Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
10:00
Calibration of Vector Network Analyzer for Measurements in Radio Frequency Propagation Channels
Published on: June 2, 2020
22.7K
Radio-frequency current drive for thermonuclear fusion reactors
A Cardinali1, C Castaldo1, R Cesario2
1ENEA, Fusion and Nuclear Safety Department, C. R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044, Frascati (Rome), Italy.
Scientific Reports
|July 10, 2018
Summary
Achieving efficient current drive in fusion plasmas is key for a viable reactor. New models show radio-frequency power can flexibly drive current in large radii fusion plasmas.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Fusion Energy
- Plasma Physics
- Thermonuclear Reactor Technology
Background:
- Fusion energy research relies on Deuterium-Tritium plasmas in toroidal devices.
- Sustaining high fusion gain requires self-produced plasma current, challenging current reactor designs.
- Turbulent eddies degrade plasma insulation, necessitating effective current drive (CD) methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the limitations of current CD tools in ITER for reactor conditions.
- To develop a flexible and efficient method for radio-frequency (RF) driven current in fusion plasmas.
- To model the conditions for successful RF-driven current at large plasma radii.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing standard quasilinear (QL) theory for plasma modeling.
- Simulating multi-megawatt radio-frequency (RF) power coupling to plasma.
- Analyzing current drive efficiency and flexibility at large plasma radii.
Main Results:
- New model results demonstrate efficient and flexible RF-driven current.
- Conditions for successful current drive at large radii have been established.
- The findings address limitations of previous CD concept extrapolations to reactor conditions.
Conclusions:
- The proposed RF-driven current model offers a viable solution for future fusion reactors.
- This approach enhances the feasibility of sustaining plasma current profiles in reactor environments.
- Further development based on these results could significantly advance fusion energy realization.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:45Nuclear Fusion
33.9K
The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
33.9K
01:37Energy to Drive Translocation
2.9K
Mitochondrial protein import is powered by two distinct energy sources: ATP hydrolysis and electrochemical potential across the inner membrane. Newly synthesized precursors are bound by cytosolic chaperones of the Hsp70 family, which guide them to the import receptors on the mitochondrial surface. Utilizing the energy of ATP hydrolysis, Hsp70 chaperones transfer these precursors to the TOM receptors on the mitochondrial outer membrane.
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...
2.9K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
24.2K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
24.2K
02:15M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
6.6K
Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
6.6K
01:10Electrical Current
7.2K
Electrical current is defined as the rate at which charge flows. When there is a large current present, such as that used to run a refrigerator, a large amount of charge moves through the wire in a small amount of time. If the current is small, such as that used to operate a handheld calculator, a small amount of charge moves through the circuit over a long period of time. The SI unit for current is the ampere (A), named for the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836).
7.2K
01:24Tagging and Fusion Proteins
8.5K
Proteins are involved in several cellular processes and biochemical reactions. Analyzing a specific protein of interest requires it to be isolated from the other proteins in the cell. This is achieved by overexpressing the specific gene in a suitable host to produce large quantities of the target protein. A tag or label is recombined with the gene to produce a fusion protein containing the target protein and the tag. The tags on these fusion proteins can then be used for easy detection and...
8.5K