The Fusion Energy Sciences program currently supports several fusion experiments with many common objectives. These include expanding the scientific understanding of plasma behaviour and improving the performance of high temperature plasma for eventual energy production. The goals of this topic are to develop and demonstrate innovative techniques, instrumentation, and concepts for measuring magnetic plasma parameters; for plasma processing; for magnetic plasma simulation, control, and data analysis; and for innovative approaches to fusion. It is also intended that concepts developed as part of the fusion research program will have application to industries in the private sector. A list of items under the heading “Goods and Services that are needed by the Fusion laboratories” can be found in the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) Website (URL: www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/). Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:
a. Diagnostics for Magnetic and Inertial Fusion Plasma Research—Grant applications are sought to develop: (1) measurement techniques for parameters such as plasma density, electron and ion temperature, plasma current and current density, plasma position and shape, impurity density, magnetic field strength, ambipolar potentials, and radiation from the plasma; (2) new diagnostics for measurements in the three-dimensional plasmas characteristic of stellarators, as well as diagnostics especially adapted to other innovative concept experiments; (3) diagnostic methods for examining the edge and divertor regions in tokamak plasmas, and for understanding electron thermal transport (high-k fluctuation diagnostics, core magnetic fluctuation diagnostics, and profile diagnostics on smaller devices); and (4) diagnostics applicable to the management of particle and energy inventory, to profile control and thermal barrier formation, and to burning plasmas including ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). Approaches of interest include new techniques and methods to improve the accuracy and resolution of existing diagnostics (e.g., improving the signal-to-noise ratio or extending the range of measured parameters), visualization of turbulence in two and three dimensions, and imaging of non-thermal electrons in two dimensions. Measurements must be both spatially and temporarily resolved for both the absolute values of parameters and for small relative differences. Real-time measurements of the pertinent parameters will be required for providing feedback and plasma control. Further information on experiments on innovative fusion concepts is available at the OFES website.
Grant applications also are sought to develop sets of miniature (non-perturbing) magnetic probes and associated circuitry as an integrated package, suitable for detecting the magnetic oscillations often associated with changes in plasma transport properties. The ranges of interest for the frequency and amplitude of these magnetic fluctuations are 10 kHz to 100 MHz and 0.01 to 100 G, respectively, as shown by research on fusion plasma experiments. Approaches of interest must account for the complex mode structure of these fluctuations – i.e., fluctuation amplitudes and phases differ markedly with spatial position. In addition, the probes should be moveable, ultra high vacuum compatible, and able to withstand exposure to conditions expected in the edge of fusion research devices.
Grant applications also are sought to apply diagnostics technology, developed for fusion energy, to the use of plasmas in manufacturing. These grant applications should show how the application of these diagnostics would contribute to the understanding of plasmas used in manufacturing, as well as provide an improved basis for modelling these plasmas.
Lastly, grant applications are also sought to develop instrumentation and time-resolved measurement techniques of high-charge-density heavy-ion beams of energy greater than 0.5 MeV and radius ~1 to 5 cm. Beam parameters of interest include current, density distribution, beam position, energy, energy distribution, emittance, and space potential in the Injector, Transport, and Final Focus sections. Of particular interest are innovative non-intercepting position detectors and optical (including scintillator-based) beam diagnostics suitable for rapid characterization of beams in both the present (0.5 to 2 MeV) and higher energy ranges, and diagnostics for characterizing trapped secondary electron distributions. Further information may be obtained in the HIF Symposia series (see reference for 12th International Symposium).
b. Components for Heating and Fueling of Fusion Plasmas and Tokamak Facility Operations—Grant applications are sought to develop components related to the generation, transmission, and launching of high power electromagnetic waves in the frequency ranges of ion cyclotron resonance heating (50 to 300 MHz), lower hybrid resonance heating (2 to 20 GHz), and electron cyclotron resonance heating (100 to 300 GHz). Components of interests include power supplies, fault protection devices, antenna and launching systems, tuning and matching systems, unidirectional couplers, circulators, mode convertors, windows, output couplers, loads, energy extraction systems from spent electron beams and particle accelerators, and diagnostics to evaluate the performance of these components. In addition, grant applications are sought to explore concepts that would generate energetic neutral beams.
Grant applications also are sought to (1) develop computer codes for the simulation of maintainability/reliability assurance technologies and for plant operations, applicable to fusion experiments; and (2) apply artificial intelligence to the monitoring of tokamak plant operation and real-time or impending fault condition.
c. Plasma Simulation and Data Analysis—The simulation of fusion plasmas is important to the development of plasma discharge feedback and control techniques. The simulations can be used to make reliable predictions of the performance of proposed feedback and control schemes and to identify those that should be tested experimentally. Unfortunately, accurate simulations of fusion plasmas are very difficult because of the enormous range of temporal and spatial scales involved in plasma behaviour. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding and simulating plasma turbulence, along with associated transport, macroscopic equilibrium and stability, and the behaviour of the edge plasma. However, there remains a need to integrate the various plasma models. Grant applications are sought to develop computer algorithms applicable to plasma simulations that account for an expanded number of plasma features and an integration of plasma models. Examples of possible approaches include algorithms that incorporate mathematical techniques such as neural networks, sparse linear solvers, and adaptive meshes; algorithms for coupling disparate time and space scales; efficient methods for facilitating comparison of simulation results with experimental data; and visualization tools for local and remote analysis, and presentation of multi-dimensional time dependent data.
Grant applications are also sought to develop software tools useful for the analysis and distribution of fusion data. Areas of interest include methods for coupling codes across architectures and through the Internet; techniques for making highly configurable scientific codes; data management and analysis techniques for large data sets; and remote collaboration tools that enhance the ability of a geographically distributed group of scientists to interact in real-time.
The computer algorithms and programming tools should be developed using modern software techniques and should be based on the best available models of plasma behaviour.
d. Components and Modeling Support for Innovative Approaches to Fusion—Innovative Confinement Concepts is a broad-based, long-range, research activity that specifically addresses parameters that could lead to the attractive and practical use of fusion power. This research includes investigations in stellarators, spherical torus, reversed field pinches, field reversed configurations (FRC), spheromaks, magnetized target fusion, levitated dipole, flow-stabilized (long-pulse) z-pinch, rotationally stabilized magnetic mirror, inertial electrostatic confinement, and magneto-Bernoulli confinement. Grant applications are sought for scientific and engineering developments, including computational modeling, in support of any aspect of these research activities. Of particular interest are grant applications that explore the feasibility of plasma injection into magnetic fields and/or magnetized plasmas, generation of plasma rotation, and disruption mitigation. Plasma initiators and accelerators also are of interest. Further information on experiments on innovative fusion concepts is available at the OFES Web site.
Grant applications also are sought to develop innovative, high economic value, non-electric applications of fusion reactions. Of particular interest are grant applications that explore space applications of fusion reactions (e.g., space propulsion).
References:
Subtopic a: Diagnostics for Magnetic and Inertial Fusion Plasma Research
1. Helstrom, C. W., Statistical Theory of Signal Detection, New York: Pergamon Press, January 1968. (ISBN: 0080132650)
2. Hutchinson, I. H., Principles of Plasma Diagnostics, Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1987 (ISBN: 0-521-326222-0)
3. Kosko, B., Neural Networks for Signal Processing, New York: Prentice Hall, 1992. (ISBN: 0-13-617390-X)
4. Luhmann, N. C. and Peebles, W. A., “Instrumentation of Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasma Diagnostics,” Review of Scientific Instruments, 55(3):279-331, March 1984. (ISSN: 0034-6748)
5. Report on the Workshop on Measurement Needs in Magnetic Fusion Plasmas, Germantown, MD, February 25, 1998. (Available on the Web at: http://www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/FusionDocs.html)
6. Stott, P. E., ed., Diagnostics for Experimental Thermonuclear Fusion Reactors: Proceedings of the International Workshop of Diagnostics for ITER, Varenna, Italy, Aug. 28-Sept. 1, 1995, New York: Plenum Press, 1996. (ISBN: 0-306-45297-9)
Subtopic b: Components for Heating and Fueling of Fusion Plasmas and Tokamak Facility Operations
7. Forest, C. B., ed., 15th Topical Conference on Radio Frequency Power in Plasmas, Moran, WY, May 2003, New York: American Institute of Physics, 2003. (AIP Conference Proceedings No. 694) (ISBN: 0735401586)
8. Cairns, R. A. and Phelps, A. D., Generation and Application of High Power Microwaves, Proceedings of the Forty-Eighth Scottish Universities Summer School in Physics (SUSSP), St. Andrews, Scotland, August 1996, Institute of Physics Publishing, January 1997. (ISBN: 075030474X) (For ordering information see: http://bookmark.iop.org/browse.htm. Using “Advanced Search,” search for the ISBN.)
9. Temkin, R. J., ed., Twenty-Seventh International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves, Conference Digest, Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press, 2002. (IEEE Catalog Number 02EX561) (ISBN: 0-7803-7423-1)
10. Nusinovich, G. S., Introduction to the Physics of Gyrotrons, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, July 2004. (ISBN: 0801879213)
11. Callis, R. W., et al., “Maturing ECRF Technology for Plasma Control,” Nuclear Fusion, 43(11):1501-1504, International Atomic Energy Agency, November 2003. (ISSN: 0029-5515)(Abstract and ordering information available at: http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0029-5515/43/11/022)
12. Imai, T., et al., “ITER R&D: Auxiliary Systems: Electron Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive System,” Fusion Engineering and Design, 55(2-3):281-289, July 2001. (ISSN: 0920-3796) (Abstract and ordering information available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/. Under “Search for a Title,” key in journal title, and continue search.)
Subtopic c: Plasma Simulation and Data Analysis
13. Chervenak, A., et al., “The Data Grid: Towards an Architecture for the Distributed Management and Analysis of Large Scientific Datasets,” Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 23:187-200, 2001. (Based on conference publication from Proceedings of NetStore Conference 1999) (Full text available at: http://www.globus.org/documentation/incoming/JNCApaper.pdf)
14. About the Data Grid: Common Component Architecture Forum (Full text available at: http://www.cca-forum.org/) and Earth Systems Modeling Framework (Full text available at: http://www.esmf.ucar.edu/ )
15. Booth, D., et al., eds., Web Services Architecture, W3C Working Draft, May 14, 2003. (Full text available at: http://www.w3.org/TR/ws-arch/)
16. Oran, E. S. and Boris, J. P., Numerical Simulation of Reactive Flow, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, December 2000. (ISBN: 0521581753)
17. Blum, J., Numerical Simulation and Optimal Control in Plasma Physics; with Applications to Tokamaks, New York: Wiley, 1989. (Gauthier-Villars Series in Modern Applied Mathematics) (ISBN: 0471921874)
18. Dawson, J. M., et al., “High Performance Computing and Plasma Physics,” Physics Today, 46(3):64-70, March 1993. (ISSN: 0031-9228)
Subtopic d: Components and Modeling Support for Innovative Approaches to Fusion
19. ICC2004: Innovative Confinement Concepts [Workshop], Madison, Wisconsin, May 25-28, 2004, sponsored by U.S. DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. (Abstracts and posters available at: http://plasma.physics.wisc.edu/icc2004/html/roster.php).
20. Interim Report of the Panel on Program Priorities for the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, July 2004, http://www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/more_html/FESAC07-04/HEDP.pdf.
21. Report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity (IPPA) for the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences Program (IPPA 2000), U.S. DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, December 2000. (Report No. DOE/SC-0028) (Full text available at: http://www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/FusionDocuments/IPPAFinalDec00.pdf)
22. Thio, Y. C., et al., “A Concept for Directly Coupled Pulsed Electromagnetic Acceleration of Plasmas,” 38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Indianapolis, IN, July 7-10, 2002. (AIAA Paper No. 2002-3803) (To view first page and to order, see: http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=413. In “AIAA paper number” box under “Search contains” heading, enter “2002-3803”.)
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