EUROfusion funds all fusion research activities in accordance with the Roadmap to the realisation of fusion energy on behalf of the European Commission’s Euratom programme. The Roadmap outlines the most efficient way to realize fusion electricity.
The Atomic and Plasma Physics Group of TU Wien contributes to the EUROfusion programm in several Areas
- Plasma-Wall-Interactiona & Exhaust
Particle and power exhaust is a key area of current fusion research and mandatory for the successful operation of ITER and DEMO - the first reactor-like device. Especially the inner wall of such a reactor, which is the first boundary between the extremely hot plasma and the reactor vessel, must withstand harsh conditions. The extremely high heat loads, the excessive neutron radiation and severe sputtering by particle impact cause erosion and reduce the lifetime of wall components. The importance of this area, as well as the need to provide a solution for the plasma-facing components, has been identified in Europe in the so-called European Roadmap to the Realization of Fusion Energy resulting in a special work program PWIE (Plasma-Wall-Interactiona & Exhaust). TU Wien is contributing to this effort by dedicated high precision laboratory experiments and advanced simulation calculations.
The outermost centimeters of a tokamak fusion plasma are crucial for machine performance and serve two important purposes. Firstly, the boundary conditions for the core-plasma are defined there. For a reactor-like device, this requires ion temperatures in the core of exceeding 10 keV (100 million °C) at densities around 10^20m^-3. Secondly, the plasma edge provides conditions for safe operation without damaging the plasma facing components. A fundamental understanding of the physical processes taking place in the plasma edge region is therefore necessary to ensure a long lived, safe and high-performance fusion reactor. UWien contributes to these efforts by supporting the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Task force with control room expertise and data analysis for both ASDEX Upgrade and TCV.
- Training & Education of future Fusion Scientists and Engineers
