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
Hacquin S
(2006)
Characterization of Alfvén cascades on the JET tokamak using a multi-channel O-mode reflectometer diagnostic
in Nuclear Fusion
Surrey E
(2006)
Gas heating in the neutralizer of the ITER neutral beam injection systems
in Nuclear Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Simulation of internal transport barriers by means of the canonical profile transport model
in Plasma Physics Reports
Eriksson L
(2006)
On ion cyclotron current drive for sawtooth control
in Nuclear Fusion
Liu Y
(2006)
Modeling of resistive wall mode and its control in experiments and ITER
in Physics of Plasmas
Ovsyannikov D
(2006)
Mathematical methods of plasma vertical stabilization in modern tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
McArdle G
(2006)
Results from evaluation of a long pulse pilot data acquisition system on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Murari A
(2006)
Fuzzy logic and support vector machine approaches to regime identification in JET
in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Counsell G
(2006)
On the use of a capacitive diaphragm gauge for dust detection in next-step fusion devices
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Ahn J
(2006)
L-mode SOL width scaling in the MAST spherical tokamak
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Tartari U
(2006)
Critical issues highlighted by collective Thomson scattering below electron cyclotron resonance in FTU
in Nuclear Fusion
Darrow D
(2006)
Initial results from the lost alpha diagnostics on Joint European Torus
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Coccorese V
(2006)
Assessment of new ex-vessel magnetic measurements in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Kiptily V
(2006)
Gamma ray diagnostics of high temperature magnetically confined fusion plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Gimblett C
(2006)
The role of edge current-driven modes in ELM activity
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Garzotti L
(2006)
Simulations of source and anomalous pinch effects on the density profile peaking of JET H-mode plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
Thyagaraja A
(2006)
Toroidal and poloidal flows in single-fluid and two-fluid tokamak equilibria
in Physics of Plasmas
Nguyen-Manh D
(2006)
Multi-scale modelling of materials for fusion power plants
in Computational Materials Science
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
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Mayoral M
(2006)
Hydrogen plasmas with ICRF inverted minority and mode conversion heating regimes in the JET tokamak
in Nuclear Fusion
Tardocchi M
(2006)
Modeling of neutron emission spectroscopy in JET discharges with fast tritons from (T)D ion cyclotron heating
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Scannell R
(2006)
Enhanced edge Thomson scattering on MAST
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