Scouting colloquium: Luís Gil
On Wednesday, January 22, from 14:00 to 16:00, in auditorium PA2, Luís Gil from IPFN will present a colloquium as part of the scouting process for the scientific area of Plasmas Physics, Lasers and Nuclear Fusion.
Mastering Nuclear Fusion Without Destroying the Reactor
Nuclear fusion is a promising solution to the world’s energy problems, but it still faces technical and scientific challenges. By requiring a mixture of deuterium and tritium to be heated to extreme temperatures, fusion devices must deal with hot plasmas which are prone to different instabilities that negatively affect their performance. One such instability, the edge localized mode (ELM), expels plasma in periodic bursts that lead to high transient heat loads on the walls of magnetic confinement machines. Extrapolations to large reactors show that these heat loads will destroy plasma-facing components, constituting a major obstacle in the quest for fusion energy. My research focuses on the development and understanding of alternative scenarios without ELMs. In this talk I will present different high-confinement, no-ELM regimes, with emphasis on the EDA H-mode, which features numerous desirable qualities for future reactors. Its main signature is a benign oscillation at the plasma edge, enabling continuous and safe plasma transport as a replacement for ELMs. However, the EDA H-mode and other regimes without ELMs are not yet fully understood, so the ideal solution for a fusion reactor remains an active research topic. We have performed several no-ELM experiments in fusion devices across the world, making use of advanced diagnostic techniques such as microwave reflectometry, and high-fidelity simulations to model and understand magnetically confined plasmas. This synergy between experimental physics, engineering and theory opens exciting opportunities for the Physics Department and IST students, which I will also present. If seized, these will make impactful advances in the field and contribute to safer operation and higher performance of future fusion reactors.
All are invited to attend
