Laboratory Simulation of the Solar Gravitational Lens Focal Point Using Hypergravity Centrifugation and Controlled Plasma Systems

The solar gravitational lens (SGL), whose focal region begins at approximately 550 astronomical units (AU), offers unprecedented amplification factors exceeding 10¹¹, enabling direct imaging of distant exoplanets with extreme resolution. However, deploying telescopes at such distances remains technologically infeasible for the foreseeable future. This paper proposes a novel experimental framework to simulate the optical behavior of the SGL focal point in terrestrial laboratories by combining two emerging technologies: centrifugal hypergravity facilities and magnetically confined fusion plasmas. We demonstrate theoretically that, by generating controlled gradients in plasma density and refractive index within a hypergravity environment, it is possible to reproduce photon trajectories analogous to those produced by gravitational lensing, without actually curving spacetime. The proposed hybrid system integrates a tokamak- or stellarator-type fusion reactor core operating within a hypergravity centrifuge similar to China’s CHIEF1900 facility (1,900 g-ton capacity). Mathematical modeling indicates that radial density gradients of Δρ/ρ ≈ 10⁻⁴ in the plasma, combined with centrifugal acceleration fields on the order of 10³–10⁴ g, can yield optical deflection angles comparable to those produced by solar gravity (~10⁻⁶ radians). This laboratory-scale analog of the SGL would enable the validation of image reconstruction algorithms, study of photon behavior in extreme gradient fields, and development of next-generation interplanetary optical communication systems. Although this approach does not reproduce true spacetime curvature, it establishes a functionally equivalent optical testbed for SGL mission technologies — at a fraction of the cost and time required for actual deep-space missions.