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

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

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