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
Dendy R
(2006)
Characterization and interpretation of strongly nonlinear phenomena in fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Wilson H
(2006)
Magneto-hydrodynamic stability of the H-mode transport barrier as a model for edge localized modes: an overview
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Rubel M
(2006)
Mirror test for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at the JET tokamak: An overview of the program
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Galloway R
(2006)
Cross-Field Diffusion of Electrons in Tangled Magnetic Fields and Implications for Coronal Fine Structure
in The Astrophysical Journal
Weisen H
(2006)
Scaling of density peaking in JET H-modes and implications for ITER
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Gryaznevich M
(2006)
Perturbative and non-perturbative modes in START and MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Gatu Johnson M
(2006)
The TOFOR neutron spectrometer and its first use at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Mayoral M
(2006)
Hydrogen plasmas with ICRF inverted minority and mode conversion heating regimes in the JET tokamak
in Nuclear Fusion
Joiner N
(2006)
Electron temperature gradient driven transport in a MAST H-mode plasma
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Kaye S
(2006)
The role of aspect ratio and beta in H-mode confinement scalings
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Kiptily V
(2006)
Gamma ray diagnostics of high temperature magnetically confined fusion plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Self-consistency of pressure profiles in tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
Scannell R
(2006)
Enhanced edge Thomson scattering on MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Counsell G
(2006)
On the use of a capacitive diaphragm gauge for dust detection in next-step fusion devices
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Salmi A
(2006)
JET experiments to assess the clamping of the fast ion energy distribution during ICRF heating due to finite Larmor radius effects
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2007)
Analysis of pressure profiles and transport simulations of MAST discharges
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Pitts R
(2007)
ELM transport in the JET scrape-off layer
in Nuclear Fusion
Neu R
(2007)
Investigation of tungsten coatings on graphite and CFC
in Physica Scripta
Lönnroth J
(2007)
Effects of ripple-induced ion thermal transport on H-mode plasma performance
in Plasma Physics and Controlled 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
Saarelma S
(2007)
MHD stability analysis of ELMs in MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Duffy D
(2007)
Including the effects of electronic stopping and electron-ion interactions in radiation damage simulations
in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
McKay R
(2007)
Fast Alfven Wave Heating and Acceleration of Ions in a Nonuniform Magnetoplasma
in The Astrophysical Journal
Merrifield J
(2007)
Intermittency, dissipation, and scaling in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
in Physics of Plasmas
Loarte A
(2007)
Transient heat loads in current fusion experiments, extrapolation to ITER and consequences for its operation
in Physica Scripta
NGUYENMANH D
(2007)
Environmental dependence of bonding: A challenge for modelling of intermetallics and fusion materials
in Progress in Materials Science
Lungu C
(2007)
Beryllium coatings on metals for marker tiles at JET: development of process and characterization of layers
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
Maier H
(2007)
Tungsten and beryllium armour development for the JET ITER-like wall project
in Nuclear Fusion
AOKI M
(2007)
Atom-based bond-order potentials for modelling mechanical properties of metals
in Progress in Materials Science
Cohen R
(2007)
Current and potential distribution in a divertor with toroidally-asymmetric biasing of the divertor plate
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Matthews G
(2007)
Overview of the ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Lavrentiev M
(2007)
Monte Carlo study of thermodynamic properties and clustering in the bcc Fe-Cr system
in Physical Review B
DERLET P
(2007)
Million-atom molecular dynamics simulations of magnetic iron
in Progress in Materials Science
CAWKWELL M
(2007)
Atomistic study of athermal cross-slip and its impact on the mechanical properties of iridium
in Acta Materialia
Forrest R
(2007)
Statistical analysis of cross sections-A new tool for data validation
in Fusion Engineering and Design
McDonald D
(2007)
Recent progress on the development and analysis of the ITPA global H-mode confinement database
in Nuclear Fusion
Kirk A
(2007)
Evolution of the pedestal on MAST and the implications for ELM power loadings
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Frigione D
(2007)
Pellet injection and high density ITB formation in JET advanced tokamak plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
Newton S
(2007)
Collisional bulk ion transport and poloidal rotation driven by neutral beam injection
in Physics of Plasmas
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
Meyer H
(2008)
Active control of the H-mode transition on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
De Vries P
(2008)
Effect of toroidal field ripple on plasma rotation in JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Strachan J
(2008)
Modelling of carbon migration during JET 13 C injection experiments
in Nuclear Fusion
Meyer H
(2009)
Overview of physics results from MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Llewellyn Smith C
(2009)
The path to fusion power
in The European Physical Journal Special Topics
Maddison G
(2009)
Dimensionless pedestal identity plasmas on Alcator C-Mod and JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Cottrell G
(2013)
A survey of plasma facing materials for fusion power plants
in Materials Science and Technology