here to read more about Solar and Lunar Eclipses

    What is a Supermoon?

    • A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the Moon is full.
    • As the Moon orbits the Earth, there is a point of time when the distance between the two is the least (called the perigee when the average distance is about 360,000 km from the Earth).
    • Also, there is a point of time when the distance is the most (called the apogee when the distance is about 405,000 km from the Earth).
    • Now, when a full moon appears at the point when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the least, not only does it appear to be brighter but it is also larger than a regular full moon.
    • According to NASA, the term supermoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
    • In a typical year, there may be two to four full supermoons and two to four new supermoons in a row.

    What is happening today?

    • Two celestial events will take place at the same time.
    • One is the supermoon and the other is a total lunar eclipse, which is when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth.
    • Because of the total lunar eclipse, the moon will also appear to be red.
    • This is because the Earth will block some of the light from the Sun from reaching the moon.
    • The Earth’s atmosphere filters the light, it will soften “the edge of our planet’s shadow” “giving the Moon a deep, rosy glow.”

  • [pib] 3D distribution of Molecular & Atomic Hydrogen in Galaxies

    Indian scientists have estimated the three-dimensional distribution of molecular and atomic hydrogen in a nearby galaxy which can help lead to clues to the star formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.

    Study on Hydrogen distribution

    • Galaxies like the one we reside in, the Milky Way, consist of discs containing stars, molecular and atomic hydrogen, and helium.
    • The molecular hydrogen gas collapses on itself in distinct pockets, forming stars, its temperature was found to be low –close to 10 kelvin, or -263 ºC, and thickness is about 60 to 240 light-years.
    • The atomic hydrogen extends both above and below the discs.
    • Indian scientists have estimated that molecular hydrogen extends farther from the disc in both directions, up to about 3000 light-years.
    • This gaseous component is warmer than the one straddling the disc and has comparatively lesser densities, thus escaping earlier observations.
    • They called it the ‘diffuse’ component of the molecular disc.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q. Which one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth?

    (a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium

    (b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen

    (c) Oxygen, Calcium, Phosphorous

    (d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium

    Why does this study matter?

    • The molecular hydrogen gas converts to individual stars under the pull of gravity, thus holding clues to the star formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.
    • If a significant part of the gas extends beyond the thin disc of a few hundred light-years, it may explain why astronomers also observe stars at a few thousand light-years perpendicular to the galactic disc.

  • Deep Sea Faunal Diversity in India

    India is home to 4,371 species of deep-sea fauna, including 1,032 species under the kingdom Protista and 3,339 species under the kingdom Animalia, a recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has revealed.

    Highlights of the Survey

    • India is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Laccadive Sea (Lakshadweep Sea).
    • Of the 4,371 species, a maximum of 2,766 species has been reported from deep-sea areas of the Arabian Sea, followed by 1,964 species from the Bay of Bengal, 1,396 species from the Andaman Sea, and only 253 species from the Laccadive Sea.

    RIMS ship investigator

    • India is one of the countries that made a pioneering exploration in the deep Indian Ocean region in 1874 by commissioning a RIMS (Royal Indian Marine Survey) ship investigator.
    • This conducted enormous studies in seas around India and continued to work till 1926.

    Components of the exploration

    • The deep-sea ecosystem was the most unexplored ecosystem across the world. It included hydrothermal vents, submarine canyons, deep-sea trenches, seamounts, cold seeps, and mud volcanoes.
    • This publication, the first of its kind, provides baseline information on all groups of fauna and biological organisms in the Indian deep seas.
    • Not only will this support our knowledge on conserving and managing deep-sea faunal resources, but it will also pave way for their sustainable utilization.

    Key findings

    (1) Mammals

    • There are 31 species of sea mammals that are found in the deep-sea ecosystem of Indian waters, including the Critically Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin.
    • Two other species, the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise and the Sperm Whale are recorded as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN classification.
    • The list of mammals includes Cuvier’s Beaked Whale and Short-beaked Common Dolphin, which dive as deep as 8,000 meters below the Earth’s surface.

    (2) Marine turtles

    • Out of the seven species of marine turtles found across the world, five species have been recorded from Indian waters.
    • India is known as one of the best and largest breeding grounds for sea turtles, especially for Olive Ridley and Leatherback Turtles, across the world.

  • China’s 17+1 Cooperation Forum

    Lithuania has decided to quit China’s 17+1 cooperation forum with central and eastern European states that include other EU members, calling it “divisive”.

    About 17+ 1 Forum

    • The forum is an abbreviation for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries.
    • It is an initiative by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote business and investment relations between China and 16 countries of CEE (CEEC).
    • The countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
    • The format was founded in 2012 in Warsaw to push for the cooperation of the “17+1” (the 17 CEE countries and China).
    • Its goals are to promote the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and enhance cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, transportation, and logistics, trade and investment”.