Rendering of the Spark, a compact, high-field, DT burning torque currently designed by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Its mission is to create and limit the plasma that produces net fusion energy. Credit: CFS / MIT-PSFC – T. CAD rendering by Henderson
As part Plasma Physics Journal ‘ Fusion is proud to present an important special issue of the Journal Editors and Cambridge University Press, JPP, with a constant focus on scientific advances in physics. ‘Status of Spark Physics Basis’.
The seven peer-reviewed articles on this particular issue provide a comprehensive summary of the physics basis for Spark: a compact, high-field, DT burning torque, currently designed by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
Spark is the idea of a new fusion reactor based on fusing hydrogen nuclei instead of splitting uranium atoms. Intense design work is going on MIT Builds on two big ideas. They are taking advantage of decades of scientific progress in magnetic enclosure fusion, and marrying the one with the latest success in high temperature superconductor techno recent g. These seven peer-reviewed articles give a special issue of JPP on how they will handle the challenges of delivering on the promise of fusion energy with these foundations.
William Dorland, editor of JPP, University of Maryland, USA, said, “This is one of the most significant non-government funded fusion projects, and in detail, this is the first and only project with significant private funding to publish peer. The study is based on the physics of the proposed experiment. I expect that this collection of papers will raise the bar for estimating the risks and rewards associated with fusion investments. “
This progress puts researchers in a position to take advantage of technological breakthroughs developed outside the field, namely the emergence of high temperature superconductors (HTS) as practical engineering materials.
Guest Editorial Writer Martin Greenwald, Center for Plasma Science and Fusion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: “This study puts the spark on a definite scientific basis. When we build and operate the machine as described in these papers, we expect to meet our goal for fusion gain and generate a wealth of new and important information on burning plasmas. “
Taking advantage of the widespread advances in talkmap physics, spark design has been informed fundamentally by existing experimental observations, as was the case with ITER, but also by first-principle, principle-based modeling. Both approaches result in an equally essential prediction as a whole Plasma Performance and fusion gain, thereby boosting confidence in predictions. Ongoing work involves the use of sophisticated codes for RF heating, turbulent transport, foot structure, edge profiles, MHD stability and rapid alpha corrugated damage calculations.
The seven papers review the basic parameters of the machine, the main and pedestal operation predictions, RF heating, diverter physics, MHD, interruptions and fast particle limits.
“JPP is proud to host this set of important papers outlining how to use state-of-the-art plasma physics science to design and engineer a fusion reactor experiment. Plasma physicists are part of a vibrant scientific community driven by technological advances. We look forward to being the platform chosen by the Spark team for this set of important scientific publications. These new experiments reinforce the standard for what can be proposed: in open access, in a peer-reviewed format. “
– William Dorland, Journal of Plasma Physics
With a set of basic machine parameters, the Spark Physics team has begun physa-level physics analysis to report and confirm design choices, develop a range of operational scenarios and control strategies, determine diagnostic requirements, and outline a scientific research program.
For more on Spark, read the recognition of the physics behind the design fusion experiment by the new MIT.
Ref: 29 September 2020, 29 September 2020 by Martin Greenwald, “Conditions based on spark physics” Plasma Physics Journal.
DOI: 10.1017 / S0022377820001063
