In News:

A significant wildlife discovery has been made at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, where the Eurasian goshawk, a large bird of prey, was spotted for the first time. This marks the first documented instance of the Eurasian goshawk in the sanctuary, although the species has been previously recorded in Maharashtra three times.

About the Eurasian Goshawk

• Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis
• Description: A powerful raptor known for its short, broad wings and long tail.
• Habitat: Dense forests, particularly coniferous and mixed woodlands across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America.
• Winter Visitor: The Eurasian goshawk is a winter visitor to India, making this sighting at Tansa particularly noteworthy.

Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in the foothills of the Western Ghats in Thane District, Maharashtra, Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary covers 320 sq. km.
• Positioned approximately 90 km northeast of Mumbai, it serves as a vital catchment area for Tansa Lake and is bordered by the Tansa and Vaitarna rivers.

Flora and Fauna

The sanctuary boasts a rich diversity of flora and fauna, including:

• 200 bird species
• 54 animal species, including endangered animals like:
  • Panther
  • Hyena
  • Barking Deer
• Notable species include:
  • Critically Endangered vultures
  • Vulnerable Pallas’s fish-eagle

Vegetation and Landscape

• Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest with patches of Evergreen Forest.
• Flora includes trees like Kalamb, Bibla, Khair, Hed, Teak, and Bamboo.

Avian Discoveries

Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary is also renowned for its avian discoveries, such as the critically endangered Forest Owlet, which was first documented here in 2014. This discovery highlighted the sanctuary’s significance for bird conservation.

Conservation Efforts and Ecological Role

The sighting of the Eurasian goshawk further emphasizes the critical need for ongoing conservation efforts at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary.

Role of the Eurasian Goshawk in Ecosystem

As a bird of prey, the Eurasian goshawk plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling populations of smaller mammals and birds.

Though listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List, the Eurasian goshawk’s presence underscores the sanctuary’s importance in the region’s biodiversity.

In News:

The WEST Tokamak reactor in southern France has set a new world record by sustaining a nuclear fusion plasma for 1,337 seconds (22 minutes and 17 seconds), surpassing the previous record of 1,066 seconds held by China’s EAST reactor by 25%. This achievement is a major milestone in the global quest for clean, limitless energy through nuclear fusion.

About Nuclear Fusion

• Nuclear Fusion is the process of combining two light atomic nuclei (typically deuterium and tritium) to form a heavier nucleus, releasing vast amounts of energy.
• The mass defect (loss of mass) in the fusion process converts into energy, as per Einstein’s equation E=mc2E = mc^2E=mc2.
• This reaction occurs in the plasma state—a hot, ionized gas consisting of free electrons and atomic nuclei.

How Tokamak Reactors Work

• A Tokamak is a doughnut-shaped (toroidal) magnetic confinement device that replicates the Sun’s fusion process.
• It uses superconducting magnetic coils to confine and heat the plasma to temperatures exceeding 50 million°C, about three times hotter than the Sun's core.
• Fusion reactors inject external power (WEST used 2 MW) to maintain the plasma and prevent it from touching reactor walls.

WEST Reactor: Key Highlights

• Operated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
• Aims to simulate long-duration, high-temperature plasma conditions.
• Reached a plasma state sustained for over 22 minutes at 50 million°C.
• Contributes critical insights and validation to the ongoing ITER project, the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment also based in southern France.

Significance of the Achievement

To make fusion viable for electricity generation, three key conditions must be met:

1. High temperature – to overcome electrostatic repulsion between nuclei.
2. Sustained confinement time – achieved by WEST.
3. Sufficient plasma density – to ensure high collision rates.

Maintaining plasma for extended durations is crucial for transitioning from experimental reactors to commercial fusion energy systems.

Advantages of Nuclear Fusion

• High Energy Output: Produces 4x more energy per kg of fuel than fission, and nearly 4 million times more than fossil fuels.
• Environmentally Clean: Emits no greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste. Only byproducts are inert helium and neutrons.
• Abundant Fuel Supply: Fusion uses deuterium (from seawater) and tritium, eliminating the need for uranium mining.
• Inherent Safety: Fusion reactions are inherently safe as they cannot trigger uncontrolled chain reactions, unlike fission.

Fusion vs. Fission: A Comparison

Aspect                                            Nuclear Fusion                                       Nuclear Fission

Process                                  Combines light nuclei                   Splits heavy nuclei

Fuel                                         Deuterium and Tritium                  Uranium or Plutonium

Energy Output                      Extremely high                                 Moderate

Waste                                     Minimal and short-lived                Long-lived radioactive waste

Emissions                              No greenhouse gases                    Potential radiation hazards

Safety                                     No risk of meltdown                        Risk of runaway reactions/meltdowns

Global Perspective

• Over 200 tokamaks are operational globally.
• The ITER project is set to become the centerpiece of global fusion research.
• Recent breakthroughs like those at WEST provide a technical roadmap for future commercial reactors.