Articles tagged with Magnetic Confinement
Researchers from Kyushu University used high-power lasers to recreate magnetic reconnection in a controlled environment. Their study shows that reconnection rates are governed by local physics, not plasma properties, providing experimental benchmarks for testing theoretical models.
The National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) will enable plasma operations by creating two separate sets of magnetic fields, confining the plasma and heating it through an electric current. This compact fusion system has unique research capabilities, making it easier to build and replicate than conventional tokamaks.
A new 10-year project agreement advances US-EU collaboration on Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, a key experiment in fusion energy. The framework streamlines processes for joint research projects and provides a consistent legal structure for partnerships.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory successfully completed its marathon run on the Large Helical Device, yielding key findings about fusion energy. The experiment produced world-record milestones, including sustained megawatt-level plasmas for nearly an hour, and demonstrated a unique feature to produce resilient plasmas.
Researchers used computer simulations to study the behavior of exhaust particles in tokamaks. They found that the toroidal rotation of plasma plays a key role in determining where particles land in the machine's exhaust system. This discovery could help engineers design divertors better equipped to handle intense heat.
Jessica Eskew, a PhD student in Auburn Physics, has been awarded a highly competitive SCGSR Fellowship to conduct fusion energy research at DIII-D. Her research focuses on runaway electrons, which can damage fusion devices if uncontrolled. Eskew will collaborate with experts in energetic particle physics and plasma control.
Researchers at the National Institute for Fusion Science used high-precision diagnostic instruments to measure temperature, turbulence, and heat propagation in a plasma. The experiments revealed two types of turbulence: a mediator-type that connects distant regions quickly, and another type that carries heat outward more slowly.
Research team measures temperature, turbulence, and heat propagation with high spatial and temporal resolution. Turbulence acts as a mediator, linking distant regions and speeding up heat transfer. Heat carrying turbulence shapes the overall temperature profile of the plasma.
Zap Energy's FuZE-3 device has reached electron pressures of up to 830 MPa, or 1.6 GPa total, in a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch, a major milestone on the path to scientific energy gain. The device achieves this high pressure through independent control of plasma acceleration and compression.
Scientists successfully measured electric potential in plasmas using a non-contact diagnostic technique, enabling the detection of temporal transitions in internal plasma potential distribution. The method allows for improved predictive models of plasma behavior and confinement frameworks in fusion research.
Researchers at the University of Missouri are exploring the use of extracellular vesicles to target lung cancer. By manipulating these tiny messenger particles, scientists can deliver specific instructions to kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Researchers have found a new mechanism explaining how larger-scale turbulent eddies deform and suppress smaller-scale ones in plasma confinement. This discovery could lead to improved fusion energy generation by understanding the interaction between turbulence at different scales.
University of Missouri researchers are helping farmers prevent disease outbreaks by teaching biosecurity practices, such as hand sanitizing and wearing farm-dedicated shoes. They also provide guidance on safe composting methods to dispose of dead livestock, reducing the risk of disease spread.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has partnered with Japan and Europe on the world's largest fusion machine, JT-60SA. The U.S. lab will provide an advanced measurement tool, XICS, to help scientists better understand and control the plasma inside the machine.
Scientists at MIT developed a method to predict how plasma in a tokamak will behave during rampdown, achieving high accuracy with limited data. This new model could significantly improve the safety and reliability of future fusion power plants.
Researchers have developed a new AI approach called HEAT-ML that accelerates calculations of magnetic shadows in fusion vessels, enabling faster design and operation. This breakthrough could lead to significant improvements in fusion power generation and potentially limitless clean energy.
A global collaboration found that co-deposition is the dominant driver of fuel retention in lithium walls, and adding lithium during operation is more effective than pre-coating. The study offers insights into managing tritium, a rare fusion fuel, and improving plasma stability.
PPPL's Jack Berkery is heading to Japan as a Fulbright Specialist to share research on spherical tokamaks and strengthen ties with Kyushu University. He will present PPPL research at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma Physics, focusing on spherical tokamaks and their preparations for NSTX-U's next phase of operations.
Professor Edward Thomas Jr. has been awarded the prestigious Star Dust Award by the International Dusty Plasma Community for his 30-year contributions to the field of dusty plasma physics. He is recognized for his groundbreaking research in magnetized dusty plasmas, including the development of novel experimental diagnostics.
A team of researchers used computer code M3D-C1 to model different valve configurations and found that six gas valves provide optimal protection for rapidly dispersing cooling gas. The study's findings will help bring fusion power closer to reality by advancing disruption mitigation strategies.
Three PPPL researchers, Frances Kraus, Jason Parisi, and Willca Villafana, are recognized for their innovative contributions to plasma physics. Their work covers various areas, including high-temperature fusion plasmas and low-temperature plasma simulations.
Physicists have created a new code, QUADCOIL, to design stellarators, which could lead to simpler and more affordable fusion facilities. The code helps balance physics and engineering by quickly ruling out unstable plasma shapes and predicting magnet complexities.
A simulation study clarifies the physical mechanism of coupled plasma fluctuations, which can lead to significant losses of energetic particles in fusion research. The study reveals that the two fluctuations occur in a coupled manner via deformation of the energetic particle distribution function.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have developed a technique to prevent unwanted waves that siphon off needed energy, increasing the efficiency of fusion reactions. Positioning a metal grate at a slight angle enhances heat put into the plasma and reduces slow modes, leading to more powerful and efficient fusion heating.
A new method combines theory and simulation predictions with experimental data to improve fusion plasma performance accuracy. Multi-fidelity modeling enhances predictive accuracy using limited high-quality data, improving the reliability of plasma transport models.
Scientists at National Institute for Fusion Science create high-speed plasma phase-space distribution measurement, improving data resolution by 50-fold. The new technique reveals wave-particle interactions and simultaneous rightward-leftward waves, leading to more efficient plasma heating.
The 13th ITER International School (IIS2024) brings together 200 young researchers and engineers to advance nuclear fusion research. The school's theme is 'Magnetic fusion diagnostics and data science,' focusing on measurement and analysis for achieving fusion energy demonstration in the ITER project.
Researchers used a classical computer and mathematical models to outperform a quantum computer on a task involving a two-dimensional quantum system of flipping magnets. The system displayed a behavior known as confinement, which had previously been seen only in one-dimensional systems.
Researchers at PPPL have found that adding boron powder to a tokamak's plasma can shield the wall from tungsten atoms, preventing cooling and sustaining fusion reactions. Computer modeling suggests the powder may only need to be sprinkled from one location for effective distribution.
The SMall Aspect Ratio Tokamak (SMART) is a compact spherical tokamak that benefits from PPPL computer codes and expertise in magnetics and sensor systems. Negative triangularity is expected to offer enhanced performance by suppressing instabilities and preventing damage to the tokamak wall.
Scientists at PPPL envision a hot region with flowing liquid metal that protects the inside of the tokamak from intense heat. The new simulations reflect additional information, including collisions between neutral particles, and determine the best location for the lithium vapor cave is near the bottom of the tokamak by the center stack.
Researchers have found that turbulence is most suppressed at a certain density in fusion plasmas, with transitions occurring below and above this point. Simulations revealed that ion-temperature gradient, pressure gradient, and plasma resistivity cause turbulence changes around the transition density.
Researchers found that a photon's polarization is topological, meaning it doesn't change as it moves through materials and environments. This property can help design better light beams for heating and measuring plasma, which could increase fusion efficiency.
Researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology experimentally revealed that high-density Ca introduction enhances superconductivity in graphene-calcium compounds through confinement epitaxy, leading to increased critical temperatures. This breakthrough could enable the development of C6CaC6 superconductors with wide applicability in qu...
PPPL researchers utilize machine learning to perfect plasma vessel design, optimize heating methods, and maintain stable control of fusion reactions. The team achieves significant results by predicting disruptions and adjusting settings before instabilities occur, enabling high-confinement modes in tokamaks.
Researchers successfully enhanced plasma stability in a fusion reaction by utilizing weaknesses in magnetic fields to confine the reaction. This approach, validated through experiments at KSTAR tokamak, improves simultaneous control of instabilities in the core and edge of the plasma.
A Princeton University team developed an AI model that can forecast potential plasma instabilities up to 300 milliseconds in advance, allowing for real-time adjustments to avoid reaction-ending escapes. The model uses past experimental data and demonstrates a promising approach to solving a broad range of plasma instabilities.
JET's final deuterium-tritium experiments demonstrated high fusion power consistently produced for 5 seconds, setting a world-record of 69 megajoules using 0.2 milligrams of fuel. The facility has reliably created fusion plasmas with the same fuel mixture as commercial fusion energy powerplants.
A new control system optimizes predictive models with real-time observations, predicting fusion plasma behavior with high accuracy. This approach enables adaptive predictive control in uncertain conditions, laying the foundation for fusion reactor control.
Physicists have directly observed the Kondo effect in a single artificial atom using a scanning tunnelling microscope. The team confirmed a decades-old prediction by validating their experimental data against theoretical models. This breakthrough paves the way for investigating exotic phenomena in magnetic wires.
Lehigh University has received nearly $1.75 million in funding from the US Department of Energy to support fusion energy research, specifically for ITER's long-pulse scenarios. The project aims to prepare ITER for operation and address critical research questions related to plasma control.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have successfully applied boron powder to tungsten components in tokamaks, improving plasma confinement and reducing the risk of edge-localized modes. The innovative approach uses a PPPL-developed powder dropper to deposit boron coatings while minimizing disruptions to the magnetic field.
Researchers at PPPL developed smaller, stronger high-temperature superconducting magnets for spherical tokamaks, enabling more efficient fusion power plants. The new magnets reduce construction costs and increase performance by shrinking the size of tokamaks.
Researchers at NIFS have made a groundbreaking discovery in fusion plasmas, finding that turbulence moves faster than heat. This characteristic allows for predictive control of plasma temperature, paving the way for real-time manipulation. The study used advanced instruments to measure turbulent behavior with unprecedented accuracy.
Researchers have designed simpler magnets for twisty stellarator facilities, which could aid the development of a stellarator power plant. The new magnets have straighter sections than before while preserving their strength and accuracy.
Researchers discovered a stronger flow in the plasma core surrounding the thermal insulation layer in deuterium plasmas, leading to better thermal insulation. This finding could improve future fusion power plants using deuterium and tritium as fuels.
Researchers have discovered that magnetic fluctuations can reduce heat load on fusion devices by propagating turbulence. This breakthrough enables a new method for controlling turbulence and maintaining high central temperatures in the plasma.
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.
Physicists have found that by fine-tuning the electromagnet configurations and initial plasma properties, magnetic mirrors can achieve longer confinement times and lower loss rates. This could make them ideal for new particle physics experiments.
A new magnetic mirror-based device has been developed to map radiation from shortly after the Big Bang, shedding light on gravitational waves and the early universe. The device can modulate polarization across a wide range of microwave frequencies, overcoming a major challenge in detecting B-mode polarization.
Scientists have demonstrated a new type of mirror that reflects infrared light by using an unusual magnetic property of a non-metallic metamaterial. The nanoscale antennas on the surface capture and harness electromagnetic radiation, paving the way for exciting new applications in optoelectronic devices.