New Issue of ASDEX Upgrade Newsletter

Information about research with the ASDEX Upgrade fusion device

December 15, 2017

ASDEX Upgrade Letter deals with present developments and research results from the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak fusion device, on which scientists from all over Europe are working.


Topics treated in the current issue 18/2017 include investigation of plasma stability. Instabilities at the plasma edge, so-called Edge Localised Modes (ELMs), are suppressed by means of magnetic control coils on the wall of the plasma vessel. These slightly distort the plasma edge, thus allowing the ELMs to be tailored to the extent desired. Close observation of the plasma revealed that the predicted distortion of the plasma edge is accompanied by another instability at the plasma edge of much higher frequency. In both cases the measured data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Furthermore, the Letter presents a recently improved diagnostic allowing much more exact observation of turbulence in the plasma core and also studies relating to modification of ASDEX Upgrade’s topmost divertor, planned in the next three years. The modified divertor will serve to investigate alternative solutions for power exhaust in a future DEMO demonstration power plant.

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