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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
Albrecht Stäbler, Jörg Hobirk, Fritz Leuterer, Fernando Meo, Jean-Marie Noterdaeme
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 44 | Number 3 | November 2003 | Pages 730-742
Technical Paper | ASDEX Upgrade | doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A411
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
External current drive (CD) is an important prerequisite for the control of the plasma current profile in advanced tokamak scenarios as well as for the development of quasi-stationary, fully noninductivly driven tokamak discharges. On ASDEX Upgrade, three heating systems, neutral beam injection, ion cyclotron resonance heating, and electron cyclotron resonance heating, are available for this purpose. The status of CD modeling and the CD capability of these systems are reviewed, and a brief overview is provided of what has been achieved experimentally with respect to CD in various discharge scenarios.