Research areas

The research carried out by the Plasma Physics & Fusion group falls primarily into two main categories:

Magnetic Confinement Fusion

Image of the fusion plasma inside the spherical tokamak (MAST) in Culham.

In magnetic confinement fusion, the fuel is heated to a temperature which is an order of magnitude greater than that at the centre of the Sun. The plasma is confined in a torodial geometry by a combination of magnetic fields within a fusion reactor known as a tokamak.

Laser Plasmas & Fusion

An artist's rendering of a NIF target pellet inside a hohlraum capsule with laser beams entering through openings on either end.

High powered lasers focussed onto a solid (or gaseous) target are used to produce plasmas. These rapidly expanding plasmas produce interesting high density states of matter. These high density plasmas can be used to simulate astrophysical plasma expansion and to understand other plasma properties.

More specific research areas

  • Non-linear theories of tokamak plasma instabilities, including explosive plasma instabilities that may provide a model for so-called "ELM" events (an important scientific research area for ITER).
  • Theoretical studies of the self-consistent interaction of energetic ions (produced either by fusion reactions or heating schemes) and plasma waves in tokamaks.
  • Experimental and interpretive modelling studies of tokamak edge plasmas
  • Diagnostic development for magnetically confined plasmas
  • Investigating and understanding extreme ultra-violet laser action produced in plasmas formed from laser-heated solids
  • Application of x-ray lasers to measure the opacity of plasmas relevant to the convection zone of the sun
  • Experiments and modelling related to the development of Laser Fusion, particularly Re-entrant Cone-Guided Fast Ignition
  • The study in the laboratory of plasmas relevant to astrophysical problems
  • The effects of extreme electric fields on plasma emission
  • Lower temperature plasmas of technological interest created by lasers.

Fusion research is undertaken with a view to understanding the basic plasma physics processes in tokamaks to help reduce uncertainties in the performance of future tokamaks (ITER, in particular). There is a close collaboration with the Culham Science Centre, home of the JET and MAST tokamaks, which provides access to world-leading experimental tokamak facilities and additional expertise for our postgraduate students.

Laser plasma experiments are usually carried out at the Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory or at large European laser laboratories. A small in-house nanosecond laser is used to produce plasmas for testing diagnostics prior to experiments on larger facilities.