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
Lavrentiev M
(2007)
Monte Carlo study of thermodynamic properties and clustering in the bcc Fe-Cr system
in Physical Review B
Dnestrovskij Y
(2007)
Analysis of pressure profiles and transport simulations of MAST discharges
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Saarelma S
(2007)
MHD stability analysis of ELMs in MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Cohen R
(2007)
Current and potential distribution in a divertor with toroidally-asymmetric biasing of the divertor plate
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Matthews G
(2007)
Overview of the ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Forrest R
(2007)
Statistical analysis of cross sections-A new tool for data validation
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Frigione D
(2007)
Pellet injection and high density ITB formation in JET advanced tokamak plasmas
in Nuclear Fusion
Lönnroth J
(2007)
Effects of ripple-induced ion thermal transport on H-mode plasma performance
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Newton S
(2007)
Collisional bulk ion transport and poloidal rotation driven by neutral beam injection
in Physics of Plasmas
McArdle G
(2006)
Results from evaluation of a long pulse pilot data acquisition system on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Smith H
(2006)
Runaway electrons and the evolution of the plasma current in tokamak disruptions
in Physics of Plasmas
Weisen H
(2006)
Scaling of density peaking in JET H-modes and implications for ITER
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Chapman S
(2006)
Perpendicular Shock Reformation and Ion Acceleration
in Space Science Reviews
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
Mayoral M
(2006)
Hydrogen plasmas with ICRF inverted minority and mode conversion heating regimes in the JET tokamak
in Nuclear Fusion
Mlynár J
(2006)
Progress in neutron diagnostics at JET
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Reimerdes H
(2006)
Cross-machine comparison of resonant field amplification and resistive wall mode stabilization by plasma rotation
in Physics of Plasmas
Christiansen J
(2006)
Self-consistent plasma modelling by Monte Carlo test particles
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
McClements K
(2006)
Collective electric field effects on the confinement of fast ions in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Gatu Johnson M
(2006)
The TOFOR neutron spectrometer and its first use at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Dudarev SL
(2006)
Angular-dependent matrix potentials for fast molecular-dynamics simulations of transition metals.
in Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal
O'Mullane M
(2006)
Atomic modeling and instrumentation for measurement and analysis of emission in preparation for the ITER-like wall in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Joiner N
(2006)
Electron temperature gradient driven transport in a MAST H-mode plasma
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion