SEMINAR: Physics Seminar

Fusion energy research is now poised to advance rapidly due to a large international investment ($18 billion) in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. ITER, with a power gain of over five, will explore the uncharted physics of burning plasmas, in which the energy liberated from the confined products of reaction exceeds the energy invested in heating the plasma. Burning plasmas are energetically complex nonthermal systems, in which a significant fraction of the stored energy resides in beam heating driven fast ions (~1 MeV) and charged fusion product alphas (as) of reaction (3.5 MeV). Both beam and a particles modify the magnetic configuration, and as they undergo collisions with the background plasma they slow and can drive electromagnetic modes of the plasma, which, in turn, can eject the same driving particles from confinement. Unchecked, confinement loss of the 3.5MeV fusion products halts the fusion process, while loss rates in excess of a few percent are unacceptably high for future commercial fusion plants, primarily due to associated reactor first-wall damage.

In this talk I will outline some recent developments in the measurement, interpretation and modelling of high frequency energetic particle driven modes in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak, a UK high performance tokamak. Specifically, I will describe a new high frequency Mirnov array for magnetic field oscillations, introduce new "Fourier-SVD" techniques for mode identification, interpret observed electromagnetic wave activity, and introduce new descriptions of plasmas that resolve different energetic components. I will connect my research to the broader Australian magnetic confinement fusion research effort, including the Australian Plasma Fusion Research Facility, invigorated by recent federal research infrastructure investment of $7m. Finally, I will also review broadcast of ANU lectures on Advanced Electrodynamics to UWA Honours, and thereby open discussion on possible research and education collaboration opportunities.