Our Plasma Science programme aims to provide the scientific foundation for the commercial development of fusion power. To achieve this, our team is pushing the frontiers of fusion physics to confidently predict how plasmas will perform in a power plant.
The UKAEA’s Plasma Science and Fusion Operations Division combines theoretical physics studies, advanced computer modelling, world-class diagnostics and data analysis techniques, and experimental data from our tokamak, MAST Upgrade. Together this enables us to deepen our understanding of plasma behaviour, reduce uncertainties and improve plasma performance – critical steps towards realising commercial fusion energy.
A plasma inside MAST Upgrade during the latest round of experiments. Temperatures inside the tokamak reach 20 million degrees Celsius.
Key topics include:
Confinement
An efficient fusion machine must keep losses of energy and particles from the plasma to a minimum. Improving a tokamak’s ability to confine the plasma means future fusion power stations could be smaller and more efficient.
Plasma instabilities
When the plasma current, pressure or density are raised too high the plasma can become unstable. Failure to curb instabilities can mean plasma performance is reduced, or control of the plasma is lost and components can be damaged.
Plasma exhaust
The tokamak’s exhaust system (known as the ‘divertor’) processes used fuel and heat ejected from the plasma. The plasma must be cool enough where it meets surfaces in the divertor to ensure that any damage is minimal. Pollution of the plasma by impurities from these surfaces must also be avoided.
