Universities and the UK Magnetic Confinement Fusion Programme: Plasma Science

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1 Universities and the UK Magnetic Confinement Fusion Programme: Plasma Science Howard Wilson York Plasma Institute Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD UK

2 Outline Overview of universities involved Some of the science issues to be addressed Fusion Doctoral Training Network Fusion Energy MSc at the University of York

3 Universities involved in Magnetic Confinement Fusion Strathclyde Glasgow Lancaster Queen s, Belfast Huddersfield Manchester Liverpool Birmingham Warwick Open University Bristol St Andrews Edinburgh Heriot Watt Durham York Coventry Sheffield Loughborough Oxford Cranfield Cambridge University College Imperial College Queen Mary Kent

4 Universities involved in Inertial Confinement Fusion Strathclyde Queen s, Belfast York Warwick Oxford Imperial College

5 The MAST Tokamak: a fusion plasma science facility

6 The Issues: Through a MAST Discharge

7 The Issues: Through a MAST Discharge

8 The Issues: Through a MAST Discharge

9 Theory and simulation: The HECToR supercomputer is a valuable asset

10 Experiments are performed on MAST, JET and smallerscale university facilities

11 Fusion Doctoral Training Network A collaboration between five universities and three government research labs The Universities involved are University of York (lead): expertise in magnetic confinement and inertial confinement fusion; technological/medical plasmas University of Durham: expertise in advanced instrumentation for fusion diagnostics; superconducting strand University of Liverpool: plasma exhaust physics and dust; technological/medical plasmas University of Manchester: materials, nuclear physics and activation University of Oxford: materials, plasma science The Government research labs involved are Culham Centre for Fusion Energy Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Lab AWE Both inertial and magnetic confinement are integrated into one programme (though students will specialise in one or the other)

12 Doctoral Training Network: Taught Modules The first six months is spent at York, with dedicated training across a broad range of fusion disciplines in the Fusion Learning Studio: Introduction to Plasma Physics Fusion Technology Inertial and Magnetic confinement Plasma measurement techniques Experimental techniques Computational modelling of plasmas Frontiers and Interfaces Workshop explores links with related disciplines and introduces career opportunities available

13 Doctoral Training Network: Teambuilding Bonding into a single cohort

14 Doctoral Training Network: Research Projects Students are encouraged to collaborate in their research projects, which span a wide range of inter-related physics areas. Projects presently running: Electron temperature Field Programmable Gate measurements by laser Studies of plasma eruptions arrays for real time control scattering and ion temperature in MAST and JET Experiments and measurement of probes using electric dust in plasmas Turbulence in tokamak plasmas Computer simulations of neutron ICFdiagnostics reactor designs SiC composites in extreme transport Modellinginand Measurements of environments for the super-x divertor plasma opacity using high power lasers

15 Remote Tokamak Control Room Enables experiments to be led on MAST and other tokamaks from York We can also analyse MAST data using the data analysis tools of the facility:

16 Doctoral Training Network: Technological plasmas Low temperature plasma for biomedical applications Wound dressings Atmospheric pressure plasmas (plasma jets) for sterilisation and wound treatment Low temperature plasma for surface coatings, modifying surface functionality, etching, etc Coatings for extreme environments Biocompatible surfaces Microprocessor manufacture Synergies with fusion research: Plasma-surface interaction physics Exhaust physics Plasma diagnostics

17 Schools outreach Students organise and lead an outreach programme to schools

18 Fusion Energy MSc at the University of York One-year Masters in Fusion Energy at University of York (or 2-year part-time) Same range of taught courses as for DTN, plus a choice of three other modules (eg High Performance Computing; Statistical Data Analysis; Advanced Plasma Theory, etc) Fusion and interfaces workshop A choice from a wide range of projects over the summer Modelling and experiment of blast-waves in laser-produced plasmas Theory, computer simulations and experiment of drift waves in cylindrical plasmas Experiments at the Central Laser Facility (RAL) on ICF issues Computer modelling of fast electrons in laser-produced plasmas Dynamics of the edge transport barrier in MAST Stereoscopic imaging of plasma eruptions and turbulence on MAST Experimental studies of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in fluids Experiments with plasma torches Observations of instabilities in the MAST tokamak Measuring the temperature of tokamak exhaust plasma

19 University of York Vice Chancellor s Teaching Award For Fusion Energy MSc and DTN (2011)