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Fusing diFFerent areas oF research

In probing the fourth state of matter, researchers found surprising cross-overs in different branches of plasma research.

inety-nine per cent of this event will contribute to most challenging engineering divertor plates can only cope visible matter in the push the front lines of plasma problems presented by with 10 MW per square metre,” NUniverse is plasma. research.” . The plasma is he explained. “At the moment This fourth fundamental state confined by magnetic fields in a it’s unclear how to organize the of matter is important not just Fusion doughnut-like torus shape, but edge of the reactor so that it because it is so commonly provides the heavier ‘exhaust’ elements from can work in real situations.” found, but also because Sun’s energy, and recreating the so-called scrape-off layer Rozhansky said he is looking plasma technologies are in nuclear fusion on Earth is (SOL) hit the divertor plate. to the Sun for inspiration. such ubiquitous use, including anticipated to be a future “Plasma generates in the order “In the main part of the electrical engineering, industrial source of cheap, clean energy. of 100 MW of power, but the chromosphere, plasma is only machinery, food security, and But there are many challenges very slightly ionized. Then biomedical and ecological to overcome before we can there’s a transition region, applications. realize a viable commercial where increases The Advances and fusion reactor. dramatically. We can try to use Applications in Plasma Physics In order to get the atomic this as a model.” conference at the St Petersburg nuclei to fuse, the plasma are also Polytechnic University (SPbPU) ‘fuel’ must be confined at high doughnut-shaped, but use in September 2019 was the first temperature and pressure, magnetic fields generated by Nature conference to be held typically achieved with powerful twisted coils, meaning they are in Russia. It was also unusual magnetic fields. There are two not symmetrical around their in combining the different leading designs of experimental central axis. Josefine Proll, strands of plasma research. fusion reactor, and an assistant professor in the “The conference is intended to , which have different Department of Applied Physics provide a platform for experts configurations. at Eindhoven University of from different fields of plasma Vladimir Rozhansky, head “It was really nIce Technology in the Netherlands, physics and from different of the Laboratory of Controlled to see lots of explained that stellarators’ regions and countries,” said Thermonuclear Fusion at engagement from advantage is that the magnetic Pavel Goncharov, one of the SPbPU, and a conference young physIcIsts.” field created by the coils organizers from SPbPU. “I hope organizer, described one of the Vitaly SergeeV is sufficient to confine the

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plasma, so they can operate for otherwise unobservable in a steady state, unlike the processes. “you can see pulses required by tokamaks. crystals at the individual But the asymmetry means that particle level.” Studying dusty some stellarators have issues plasmas on Earth is extremely with trapped particles drifting difficult as gravity interferes. radially outwards. Consequently, most insights Proll outlined a variety of have come from experiments stellarator field designs that on the International Space can address particle drift. Station. Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X, Still in space, Clare Watt, which has been running since an associate professor in the December 2015, uses a quasi- Department of Meteorology isodynamic configuration. at the University of Reading, “It’s performing really well,” Uk, investigates how space said Proll. “It’s a large, weather affects the plasma in complicated machine, with a the Van Allen belts. These are diameter of around 11 metres. where the Earth’s protective Theoreticians calculated the magnetosphere traps energetic design specifications down to charged particles from the the millimetre range in order Sun. This type of plasma is to get the right.” different from the others Building the W7-X was a discussed, she said. “My triumph of physics, theory and Clockwise from top: the opening of the Advances and Applications in plasma is natural, not in a box. engineering. “The magnetic field Plasma Physics conference at St Petersburg Polytechnic University; There are very few collisions, is as-calculated, and the particle Vladimir Rozhansky outlines progress with tokamaks; Clare Watt talks and it does not contain much drifts are low. The results are about plasma and space weather; Hubertus Thomas examines a poster; dust or other contaminants. impressive,” she added. and Josefine Proll, describes stellarator designs. It’s a very good, textbook Private firms are also plasma.” Understanding it is interested in fusion. Tokamak also important for the world’s Energy Ltd is one of around 19 Tokamak Energy has the required to reach high particle increasing use of satellite companies racing to develop potential to move faster than energies. Plasma structures can technology. “If you’re designing a commercial reactor. Mikhail ITER, but some are sceptical. be produced that sustain higher a satellite, then you will want to Gryaznevich, chief scientist “We’ve heard this before,” said electric fields, by 3–4 orders know about the climate of the at Tokamak Energy, based in Proll. “There are a lot of small of magnitude, opening the region it will be in.” Oxfordshire Uk, described companies who have said they possibility for compact particle Combining all the plasma the seven-year-old company’s can do it faster, and most have accelerators to be created, specialities had several ST40 as “an yet to deliver. But it’s great that he explained. advantages. “It was really nice apple without a core”. ST40 has other promising concepts are Hubertus Thomas, group to see lots of engagement from a diameter of only 0.8m and a being explored.” leader at the Institute of young physicists and their toroidal field of 1 Tesla. Its next Materials Physics in Space at interaction with world’s best tokamak will get to 3T. Tokamak Beyond fusion the German Aerospace Center, researchers in the field,” said Energy aims to demonstrate There is more to plasma talked about creating ‘plasma SPbPU vice-rector for research, controlled by research than fusion, however. crystals’, which seems counter- Vitaly Sergeev. 2025. Paul Mckenna, professor of intuitive. “you have the most And it was not just students By contrast, the International -Plasma Physics at the disordered state of matter, that who enjoyed exposure to the Thermonuclear Experimental University of Strathclyde, is plasma,” he said, “and then range of plasma research. Reactor (ITER) — a multi-billion Glasgow, explained that plasmas you’re talking about the most “Quite often you are in a talk dollar collaboration to build a can be used as a medium ordered state — crystals.” about something slightly tokamak reactor in France — for particle acceleration. A Compared with the atoms in outside your area, and you see started in 2007, broke ground conventional radio-frequency traditional crystals, the nodes a technique being applied in a in 2013, and is “65% of the way particle accelerator involves a in plasma crystals are relatively certain way,” said Mckenna, towards ‘first plasma’,” said potential difference between large dust particles. “The “and you think ‘I can adopt and the head of ITER’s Tokamak electrodes, creating an plasma surrounds the crystal apply that in my science’.” Engineering Department, acceleration field. The field structures and forms a charge- Alexander Alekseev. The plan strength is limited by the neutral medium,” he explained. is to reach full fusion power in electrical breakdown and At such a macro level, plasma 2035. therefore long accelerators are crystals can be useful models

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