UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
CCFE/UKAEA
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.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Llewellyn-Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Counsell G
(2006)
Tritium retention in next step devices and the requirements for mitigation and removal techniques
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Storrs J
(2006)
Real-time optical plasma edge detection and position control on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Murari A
(2006)
Real-time recovery of the electron density from interferometric measurements affected by fringe jumps
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Hacquin S
(2006)
Characterization of Alfvén cascades on the JET tokamak using a multi-channel O-mode reflectometer diagnostic
in Nuclear Fusion
Santala M
(2006)
Proton-triton nuclear reaction in ICRF heated plasmas in JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Sircombe N
(2006)
Kinetic effects in laser-plasma coupling: Vlasov theory and computations
in Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings)
Boswell C
(2006)
Observation and explanation of the JET chirping mode
in Physics Letters A
Connor J
(2006)
Magnetic geometry, plasma profiles, and stability
in Plasma Physics Reports
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
Negus C
(2006)
Enhanced core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system on Joint European Torus
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Fülöp T
(2006)
Destabilization of magnetosonic-whistler waves by a relativistic runaway beam
in Physics of Plasmas
Surrey E
(2006)
Gas heating in the neutralizer of the ITER neutral beam injection systems
in Nuclear Fusion
Coccorese V
(2006)
Assessment of new ex-vessel magnetic measurements in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Hawkes N
(2006)
Calibration and operational experience with the JET motional Stark effect diagnostic
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Borba D
(2006)
Confinement transitions (H-mode) in JET inner wall limiter plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Bonheure G
(2006)
Neutron profiles and fuel ratio n T / n D measurements in JET ELMy H-mode plasmas with tritium puff
in Nuclear Fusion
Ovsyannikov D
(2006)
Mathematical methods of plasma vertical stabilization in modern tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
Cesario R
(2006)
Spectral broadening of lower hybrid waves produced by parametric instability in current drive experiments of tokamak plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
McClements K
(2006)
Collective electric field effects on the confinement of fast ions in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Mlynár J
(2006)
Progress in neutron diagnostics at JET
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Giacomelli L
(2006)
Development and characterization of the proton recoil detector for the MPRu neutron spectrometer
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Andrew Y
(2006)
Improved charge exchange spectroscopy on the Joint European Torus for ion temperature and rotation velocity profiles
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Conway N
(2006)
High-throughput charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system on MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Nicholls RJ
(2006)
Simulated electron energy loss spectra from a C70 crystal.
in Micron (Oxford, England : 1993)
Murari A
(2006)
Fuzzy logic and support vector machine approaches to regime identification in JET
in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Christiansen J
(2006)
Self-consistent plasma modelling by Monte Carlo test particles
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
McDonald D
(2006)
The impact of statistical models on scalings derived from multi-machine H-mode threshold experiments
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Darrow D
(2006)
Initial results from the lost alpha diagnostics on Joint European Torus
in Review of Scientific Instruments
McCLEMENTS K
(2006)
The coupling of shear and fast Alfvén waves at a magnetic X-point
in Journal of Plasma Physics
Crowley B
(2006)
Measurement of the electron energy distribution function by a Langmuir probe in an ITER-like hydrogen negative ion source
in Nuclear Fusion
Shibaev S
(2006)
MAST data acquisition system
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Eriksson L
(2006)
On ion cyclotron current drive for sawtooth control
in Nuclear Fusion
James M
(2006)
Tearing mode stability in a sheared slab model of the tokamak plasma
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Tala T
(2006)
Fully predictive time-dependent transport simulations of ITB plasmas in JET, JT-60U and DIII-D
in Nuclear Fusion
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Pinches S
(2006)
Observation and modelling of fast ion loss in JET and ASDEX Upgrade
in Nuclear Fusion
Connor J
(2006)
Stability of the trapped electron mode in steep density and temperature gradients
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dieckmann M
(2006)
Two-stream instability in collisionless shocks and foreshock
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Kuldkepp M
(2006)
Motional Stark effect diagnostic pilot experiment for MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Simulation of internal transport barriers by means of the canonical profile transport model
in Plasma Physics Reports
Koubiti M
(2006)
Density Diagnostic Using Stark Broadening of He I Spectral Line Emission from Rydberg Levels
in Contributions to Plasma Physics
Chapman I
(2006)
Modeling the effect of toroidal plasma rotation on drift-magnetohydrodynamic modes in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Rozhansky V
(2006)
Modelling of radial electric field profile for different divertor configurations
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Pampin R
(2006)
PPCS thermal analysis of bounding accident scenarios using improved computational modelling
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Sircombe N
(2006)
Aspects of electron acoustic wave physics in laser backscatter from plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Smith H
(2006)
Runaway electrons and the evolution of the plasma current in tokamak disruptions
in Physics of Plasmas
McArdle G
(2006)
Results from evaluation of a long pulse pilot data acquisition system on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Stammers K
(2006)
The calibration of the MAST neutron yield monitors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Sjöstrand H
(2006)
New MPRu instrument for neutron emission spectroscopy at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Sandquist P
(2006)
Relativistic electron distribution function of a plasma in a near-critical electric field
in Physics of Plasmas