Magnetically confined plasmas articles within Nature Physics

Featured

  • Measure for Measure |

    The assembly of the more than a million single parts of the ITER tokamak requires large-scale three-dimensional precision metrology. John Villanueva Jr gives us insights into the complexity of this project.

    • John Villanueva Jr

  • Q&A |

    The First Plasma discharge in the ITER tokamak is expected for 2025 with deuterium–tritium plasma operation ten years later. We spoke with ITER’s Director-General, Bernard Bigot, and Tim Luce, head of ITER’s Science & Operations Department, about the current status of the project and potential future directions in fusion research.

    • Stefanie Reichert

  • Editorial |

    As the construction of the ITER tokamak enters its next phase — the machine assembly — now is a good time for a recap of the history and current status of nuclear fusion research.

  • Comment |

    Since the 1950s, international cooperation has been the driving force behind fusion research. Here, we discuss how the International Atomic Energy Agency has shaped the field and the events that have produced fusion’s global signature partnership.

    • Matteo Barbarino

  • News & Views |

    The axial symmetry of tokamaks benefits plasma confinement but hinders control. Experiments have now proven that optimized non-axisymmetric magnetic fields can provide much improved control without degrading the plasma confinement.

    • Allen H. Boozer

  • Article |

    A theoretical and numerical approach, validated by experiments at the KSTAR facility, shows how magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in tokamak plasmas can be efficiently controlled by a small relaxation of the confining field into a 3D configuration.

    • Jong-Kyu Park
    • , YoungMu Jeon
    •  & Michael C. Zarnstroff

  • News & Views |

    The first campaign of the largest stellarator ever built, Wendelstein 7-X, has been successful, achieving high electron temperatures and minimal self-generated plasma current. This is very encouraging for future long-pulse, full-power operation.

    • Joseph N. Talmadge

  • Article |

    Results from the first experimental campaign of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator demonstrate that its magnetic-field design grants good control of parasitic plasma currents, leading to long energy confinement times.

    • A. Dinklage
    • , C. D. Beidler
    •  & M. Zuin

  • Article |

    Substorms in the Earth’s magnetosphere lead to bright aurorae, releasing energy into the surrounding ionosphere. Ground- and space-based observations now reveal how that energy is dissipated and controlled by strong electric currents.

    • E. V. Panov
    • , W. Baumjohann
    •  & M. V. Kubyshkina

  • Commentary |

    Energy-producing nuclear fusion reactions taking place in tokamaks cause radiation damage and radioactivity. Remote-handling technology for repairing and replacing in-vessel components has evolved enormously over the past two decades — and is now being deployed elsewhere too.

    • Rob Buckingham
    •  & Antony Loving

  • Commentary |

    Fusion research is driven by the applied goal of energy production from fusion reactions. There is, however, a wealth of fundamental physics to be discovered and studied along the way. This Commentary discusses selected developments in diagnostics and present-day research topics in high-temperature plasma physics.

    • Alexander V. Melnikov

  • Interview |

    Construction of the ITER tokamak, arguably the largest scientific project ever, is well under way in the south of France. Nature Physics spoke with ITER's Director-General, Bernard Bigot, about the challenges ahead — a conversation about physics, engineering, politics and culture.

    • Bart Verberck

  • Review Article |

    For achieving proper safety and efficiency of future fusion power plants, low-activation materials able to withstand the extreme fusion conditions are needed. Here, the irradiation physics at play and fusion materials research is reviewed.

    • J. Knaster
    • , A. Moeslang
    •  & T. Muroga

  • Review Article |

    One way of realizing controlled nuclear fusion reactions for the production of energy involves confining a hot plasma in a magnetic field. Here, the physics of magnetic-confinement fusion is reviewed, focusing on the tokamak and stellarator concepts.

    • J. Ongena
    • , R. Koch
    •  & H. Zohm

  • Review Article |

    Simulating magnetically confined fusion plasmas is crucial to understand and control them. Here, the state of the art and the multi-physics involved are discussed: electromagnetism and hydrodynamics combined over vast spatiotemporal ranges.

    • A. Fasoli
    • , S. Brunner
    •  & L. Villard

  • Editorial |

    With a dedicated monthly column, Nature Physics draws attention to metrology. And a set of Commentaries in this issue focuses on various aspects of thermometry.

  • Commentary |

    Sustaining and measuring high temperatures in fusion plasmas is a challenging task that requires different heating systems and diagnostic tools. Information on the spatial distribution of temperature is one of the key elements for improving and controlling plasma performance.

    • Didier Mazon
    • , Christel Fenzi
    •  & Roland Sabot

  • News & Views |

    Long-pulse plasmas created in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) mark another advance in fusion. The Chinese tokamak now demonstrates a method for controlling the instabilities at the plasma edge that might otherwise limit the performance of prototypical fusion power plants such as ITER.

    • William Morris

  • Article |

    A high-confinement plasma that is potentially useful for controlled fusion has now been sustained for over 30 s. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak in Hefei, China, achieved this record pulse length by first confining the plasma using lithium-treated vessel walls, and then maintaining it with a so-called lower hybrid current drive.

    • J. Li
    • , H. Y. Guo
    •  & X. L. Zou

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