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
Kirk A
(2006)
Filament structures at the plasma edge on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Andrew Y
(2006)
H-mode access in the low density regime on JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dendy R
(2006)
Characterization and interpretation of strongly nonlinear phenomena in fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Rozhansky V
(2006)
Modelling of radial electric field profile for different divertor configurations
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Meyer H
(2008)
Active control of the H-mode transition on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Guirlet R
(2006)
Parametric dependences of impurity transport in tokamaks
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Weisen H
(2006)
Scaling of density peaking in JET H-modes and implications for ITER
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Leonard A
(2006)
Survey of Type I ELM dynamics measurements
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Christiansen J
(2006)
Self-consistent plasma modelling by Monte Carlo test particles
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
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
Joiner N
(2006)
Electron temperature gradient driven transport in a MAST H-mode plasma
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Lönnroth J
(2007)
Effects of ripple-induced ion thermal transport on H-mode plasma performance
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Sircombe N
(2006)
Aspects of electron acoustic wave physics in laser backscatter from plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Counsell G
(2006)
Tritium retention in next step devices and the requirements for mitigation and removal techniques
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Borba D
(2006)
Confinement transitions (H-mode) in JET inner wall limiter plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dieckmann M
(2006)
Two-stream instability in collisionless shocks and foreshock
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
Cohen R
(2007)
Current and potential distribution in a divertor with toroidally-asymmetric biasing of the divertor plate
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Simulation of internal transport barriers by means of the canonical profile transport model
in Plasma Physics Reports
Connor J
(2006)
Magnetic geometry, plasma profiles, and stability
in Plasma Physics Reports
NGUYENMANH D
(2007)
Environmental dependence of bonding: A challenge for modelling of intermetallics and fusion materials
in Progress in Materials Science
AOKI M
(2007)
Atom-based bond-order potentials for modelling mechanical properties of metals
in Progress in Materials Science
DERLET P
(2007)
Million-atom molecular dynamics simulations of magnetic iron
in Progress in Materials Science
Giacomelli L
(2006)
Development and characterization of the proton recoil detector for the MPRu neutron spectrometer
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Kuldkepp M
(2006)
Motional Stark effect diagnostic pilot experiment for MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Hacquin S
(2006)
X -mode reflectometry measurements in the JET plasma core region
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Negus C
(2006)
Enhanced core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system on Joint European Torus
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
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
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
Murari A
(2006)
Real-time recovery of the electron density from interferometric measurements affected by fringe jumps
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Murari A
(2006)
New diagnostic techniques and technologies at JET (invited)
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Rubel M
(2006)
Mirror test for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at the JET tokamak: An overview of the program
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Sjöstrand H
(2006)
New MPRu instrument for neutron emission spectroscopy at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Hawkes N
(2006)
Calibration and operational experience with the JET motional Stark effect diagnostic
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Boboc A
(2006)
Simultaneous Cotton-Mouton and Faraday rotation angle measurements on JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Von Hellermann M
(2006)
Status of the DNB based ITER CXRS and BES diagnostic
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Conway N
(2006)
High-throughput charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system on MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Gatu Johnson M
(2006)
The TOFOR neutron spectrometer and its first use at JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Walsh M
(2006)
Design challenges and analysis of the ITER core LIDAR Thomson scattering system
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Ingesson L
(2006)
Progress on common aspects of the EU-supplied ITER diagnostics and prediction of diagnostic performance
in Review of Scientific Instruments
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
Chapman S
(2006)
Perpendicular Shock Reformation and Ion Acceleration
in Space Science Reviews
Galloway R
(2006)
Cross-Field Diffusion of Electrons in Tangled Magnetic Fields and Implications for Coronal Fine Structure
in The Astrophysical Journal
McKay R
(2007)
Fast Alfven Wave Heating and Acceleration of Ions in a Nonuniform Magnetoplasma
in The Astrophysical Journal
Llewellyn Smith C
(2009)
The path to fusion power
in The European Physical Journal Special Topics