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
Merrifield J
(2007)
Intermittency, dissipation, and scaling in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
in Physics of Plasmas
Liu Y
(2006)
Modeling of resistive wall mode and its control in experiments and ITER
in Physics of Plasmas
Chapman I
(2006)
Modeling the effect of toroidal plasma rotation on drift-magnetohydrodynamic modes in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Boswell C
(2006)
Observation and explanation of the JET chirping mode
in Physics Letters A
Kirk A
(2006)
Evolution of filament structures during edge-localized modes in the MAST Tokamak.
in Physical review letters
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Lavrentiev M
(2007)
Monte Carlo study of thermodynamic properties and clustering in the bcc Fe-Cr system
in Physical Review B
Lungu C
(2007)
Beryllium coatings on metals for marker tiles at JET: development of process and characterization of layers
in Physica Scripta
Matthews G
(2007)
Overview of the ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Loarte A
(2007)
Transient heat loads in current fusion experiments, extrapolation to ITER and consequences for its operation
in Physica Scripta
Hirai T
(2007)
Characterization and heat flux testing of beryllium coatings on Inconel for JET ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Neu R
(2007)
Investigation of tungsten coatings on graphite and CFC
in Physica Scripta
Zhou Z
(2006)
Simulations of weak-beam diffraction contrast images of dislocation loops by the many-beam Howie-Basinski equations
in Philosophical Magazine
Kirk M
(2006)
Diffuse elastic scattering of electrons by individual nanometer-sized dislocation loops
in Philosophical Magazine
Dudarev S
(2007)
Driven mobility of self-interstitial defects under electron irradiation
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
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
Chapman I
(2006)
The effect of toroidal plasma rotation on sawteeth in MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Maddison G
(2009)
Dimensionless pedestal identity plasmas on Alcator C-Mod and JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Pitts R
(2007)
ELM transport in the JET scrape-off layer
in Nuclear Fusion
Tartari U
(2006)
Critical issues highlighted by collective Thomson scattering below electron cyclotron resonance in FTU
in Nuclear Fusion
Jones T
(2006)
Prediction of neutron source, tritium production and activation for long-pulse operation of the ITER neutral beam test facility
in Nuclear Fusion
Tala T
(2006)
Fully predictive time-dependent transport simulations of ITB plasmas in JET, JT-60U and DIII-D
in Nuclear Fusion
Frigione D
(2007)
Pellet injection and high density ITB formation in JET advanced tokamak plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
Valovic M
(2007)
On the correlation between density profile and particle flux in H-mode tokamak plasmas and the implication for ITER
in Nuclear Fusion
Strachan J
(2008)
Modelling of carbon migration during JET 13 C injection experiments
in Nuclear Fusion