Matthias Hoelzl

Group leader non-linear MHD
Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
Boltzmannstr. 2 · 85748 Garching · Germany
Website · E-Mail mhoelzl.home.ipp.mpg.de/ · mhoelzl@ipp.mpg.de · Google Scholar · LinkedIn · ResearchGate · arXiv · orcid

Research Interests

The group in Garching investigates the physics of large-scale instabilities in tokamak plasmas and ways of controlling or mitigating them to provide reliable predictions for ITER and DEMO. Simulations in particular with the non-linear extended MHD code JOREK (for details, refer to the code website) allow to interprete and predict the non-linear dynamics of such instabilities in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. We closely collaborate with many European and international partners. The group is part of the research unit MHD and fast particles.

The focus lies on studies of edge localized modes (ELMs), disruptions, vertical displacement events (VDEs), runaway electrons, and techniques for control, suppression, or mitigation. Physics models and numerical methods used in the code are continuously developed. The research is carried out in a strong international team with collaborations worldwide.

Curriculum Vitae

• Since 2024: Member of the ITPA MHD, Disruption & Control Topical Group

• Since 2023: ITER Science Fellow in the area Disruption and Runaway Electron Mitigation Theory and Simulation

• Since 2023: Group leader non-linear MHD at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.

• Since 2021: Principle Investigator of the EUROfusion Theory and Simulation Verification and Validation (TSVV) Project on MHD Transients running over five years and including 25 contributors from nine European countries (plus contributors from advanced computing hubs).

• 2019 to 2022: Deputy group leader MHD and fast particles at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.

• Since 2015 to 2020: Principal Investigator of two EUROfusion Enabling Research Projects with more than 30 contributors.

• Since 2013: Permanent scientist at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.

• 2010 to 2013: Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics including research stays at CEA/IRFM Cadarache and ITER Organization.

• 2010: PhD in physics from Technical University Munich: Diffusive Heat Transport across Magnetic Islands and Stochastic Layers in Tokamaks

Project Grants

• The full list of projects is available here. Full list at mhoelzl.home.ipp.mpg.de/projects.html

• Sparago R., Hoelzl M. et al. Predictive simulations of disruption forces and halo currents. Co-funded project with ITER Organisation (since 12/2023).

• Vannini F., Hoelzl M. et al. Predictive simulations of disruptions and vertical displacement events for the European DEMO. EUROfusion DEMO project (WP DES) (since 7/2022).

• Tang W., Hoelzl M., et al. Simulations of Shattered Pellet Injection in the ASDEX Upgrade Tokamak. Co-funded project with ITER Organisation (since 5/2022).

• Hoelzl M. (PI), Huijsmans G.T.A., Artola F.J., Atanasiu C., Becoulet M., Bonfiglio D., Bardsley O., Cathey A., Fil A., Futatani S., Gruca M., Guillard H., Korving S., Kos L., Krebs I., Lu Z., Nardon E., Nkonga B., Pamela S., Penko D., Rubinacci G., Sadouni S., Schwarz N., Villone F., Wieschollek F., and several contributors from advanced computing hubs. Integrated Modelling of Transient MHD Events. EUROfusion Theory, Simulation, Verification and Validation (TSVV) Project (4/2021–12/2025).

Publications

• The full list of publications is available here. Full list at mhoelzl.home.ipp.mpg.de/publications.html

• Isernia N., Schwarz N., Artola F.J., Ventre S., Hoelzl M., Rubinacci G., Villone F., JOREK Team. Self-consistent coupling of JOREK and CARIDDI: On the electromagnetic interaction of 3D tokamak plasmas with 3D volumetric conductors. Physics of Plasmas 30, 113901 (2023).

• Bandaru V., Hoelzl M.. Tokamak equilibria with relativistic runaway electrons. Physics of Plasmas 30, 092508 (2023).

• Schwarz N., Artola F.J., Vannini F., Hoelzl M., Bernert M., Bock A., Driessen T., Dunne M., Giannone L., Heinrich P., de Marne P., Papp G., Pautasso G., Gerasimov S., ASDEX Upgrade Team, JET Contributors, JOREK Team. The mechanism of the global vertical force reduction in disruptions mitigated by massive material injection. Nuclear Fusion 63, 126016 (2023)

• Meier L, Hoelzl M., Cathey A., Huijsmans GTA, Viezzer E, Dunne M, van Dijk J., Cruz Zabala D.J., Lackner K., Günter S., ASDEX Upgrade Team, JOREK Team. MHD simulations of formation, sustainment and loss of quiescent H-mode in the all-tungsten ASDEX Upgrade. Nuclear Fusion 63, 086026 (2023). arXiv:2301.07607

• Ramasamy R., Hoelzl M., Henneberg S., Strumberger E., Lackner K., Guenter S. How well can VMEC predict the initial saturation of external kink modes in near circular tokamaks and l=2 stellarators? Physics of Plasmas 30, 062506 (2023). arXiv:2302.13291

• Cathey A., Hoelzl M., Gil L., Dunne M.G., Harrer G.F., Huijsmans G.T.A., Kalis J., Lackner K., Wolfrum E., Pamela S.J.P., Günter S., JOREK Team, ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. Probing non-linear MHD stability of the enhanced D-alpha H-mode in ASDEX Upgrade. Nuclear Fusion 63, 062001 (2023)

• Bogaarts T.J., Hoelzl M., Huijsmans G.T.A., Wang X., JOREK Team. Development and application of a hybrid MHD-kinetic model in JOREK. Physics of Plasmas 29, 122501 (2022). arXiv:2208.02179.

• Särkimäki K., Artola F.J., Hoelzl M.. Confinement of passing and trapped runaway electrons in simulation of ITER current quench. Nuclear Fusion 62, 086033 (2022). arXiv:2203.09344

• Nikulsin N., Ramasamy R., Hoelzl M., Hindenlang F., Strumberger E., Lackner K., Günter S., JOREK Team. JOREK3D: An extension of the JOREK nonlinear MHD code to stellarators. Physics of Plasmas 29, 063901 (2022). arXiv:2201.12033

• Cathey A., Hoelzl M., Harrer G., Wolfrum E., Lackner K., Huijsmans G.T.A., Pamela S.J.P., Günter S., JOREK Team, ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. MHD simulations of small ELMs at low triangularity in ASDEX Upgrade. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 64, 054011 (2022). arXiv:2110.07908.

• Artola F.J., Loarte A., Hoelzl M., Lehnen M., Schwarz N., JOREK Team. Complete 3D MHD simulations of the current quench phase of ITER mitigated plasmas. Nuclear Fusion 62, 056023 (2022). arXiv:2112.05600

• Holod I., Hoelzl M., Verma P.S., Huijsmans G.T.A., Nies R., JOREK Team. Enhanced preconditioner for JOREK MHD solver. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 63, 114002 (2021) arXiv:2101.08646

• Ramasamy R., Hoelzl M., Strumberger E., Lackner K., Günter S. Nonlinear MHD simulations of external kinks in quasi-axisymmetric stellarators using an axisymmetric external rotational transform approximation. Nuclear Fusion 61, 076017 (2021). arXiv:2102.03080

• Hoelzl M., Huijsmans G.T.A., Pamela S.J.P., Becoulet M., Nardon E., Artola F.J., Nkonga B., Atanasiu C.V., Bandaru V., Bhole A., Bonfiglio D., Cathey A., Czarny O., Dvornova A., Feher T., Fil A., Franck E., Futatani S., Gruca M., Guillard H., Haverkort J.W., Holod I., Hu D., Kim S.K., Korving S., Krebs I., Kripner L., Latu G., Merkel P., Meshcheriakov D., Mitterauer V., Mochalskyy S., Morales J.A., Nies R., Nikulsin N., Orain F., Pratt J., Ramasamy R., Ramet P., Reux C., Schwarz N., Sing Verma P., Smith F., Sommariva C., Strumberger E., van Vugt D., Verbeek M., Westerhof E., Wieschollek F., Zielinski J. The JOREK non-linear extended MHD code and applications to large-scale instabilities and their control in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Nuclear Fusion 61, 065001 (2021). arXiv:2011.09120

• Cathey A., Hoelzl M., Futatani S., Lang P.T., Lackner K., Huijsmans G.T.A., Pamela S.J.P., Günter S., JOREK Team, ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. Comparing spontaneous and pellet-triggered ELMs via non-linear extended MHD simulations. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 63, 075016 (2021). arXiv:2102.05850

• Bandaru V., Hoelzl M., Reux C., Ficker O., Scott S., Lehnen M., Eidietis N., JOREK Team, JET Contributors. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of runaway electron beam termination in JET. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 63, 035024 (2021)

• Hu D., Nardon E., Hoelzl M., Wieschollek F., Lehnen M., Huijsmans G.T.A., van Vugt D.C., Kim. S.-H., JET Contributors, JOREK Team. Radiation asymmetry and MHD destabilization after impurity Shattered Pellet Injection. Nuclear Fusion 61, 026015 (2021). arXiv:2009.02856

• Cathey Cevallos A., Hoelzl M., Lackner K., Huijsmans G.T.A., Dunne M.G., Wolfrum E., Pamela S.J.P., Orain F., Günter S., the JOREK Team, the ASDEX Upgrade Team, and the EUROfusion MST1 Team. Non-linear magnetohydrodynamic simulations of type I edge localized mode cycles in tokamak plasmas and their underlying triggering mechanism. Nuclear Fusion 60, 124007 (2020). arXiv:2007.09997

• Hoelzl M., Hu D., Nardon E., Huijsmans G.T.A., JOREK Team, ASDEX Upgrade Team. First predictive simulations for deuterium shattered pellet injection in ASDEX Upgrade. Physics of Plasmas 27, 022510 (2020). arXiv:1910.06095.

• Bandaru V., Hoelzl M., Artola F.J., Papp G., Huijsmans G.T.A. Simulating the non-linear interaction of relativistic electrons and tokamak plasma instabilities: Implementation and validation of a fluid model. Physical Review E 99, 063317 (2019). arXiv:1906.12137

• Orain F., Hoelzl M., Mink F., Willensdorfer M., Dunne M., Viezzer E., Becoulet M., Huijsmans G., Pamela S., Suttrop W., Günter S., Lackner K., ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. Non-linear modeling of the threshold between ELM mitigation and ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in ASDEX Upgrade Physics of Plasmas 26, 042503 (2019). arXiv:1902.00398

• Meshcheriakov D., Hoelzl M., Igochine V., Fietz S., Orain F., Huijsmans G.T.A., Maraschek M., Dunne M., McDermott R., Zohm H., Lackner K., Günter S., ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. Numerical study of tearing mode seeding in tokamak X-point plasma Physics of Plasmas 26, 042504 (2019). arXiv:1904.07542

• Hoelzl M., Huijsmans G.T.A., Orain F., Artola F.J., Pamela S., Becoulet M., van Vugt D., Liu F., Futatani S., Lessig A., Wolfrum E., Mink F., Trier E., Dunne M., Viezzer E., Eich T., Vanovac B., Frassinetti L., Guenter S., Lackner K., Krebs I., ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team Insights into type-I ELMs and ELM control methods from JOREK MHD simulations. Contributions to Plasma Physics 58, 518 (2018).

• Mink F., Hoelzl M., Wolfrum E., Orain F., Dunne M., Lessig A., Pamela S., Manz P., Maraschek M., Huijsmans G.T.A., Becoulet M., Laggner F.M., Cavedon M., Lackner K., Guenter S., Stroth U. Nonlinear coupling induced toroidal structure of edge localized modes. Nuclear Fusion 58, 026011 (2018).

• Nardon E., Fil A., Hoelzl M., Huijsmans G., JET Contributors. Progress in understanding disruptions triggered by massive gas injection via 3D non-linear MHD modelling with JOREK. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 59, 014006 (10/2016).

• Hoelzl M., Huijsmans G.T.A., Merkel P., Atanasiu C., Lackner K., Nardon E., Aleynikova K., Liu F., Strumberger E., McAdams R., Chapman I., Fil A. Non-Linear Simulations of MHD Instabilities in Tokamaks Including Eddy Current Effects and Perspectives for the Extension to Halo Currents. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 561, 012011 (12/2014). arxiv:1408.6379

• Krebs I., Hoelzl M., Lackner K., Günter S. Nonlinear excitation of low-n harmonics in reduced MHD simulations of edge-localized modes. Physics of Plasmas, 20, 082506 (08/2013). arxiv:1305.3727

• Hoelzl M., Merkel. P., Huysmans G.T.A., Nardon E., McAdams R., Chapman I. Coupling the JOREK and STARWALL Codes for Non-linear Resistive-wall Simulations. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 401, 012010 (12/2012). arxiv:1206.2748

• Hoelzl M., Günter S., Wenninger R.P., Mueller W.-C., Huysmans G.T.A., Lackner K., Krebs I., ASDEX Upgrade Team. Reduced-MHD Simulations of Toroidally and Poloidally Localized ELMs. Physics of Plasmas, 19, 082505 (08/2012). arxiv:1201.5765

• Hoelzl M., Günter S., Classen I., Yu Q., the TEXTOR Team, Delabie E. Determination of the heat diffusion anisotropy by comparing measured and simulated electron temperature profiles across magnetic islands. Nuclear Fusion, 49, 115009 (09/2009).

Conference and Workshop Contributions

• The full list of conference contributions is available here. Full list at mhoelzl.home.ipp.mpg.de/conferences.html

• Invited Oral Hoelzl M., JOREK Team. Simulating large-scale transient plasma instabilities in magnetic confinement fusion devices. Annual meeting of the Max Planck Computing and Data Facility, Tegernsee, Germany (19/12/2023).

• Oral (given on behalf of Andres Cathey) Cathey A., Hoelzl M., JOREK Team. Non-linear MHD investigations of High-confinement regimes without type-I ELMs in ASDEX Upgrade and JT-60SA. 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC2023), London, UK (17/10/2023).

• Overview Poster Hoelzl M., JOREK Team. Non-linear MHD modelling of transients in tokamaks: Recent advances with the JOREK code. 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC2023), London, UK (16/10/2023).

• Plenary Oral Hoelzl M., JOREK Team. Violent transient plasma instabilities in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas and their control. 6th Asia Pacific Conference on Plasma Physics, Remote (14/10/2022).

• Invited Oral Hoelzl M. et al. High performance computing as enabling technology for revealing the physics of MHD transients. 29th European Fusion Physics Workshop (EFPW), Remote (30/11/2021).

• Oral Hoelzl M., Cathey-Cevallos A., Futatani S., Huijsmans G.T.A., Orain F., Dunne M., Pamela S.J.P., Becoulet M., Artola F.J., van Vugt D.C., Smith S.F., Schwarz N., Liu F., Korving S.Q., Gruca M., Günter S., Lackner K., Wolfrum E., Viezzer E., Lang P.T., JOREK Team, ASDEX Upgrade Team, EUROfusion MST1 Team. Simulations of edge localized mode dynamics and their control. 28th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2020), Nice, France (12/5/2021).

• Invited Oral Hoelzl M. 3D non-linear simulations of disruptions and edge localized modes. Annual Meeting of the Max Planck Princeton Center for Fusion and Astro Plasma Physics (22/1/2021). Remote meeting.

• Oral Hoelzl M., Artola F.J., Bandaru V.K., Nardon E., Wieschollek F., Hu D., Bonfiglio D., Sommariva C., Krebs I., van Vugt D., Meshcheriakov D., Huijsmans G.T.A., JOREK Team Disruption oriented research with the JOREK code. 8th Runaway Electron Modelling (REM) meeting, Gothenburg, Sweden (1/2020).

Teaching and Supervision

• The full list of teaching activities is available here. Full list at mhoelzl.home.ipp.mpg.de/teaching.html

• Supervison of various Postdoctoral Researchers, PhD, master and bachelor students, as well as many working students and interns. Substitutions for plasma physics lectures at Technical University Munich.

Commitments

• Since 2022: Representative of Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in the Max Planck Computing and Data Facility (MPCDF) campus meeting

• Since 2018: Chair of High Performance Computing Committee at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics

• 2018–2020: Member of IT coordination committee at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics

• 2018: Member of EUROfusion Ad Hoc Group on Disruption and Run-away Electron Research & Development Strategy in view of preparing ITER and DEMO operation

• 2014 to 2018: Member of scientists' representative council of Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics

• Since 2013: Coordinator of JOREK code development, organizer of JOREK remote seminar, administrator of JOREK website and collaboration platform

• Referee for: Springer Nature Publishing, Physical Review Letters, Computer Physics Communications, Nuclear Fusion, Physics of Plasmas, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Plasma Science and Technology, Physica Scripta, United States Department of Energy, L'Agence nationale de la recherche, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, etc. — Some of the reviews are listed at Web of Science.