As the pressure in our fusion plasma increases, the plasma develops the ability to alter the makeup of the magnetic field that contains it. Some of these alterations are helpful and actually improve containment (see bootstrap current). Other alterations are not so helpful, and that’s why you’ll often hear researchers exclaim “tearing modes!” in the […]
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Our team noticed a little bit of holiday magic in the real-time equilibrium solution of a recent shot. While this heart-shaped plasma might not have been real, our love of fusion energy is evident every day.
An open access review of the high poloidal-beta scenario developed jointly by DIII-D and EAST has recently been published by Siye Ding and Andrea Garofalo. This is a contender for the plasma scenario that will power the US Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP).
These sharp looking stickers with in-vessel photos were distributed at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) this past weekend. These were a hit, so we’re printing another batch. Next time you pass through DIII-D, be sure to grab one.
The fusion research community had a marvelous 2022. Even the Grinch would have enjoyed being a part of this team. There’s a lot to look forward to in 2023, including lots of new people joining the effort. Happy New Year to all, and may our 2023 be another gourd-geous year!
Machine Learning Identifies Alfven Eigenmodes in Tokamaks
Machine learning (ML) is rapidly growing in popularity as new tools for applying these techniques to plasma control are developed. You’ve probably seen numerous media mentions of those projects. ML is also incredibly helpful in data analysis and modeling. Just as our doctors might use ML to read our x-rays, today’s fusion researchers can use […]