Quantum Engineering System

Plasma physics and controlling method of fusion plasma

Energy of the sun and stars twinkling in the universe are supplied by nuclear fusion. If this nuclear fusion energy is controllable in the ground, the energy problem we are facing would be solved. However, in order to realize a nuclear fusion reactor, you have to confine high temperature plasma until a nuclear fusion reaction occurs.

In the quantum engineering system group, aiming at realization of magnetically confined nuclear fusion reactor, the plasma transport, the instabilities, and the plasma control by electromagnetic weaves are investigated in nuclear fusion plasma.

Academic Staff

Sadayoshi MURAKAMI

Sadayoshi MURAKAMIProfessor (Graduate School of Engineering)

Research Theme

Dr Sadayoshi Murakami investigated the energetic particle physics in the magnetically confined fusion plasma and developed the simulation code GNET, which can solve the drift kinetic equation in the five-dimensional phase space. He has applied this code to plasma heating analyses and has clarified the behavior and confinement of energetic particles in the fusion experiment plasmas. His recent research is the modeling of the integrated transport simulation, which can predict the plasma performance of the fusion experiment devices and fusion reactor.

Contact Information

Katsura Campus, C3 Room C3d2S03
E-mail: murakami@* (Add "nucleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp" after @)
http://p-grp.nucleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~murakami/

Research Topics

Transport phenomena in fusion plasma

Turbulent transport dominates the confinement of fusion plasma performance. Transport barriers with steep pressure gradient which can not be explained by the simple diffusion phenomena have been observed experimentally and has contributed to the improvement in a performance. The turbulent transportation model explaining such transport barrier formation and the transport simulation for performing quantitative analysis are advanced.

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Figure 1

Plasma control by electromagnetic eaves

The wave as an effective method to control high temperature plasma. Various electromagnetic waves from several 10kHz to several 100GHz are widely used for generation of plasma, heating, a current drive, measurement, etc. In order to solve the physical mechanism and to develop the effective plasma controlling method, analysis of time development of the plasma accompanying excitation, propagation and absorption is advanced.

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Figure 2:Simulation of current drive by electromagnetic wave

Instabilities in a Fusion Plasma

The confined plasma has potentially a possibility of causing the transport enhancement and the plasma disruption by the rapid growth of perturbation. For example, the high energy alpha particle generated by the nuclear fusion reaction excites the Alven wave and degrades the plasma confinement. The generating mechanism of such instability and the method to control it is are investigated.