In the quest to harness fusion energy, scientists are continually pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. A recent study published in the journal “Nuclear Fusion” (which translates to “Nuclear Fusion” in English) has shed new light on a phenomenon that could significantly impact the design and operation of tokamaks, the doughnut-shaped devices that confine hot plasma in pursuit of fusion power. The research, led by K.F. Gan of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has uncovered a previously unknown behavior of plasma filaments that could help manage the intense heat fluxes within these devices.
Tokamaks are at the heart of fusion energy research, and managing the heat they generate is a critical challenge. When resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) are applied to these devices, they create striated heat fluxes on the divertor plate, a component that helps to manage the exhaust heat from the plasma. Until now, these heat flux patterns were attributed to a process called strike point splitting, where the heat is distributed across multiple points due to the interaction between the divertor and magnetic lobe structures.
However, Gan and his team have observed something entirely new in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) plasmas. “We’ve discovered stationary 3D filaments that form in response to n = 3 RMPs,” Gan explained. These filaments, which extend from the midplane to the divertor, appear to be directly linked to the striated heat flux patterns observed on the divertor. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of strike point splitting and magnetic lobe structures in NSTX.
The implications of this research are significant for the energy sector. Understanding and controlling these filaments could lead to more efficient and effective management of heat fluxes in tokamaks, which is crucial for the development of practical fusion power. “This study suggests that divertor striated heat flux patterns are linked to these stationary filaments,” Gan noted. “This finding will help guide future efforts to understand the heat flux striations in NSTX with RMPs in order to control and reduce the divertor peak heat flux.”
The discovery of these stationary filaments opens up new avenues for research and could potentially lead to innovative solutions for managing heat in fusion devices. As the world looks to fusion energy as a clean, virtually limitless power source, insights like these are invaluable. They bring us one step closer to realizing the full potential of fusion power and shaping the future of the energy sector.