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

phisticated plasma control requirements that simultaneously control several quantities can be explored
(Thrust 5). demonstration of high-performance core plasmas, for times long compared to
core plasma time scales, is the major goal of these devices.
3. Summary and Linkages to Other Thrusts.
The ultimate goal of d-t plasma development is to provide the experimental validation and predictive
simulation capability to project to the demo device with confidence. exploring the high
fusion gain core plasma regime will make a crucial and necessary contribution to this basis. The
Us needs to take full advantage of the burning plasma experiments in iteR, and examine how to
expand these opportunities. on the other hand, the demo requirements for a high-performance
plasma go beyond the iteR goals, and the Us should explore a complementary d-t facility more
focused on the physics of demo-relevant plasmas. opportunities should be sought to combine or
stage missions where possible to maximally utilize a Us d-t facility.
connections of this integration Thrust to other thrusts include 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 17.
Thrust 1 develops diagnostics for burning plasmas, while Thrusts 2 and 5 provide methods to
achieve operation without disruptions or other large transient events. Thrust 3 provides, through
research on iteR, insights into the alpha physics as the alpha pressure increases and the alpha
heating tends to dominate the total heating to the plasma. Thrust 5 provides control approaches
that allow the efficient and robust operation of the high-performance plasma sought in this
Thrust. in each case, the experiments in dominantly self-sustained burning plasmas will in turn
provide a key, integrated test of the capabilities and understanding developed in these thrusts.
Thrust 6 provides the development and validation of predictive simulation capability, which is
crucial both for projecting to the regimes of this Thrust, and ultimately to the demo device based
on the experiments in this Thrust. Thrust 11 can provide techniques to address the power and
particle handling challenges associated with this Thrust. Thrust 12 will provide insight into the
integrated solutions of heat load handling, scrape-off layer plasma, and material interactions in a
non-burning plasma. For expanded missions that pursue longer pulse lengths in d-t, Thrust 13
can provide solutions for a wide range of issues related to power extraction and fuel sustainability.
Thrust 17 provides potential solutions where conventional tokamak approaches may be inadequate,
for example 3-d fields may provide benefits in the control of transients, providing rotational
transform, or avoiding the density limit.
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