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Research Needs for Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences - US Burning ...

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ReneW Organization: Themes<br />

The structure of ReneW was based on five themes, each comprising a major area of fusion research,<br />

and each being further organized into three to seven sub-panels. Three of the five themes<br />

were taken from the Greenwald Report. The remaining two themes focused respectively on iteR<br />

activities and alternate confinement concepts:<br />

Theme 1: <strong>Burning</strong> plasmas in iTer<br />

iteR participation will be a major focus of Us fusion research during the time period considered<br />

by ReneW. The many opportunities and challenges associated with the iteR project are treated<br />

in Theme 1.<br />

Theme 2: CreaTing prediCTaBle, high-per<strong>for</strong>manCe, sTeady-sTaTe<br />

plasmas<br />

The Us has been a leader in demonstrating advanced plasma confinement scenarios that allow<br />

higher confinement efficiency, steady-state operation, and other advantages. Theme 2 addresses<br />

the science underlying such schemes.<br />

Theme 3: Taming The plasma-maTerial inTerfaCe<br />

magnetic confinement sharply reduces the contact between the plasma and the vessel walls, but<br />

such contact cannot be entirely eliminated. advanced wall materials and magnetic field structures<br />

that can prevent both rapid wall erosion and plasma contamination are studied in Theme 3.<br />

Theme 4: harnessing fusion power<br />

<strong>Fusion</strong> energy from deuterium-tritium (d-t) reactions appears in the <strong>for</strong>m of very energetic neutrons.<br />

Theme 4 is concerned with the means of capturing this energy, while simultaneously breeding<br />

the tritium atoms needed to maintain the reaction.<br />

tHEME 5: OPtiMizing tHE MagnEtiC COnFiguRatiOn<br />

currently most large fusion experimental devices are based on the tokamak, a design using a<br />

strong, axisymmetric external magnetic field to achieve operating parameters close to those in<br />

a fusion reactor. Future fusion devices might also be tokamaks, but there are alternative design<br />

principles with potentially attractive features; the most interesting such designs are considered<br />

in Theme 5.<br />

The themes in turn were organized into panels, each focused on certain issues of science and technology.<br />

The resulting structure is illustrated on the next page, with panel names abbreviated <strong>for</strong><br />

convenience.<br />

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