In the quest to harness fusion energy, scientists are continually seeking ways to manage the intense heat generated during the process. A recent study published in the journal *Nuclear Fusion* and conducted by Dieter Boeyaert, a researcher affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, KU Leuven, and Forschungszentrum Jülich, sheds light on the crucial role of neon seeding in plasma edge transport, particularly in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). This research could have significant implications for the future of fusion power plants.
The study focuses on the 2019 campaign of the EAST tokamak, using SOLPS-ITER simulations to understand the effects of neon seeding. The findings reveal that drift flows are essential for accurately predicting the location of ionization sources, both for deuterium and neon impurities. “Drift flows are crucial to predict correctly where the ionization sources are located and determines the stagnation point,” Boeyaert explains. This understanding is vital for managing the plasma edge, where the majority of heat and particle exhaust occurs.
One of the key insights from the research is that neon line radiation becomes a major contributor to the radiated power fraction only when detachment is achieved. In other scenarios, neutral radiation and radiation from background impurities, assumed to be a carbon–oxygen mixture in the simulations, dominate. This highlights the importance of neutral transport, which includes processes like elastic collisions, ionizing dissociation, and charge exchange. “This large neutral radiation indicates the importance of neutral transport,” Boeyaert notes.
The study also shows that neon ions (Ne^+) tend to leak towards the core, making it challenging to perform experiments with neon as the sole radiative species in EAST-size devices. This finding is consistent with observations from other devices, suggesting a universal pattern in plasma behavior.
The implications of this research are significant for the energy sector. Understanding and controlling plasma edge transport is crucial for developing efficient and sustainable fusion power plants. By optimizing impurity seeding and managing drift flows, scientists can enhance the performance of tokamaks and bring us closer to practical fusion energy.
As the world looks towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, research like this plays a pivotal role in advancing fusion technology. The insights gained from this study could shape the future of fusion energy, making it a more viable and efficient power source for the energy sector.