MIT's Breakthrough in Plasma Control Brings Us Closer to Safe Fusion Power
Scientists at MIT have made a significant breakthrough in understanding and predicting plasma behavior during shutdown in tokamaks, a crucial step towards safer and more efficient fusion power plants.
Tokamaks, first developed in the Soviet Union, are experimental fusion devices that use powerful magnets to contain and manipulate plasma hotter than the sun's core. Despite their potential, controlling high-energy plasmas, especially during rampdown, remains a challenge. MIT researchers, working with data from the TCV tokamak at EPFL, have developed a novel method to predict plasma behavior during this critical phase.
The new model combines machine learning tools with a physics-based model of plasma dynamics. It can generate practical 'trajectories' for plasma management, enabling safer and more reliable shutdowns. Remarkably, the team achieved high accuracy using a relatively small amount of data from an experimental tokamak in Switzerland.
This breakthrough could significantly improve the safety and reliability of future fusion power plants. By better managing plasma disruptions during rampdown, it brings us one step closer to harnessing the power of the sun on Earth.
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