UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
CCFE/UKAEA
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.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Llewellyn-Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Connor J
(2006)
Stability of the trapped electron mode in steep density and temperature gradients
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Connor J
(2006)
Magnetic geometry, plasma profiles, and stability
in Plasma Physics Reports
Cohen R
(2007)
Current and potential distribution in a divertor with toroidally-asymmetric biasing of the divertor plate
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Coccorese V
(2006)
Assessment of new ex-vessel magnetic measurements in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Christiansen J
(2006)
Self-consistent plasma modelling by Monte Carlo test particles
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Chapman S
(2006)
Perpendicular Shock Reformation and Ion Acceleration
in Space Science Reviews
Chapman I
(2006)
The effect of toroidal plasma rotation on sawteeth in MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Chapman I
(2006)
Modeling the effect of toroidal plasma rotation on drift-magnetohydrodynamic modes in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Cesario R
(2006)
Spectral broadening of lower hybrid waves produced by parametric instability in current drive experiments of tokamak plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
CAWKWELL M
(2007)
Atomistic study of athermal cross-slip and its impact on the mechanical properties of iridium
in Acta Materialia
Buratti P
(2006)
Study of slow n = 1, m = 1 reconnection in JET discharges with low central magnetic shear
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Brutti S
(2006)
Lattice stability of Ca, Sr and Yb disilicides
in Intermetallics
Boswell C
(2006)
Observation and explanation of the JET chirping mode
in Physics Letters A
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
Boboc A
(2006)
Simultaneous Cotton-Mouton and Faraday rotation angle measurements on JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Berk H
(2006)
Explanation of the JET n = 0 chirping mode
in Nuclear Fusion
Batista A
(2006)
An FPGA-based multi-rate interpolator with real-time rate change for a JET test-bench system
in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
AOKI M
(2007)
Atom-based bond-order potentials for modelling mechanical properties of metals
in Progress in Materials Science
Andrew Y
(2006)
Improved charge exchange spectroscopy on the Joint European Torus for ion temperature and rotation velocity profiles
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Andrew Y
(2006)
H-mode access in the low density regime on JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Allan N
(2006)
Beyond the point defect limit: Simulation methods for solid solutions and highly disordered systems
in Computational Materials Science
Ahn J
(2006)
L-mode SOL width scaling in the MAST spherical tokamak
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion