UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Department Name: Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
Abstract
Fusion is the energy-releasing process that powers the sun and other stars. If it can be harnessed economically on earth it would be an essentially limitless source of safe, environmentally responsible energy. Fusion energy is therefore strongly mission-orientated. The most promising method uses strong magnetic fields in a tokamak configuration to allow a high temperature deuterium-tritium plasma to be generated while minimising contact with the surrounding material surfaces.The UK contributes to fusion research in two ways: (i) through the UK's own programme focused on the spherical tokamak experiment MAST, and (ii) by contributing to the Joint European Torus (JET) programme. The MAST and JET facilities are situated at Culham Science Centre. International co-operation is strong with the focus on the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER), which will be the first fusion device to achieve energy gain and sustained burn.Experimental programmes on the MAST and JET tokamaks are performed to help resolve and refine understanding of key physics issues for ITER. In addition, experimental programmes on MAST focus on testing the potential of the spherical tokamak as a more compact option for future fusion devices. A strong theory and modelling group supports the experimental programmes and contributes to the research and development of fusion materials and to studies of conceptual fusion power stations. Expansion of the research and development of ITER specialist (i.e. diagnostic and heating) systems, focuses on securing major roles for the UK in the provision of two or three of these large complex projects.The results of the research are presented in reports and publications, and at conferences, expert groups and specialist committees. Collaborations with researchers in other areas of science and technologies are pursued strongly, where the research overlaps with fusion R&D.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Llewellyn-Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Andrew Y
(2006)
H-mode access in the low density regime on JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
McArdle G
(2006)
Results from evaluation of a long pulse pilot data acquisition system on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Sandquist P
(2006)
Relativistic electron distribution function of a plasma in a near-critical electric field
in Physics of Plasmas
Hawkes N
(2006)
Calibration and operational experience with the JET motional Stark effect diagnostic
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Garcia O
(2006)
Radial interchange motions of plasma filaments
in Physics of Plasmas
Nguyen-Manh D
(2006)
Multi-scale modelling of defect behavior in bcc transition metals and iron alloys for future fusion power plants
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Connor J
(2006)
Stability of the trapped electron mode in steep density and temperature gradients
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Borba D
(2006)
Confinement transitions (H-mode) in JET inner wall limiter plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Cruz N
(2006)
JET real-time project test-bench software structure
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Lönnroth J
(2006)
Integrated ELM Modelling
in Contributions to Plasma Physics
Koubiti M
(2006)
Density Diagnostic Using Stark Broadening of He I Spectral Line Emission from Rydberg Levels
in Contributions to Plasma Physics
Gimblett C
(2006)
The role of edge current-driven modes in ELM activity
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Kuldkepp M
(2006)
Motional Stark effect diagnostic pilot experiment for MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Chapman I
(2006)
Modeling the effect of toroidal plasma rotation on drift-magnetohydrodynamic modes in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Nguyen-Manh D
(2006)
Multi-scale modelling of materials for fusion power plants
in Computational Materials Science
Murari A
(2006)
Fuzzy logic and support vector machine approaches to regime identification in JET
in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Testa D
(2006)
The role of the radial electric field for the transition to high confinement regimes
in Nuclear Fusion
Ovsyannikov D
(2006)
Mathematical methods of plasma vertical stabilization in modern tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
Marinoni A
(2006)
Analysis and modelling of power modulation experiments in JET plasmas with internal transport barriers
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Simulation of internal transport barriers by means of the canonical profile transport model
in Plasma Physics Reports
Dieckmann M
(2006)
Two-stream instability in collisionless shocks and foreshock
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Giacomelli L
(2006)
Development and characterization of the proton recoil detector for the MPRu neutron spectrometer
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Kramer G
(2006)
Interpretation of core localized Alfvén eigenmodes in DIII-D and Joint European Torus reversed magnetic shear plasmas
in Physics of Plasmas
McDonald D
(2006)
The dimensionless scaling of ELMy H-mode confinement
in Comptes Rendus. Physique
Sjöstrand H
(2006)
New MPRu instrument for neutron emission spectroscopy at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments