The world's largest and most powerful stellarator, Wendelstein 7-X, achieved a new world record for the triple product in long plasma discharges, sustaining a peak value for 43 seconds. This milestone marks a significant step toward developing a power-plant-capable stellarator.
The Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has demonstrated reduced neoclassical energy transport, lowering plasma energy losses. The optimised magnetic field successfully minimises these losses, a major weakness in conventional stellarators.
Researchers at Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP) have successfully simulated plasma edge instabilities in tokamaks, revealing trigger and course of instability. The simulation matches experimentally observed values, providing a crucial step towards predicting and avoiding ELM instabilities in future fusion devices.
Scientists at Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik have developed a new code, GENE-3D, that can simulate turbulent transport in stellarators with higher accuracy. The simulations suggest that fast ions could reduce turbulence by over half in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, potentially leading to high-performance plasmas.
The Helmholtz International Lab for Optimized Advanced Divertors in Stellarators (HILOADS) has been approved to conduct research on stellarator projects. HILOADS brings together institutions from Germany and the US, including the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The project aims to develop o...
The Wendelstein 7-X experiment achieved record-high plasma densities of up to 2 x 10**20 particles per cubic meter and temperatures of 20 million degrees Celsius. These results are significant milestones in fusion research, demonstrating the potential for stellarators to achieve high-quality confinement.
Researchers at Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik achieved a record-breaking fusion product with Wendelstein 7-X, lasting up to 26 seconds and reaching temperatures of 40 million degrees. The device's optimized magnetic field geometry also demonstrated improved thermal insulation and low bootstrap current.
The Max-Planck-Princeton Center has made significant progress in fusion research, investigating plasmas in astrophysics and advancing understanding of magnetic reconnection. New computer codes and experimentation have improved simulations, resolving long-standing questions about solar wind heating and magnetic field behavior.
The second round of experimentation has begun at Wendelstein 7-X, a stellarator designed to produce power from fusion reactions. The upgrade includes new heating and measuring facilities, graphite wall tiles, and ten divertor modules, which will allow for higher temperatures and plasma discharges.
The European Research Council awards €2.4M to Thomas Sunn Pedersen for creating the world's first matter-antimatter plasma. The plasma is expected to exhibit extraordinary properties and may reveal new discoveries in astrophysics.
A new project aims to develop a device that can accumulate and deliver unprecedentedly intense positron pulses. The goal is to investigate exotic states of matter and mixes of matter and antimatter, potentially opening up new areas of experimental research.
After a successful first round of experiments, Wendelstein 7-X is upgrading to achieve higher heating powers and longer plasma pulses. The device has already achieved pulse lengths of six seconds and temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius.
The WEGA fusion device is being transferred to the University of Illinois for further research and development. The device will be re-assembled as HIDRA and used for plasma physics and fusion research.