C1 8th School and Workshop on Fusion Physics and Technology

The Administrative Committee of the Research Unit of the Association and the University of Thessaly organised the “Eighth School and Workshop on Fusion Physics and Technology”, held in Volos from 6 to 11 April 2009. Following the trend established during the previous years, this year’s School surpassed in success the previous ones. In spite of the effort to reduce its duration (for fiscal reasons), it had again to last for 6 days, to accommodate the large number of presentations, which were organised in 14 Sessions, of which 2 were Plenary, 5 for Fusion School, 2 as Workshops, 1 as Tutorial Session, and 4 as Research Seminars. The lectures were given by 6 distinguished visiting scholars (in alphabetical order: Bartlett, Hogge, Peeters, Pagonakis, Ram, Weyssow), as well as by the scientific personnel of the Association. The audience consisted of graduate students and young scientists (mostly, affiliated with the Research Unit), as well as students interested in participating in fusion activities. In order of presentation, the following talks were given:

Monday 6 April 2009

Plenary Session (1)

A. Ram, Thermonuclear Fusion – Nourishing the Energy Addiction

D. Bartlett, The European Fusion Programme

B. Weyssow, Activities of European Fusion Development Agency

Workshop (1)

M. Negrea, B. Weyssow, Aspects related to the magnetic field lines diffusion in tokamak plasma

A. Yannacopoulos, Transport, diffusion and chaos: a homogenisation approach

A. Anastasiadis, Charged particle dynamics in non-linear fields

A. Ram, Chaotic magnetic fields and charged particle transport

Y. Kominis, Generalised Fokker Planck Equation

H. Isliker, Anomalous transport modeled by continuous time random walk and fractional diffusion equations

S. Varoutis, D. Valougeorgis, Investigation of vacuum flows through tubes of finite length using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Fusion School (1)

M. Tsalas, Introduction to Electrodynamics and Plasma

Y. Kominis, Charged particle dynamics-I

Y. Kominis, Charged particle dynamics-I

Plenary Session (2)

M. Tsalas, M. Watkins, Overview of JET 2008 Experimental Program

Workshop (2)

I. Petrisor, B. Weyssow, Zonal flow generation in weak electrostatic turbulence

A. Lazaros, Magnetic islands - The “cancer” of magnetically confined plasmas

I. Sarris, D. Carati , Turbulent MHD flow driven by electromagnetic forces

C. Dritselis, N. Vlachos, Near-wall coherent structures in MHD turbulent flows

D. Fidaros, S. Kakarantzas, I. Sarris, A. Grecos, N. Vlachos, CFD modelling

of viscous MHD flow and heat transfer

 

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Fusion School (2)

J. Vomvoridis, Kinetic theory-I

J. Vomvoridis, Kinetic theory-II

A Ram, Heating and current drive by radio frequency waves

in fusion plasmas-I

A Ram, Heating and current drive by radio frequency waves

in fusion plasmas-II

Thursday 9 April 2009

Fusion School (3)

L Vlahos, Introduction to Magnetohydrodynamics theory

P. Lalousis, Compressible MHD with electric resistance

K Hizanidis, Introduction to Plasma Transport

N. Pelekasis, Introduction to hydrodynamic and MHD stability

Fusion School (4)

J.-P. Hogge, A Gyrotron Overview

K. Avramidis, Gyrotron Components I - Cavity

I. Pagonakis, Gyrotron Components II - Gun & Collector

Teacher–Student Interaction (K. Hizanidis, A. Ram, L. Vlahos)

Friday 10 April 2009

Fusion School (5)

A. Peeters, Introduction to micro-instabilities in toroidal plasmas

D. Valougeorgis, Simulation of fusion vacuum flows via kinetic theory

N. Vlachos, Non-linear phenomena in viscous MHD flows- Mathematical models and CMHD code architecture

J. Ekaterinaris, A high order accurate numerical method for viscous compressible MHD flows

P. Svarnas, M. Bacal, Experimental study of H-ion production/ extraction from ECR-driven negative ion source

S. Moustaizis, Neutron sources and applications

Research Seminars (1)

C. Dritselis, I. Sarris, N. Vlachos, Numerical investigation of MHD turbulent particle-laden flows using DNS/LES methods

S. Misdanitis, D. Valougeorgis, Vacuum gas flow through a long tube of variable radius

J-P Hogge, Results of the EU 2 MW coaxial gyrotron

I. Pagonakis, Gun Parameterisation Technique

D. Strintzi, ELMs and simulations at JET

I. Sandberg, On the scaling between skewness and kurtosis in plasma edge turbulence

S. Mallios, I.G. Tigelis, G.P. Latsas, S. Alberti: Characteristics of electromagnetic waves in complex electrodynamic devices

Saturday 11 April 2009

Research Seminars (2)

G. Latsas, J.L. Vomvoridis, I.G. Tigelis: Numerical results for parasitic rates in the beam channel of a conventional gyrotron

M. Moraitou, G. Latsas, I. Tigelis: Mathematical formulation and numerical results for TE and TM waves in the beam channel of a coaxial gyrotron

D. Dimopoulos, N. Pelekasis, Three-dimensional stability analysis of MHD flows

S. Kakarantzas, A. Grecos, N. Vlachos, Modelling viscous MHD flow and heat transfer in cylindrical domains

A. Iatridis, I. Sarris, C. Dritselis, N. Vlachos, MHD natural convection cooling in cylindrical domains

S. Pantazis, D. Valougeorgis, A. Grecos, Implementation of a generalised approach to simulate the stochastic motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field

Research Seminars (3)

K. Avramidis, A new self-consistent code for gyrotron interaction

G. Anastasiou, J.L. Vomvoridis: Amplification of the gaussian output beam from a gyrotron by its interaction with a sheet electron beam

I. Kominis, Explicit near-symplectic mappings of Hamiltonian systems relevant to fusion physics

H. Isliker, L. Vlahos: An MHD compatible model for self-organised criticality in the reversed field pinch

C. Tsironis, On the effect of edge turbulence on the EC wave propagation in ITER

Research Seminars (4)

Y. Chatziantonaki, L. Vlahos, C. Tsironis: Perturbed magnetic topology due to NTM instability and ECRH

A. Lazaros, The advantage of early ECCD in the suppression of NTMs with an assessment for ASDEX upgrade

H. Isliker, Th. Pisokas, D. Strintzi, L. Vlahos: A self-organised criticality model for ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode driven turbulence

D. Vavougios, A. Grecos, Fokker-Planck equations from first principles

C2 International Conferences relevant to Fusion, organised in Greece and sponsored by the Association

Modern Challenges in Nonlinear Plasma Physics: A Conference Honoring the Career of K. Papadopoulos; Sani Resort, Halkidiki, Greece; June 15-19, 2009.

The Administrative Committee of the Research Unit of the Association decided to partially sponsor this conference whose several topics were considered relevant to Fusion.

Advisory committee: K. Akimoto (Teikyo), R. Davidson (Princeton), M. Goldstein (NASA), A. Gurevich (Lebedev), K. Hizanidis (Athens), C. Kennel (Scripps), C.S. Liu (UMD), R. Sagdeev (UMD), P. Sprangle (NRL), S. Sharma (UMD); Executive committee: P. Cargill (Imperial), I. Daglis (NOA), S. Fung (NASA), J. Huba (NRL), C.S. Liu (UMD), X. Shao (UMD), D. Vassiliadis (WVU), L. Vlahos (Thessaloniki); Local organising committee: (Athens) A. Anastasiadis, I. Daglis - (Thessaloniki) I. Chatziantonaki, H. Isliker, T. Pisokas, C. Tsironis, L. Vlahos (chair).

Themes: (1) Particles, waves, and microstructure (Topics: Wave-particle interaction, particle acceleration, radiation-belt formation, beam-plasma interactions, electrodynamics, plasma radiation); (2) Structure formation and stability (Topics: understanding plasma structure and dynamics through simulations, shock and soliton formation, reconnection, turbulence and anomalous dissipation, intermittency, laser and maser mechanisms, storage-release processes in the magnetosphere and solar atmosphere, stability and coherence in plasma systems); (3) Interacting plasmas (Topics: multi-scale coupling in space and lab plasmas, bursty flows and the transition to turbulence, interaction of plasmas with solid and magnetic barriers, sheaths, cascades and power-law regimes); (4) Space as a Plasma Physics Laboratory (Topics: tethers and antennas in space, ionospheric modification, critical ionisation velocity, the ionosphere as a waveguide).

Invited speakers: V. Angelopoulos, M. Ashour‐Abdalla, D.N. Baker, R. Bingham, S.V. Bulanov, C. Chang, R.O. Dendy, J.F. Drake, W. Gekelman, U.S. Inan, A.J. Klimas, S. Krimigis, M. Koepke, M. Lampe, A. Lui, G. Milikh, G.K. Parks, J.S. Pickett, E. Priest, T. Pulkkinen, M. Scholer, A.S. Sharma, R. Stenzel, A. Ting, M. Velli, T. Wallace, L.M. Zelenyi.

Conference web site: http://www.astro.auth.gr/~vlahos/kp/

C3 Other Fusion-Related Educational Activities in Greece

During year 2009, a total of 19 graduate students were enrolled in the participating Universities, with fusion-related subjects. Of these, one student was participating in M.Sc. level programme and fifteen in Ph.D. programmes.

In addition, the following courses were given by faculty members (affiliated with the Association) to students, for education and training in fusion-related disciplines, in the frame of their University Curricula (hours per week per semester):

• NTUA: Plasma Waves, 13  4 hours per semester (undergraduate),

• NTUA: Beams and High-Power Microwaves, 13  4 hours per semester (undergraduate; focusing on the physics of fusion plasma heating devices),

• NTUA: Plasma Kinetic Theory, 13  3 hours per semester (graduate),

• NTUA: Introduction to Fusion Physics and Technology, 13  3 hours per semester (graduate and undergraduate)

• U. of Athens: Plasma Physics, 13  4 hours per semester (undergraduate),

• U. of Ioannina: Introduction to Plasma Physics, 13  4 hours per semester (undergrad-uate),

• U. of Ioannina: Plasma Physics, 13  4 hours per semester (graduate),

• U. of Ioannina: Energy Resources, 13  4 hours per semester (undergraduate; one third of the course concerns Fusion),

• U. of Thessaly: Graduate course Advanced Fluid Mechanics. (3-hours on MHD and Fusion)

• U. of Thessaly: Graduate course Advanced Energy Conversion Systems. (6-hours on Fusion)

• U. of Thessaloniki: Plasma Physics, 13  3 hours per semester (undergraduate),

• Technical University of Crete: Laser Matter Interaction, 13  3 hours per semester (graduate; 10% of the course concerns Fusion),

• Technical University of Crete: Laser plasma spectroscopy and diagnostics, 13  3 hours per semester (graduate; 10% of the course concerns Fusion),

• U. of Cyprus: Statistical Theory and Modelling of Turbulent Flow, (10% of the course refers to magnetohydrodynamic flows).

Of these courses, the Plasma courses, in addition to providing the general background material, typically contain fusion as a discrete entity or refer to fusion in application examples.

C4 2009 Expenditure and Personnel

The activities of the Association are funded (by about equal amounts) by the Fusion Programme of the European Union, by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology and by the participating Research Centres and Universities. The total expenditures of the Association in year 2009 are presented in the following table, rounded to kEuro (with the same figures for the previous two years, as well as the 2010 budget, for the purpose of comparison):

 

	Physics	Emerging Technologies	Technology & JET	Mobility	Year’s total
2007	1.423	141	42	152	1.768
2008	1.656	317	33	109	2.115
2009 (Draft)	1.638	392	39	104	2.173
2010 (Budget)	1.734	345	32	139	2.250

 

The personnel of the Association for year 2009 is presented in the following table (in Full-time equivalent), separately for physics, underlying technology, and technology:

 

	Physics	Emerging Technologies	EFDA (Technology & JET)	Year’s total
Faculty members	7.91			7.91
Ph.D. Researchers	11.59	4.45	1.21	17.25
Graduate Researchers	10.75		0.25	11.00
Non-Professional	1.22			1.22

 

C5 2009 Co-operations and Mobility Missions

Most of the work of the Research Unit of the Association is performed in collaboration with other Associations. This is facilitated both by the eligibility of this work for preferential support, under the provisions for “Projects for enhancing the mutual co-operation between Associations”, as well as by the Mobility scheme of the EURATOM Fusion Programme. During year 2009, the following missions were undertaken by personnel of the Research Unit:

 

Activity Code	Topic of collaboration in Association work programme	Institute (Place)		Seconded Personnel	Duration (days)
		Home	Host
1	Provision of Support to the Advancement of the ITER Physics Basis
1.2	Energy and particle confinement and transport	NTUA	CEA (France)	I. Sandberg	8
1.3	MHD stability and plasma control	U Thessaly	ULB (Belgium)	I. Sarris	32
		NTUA	IPP (Garching)	A. Lazaros	42
1.5	Physics of plasma heating and current drive	NTUA	IPP (Garching)	C. Tsironis	30
		UThessaloniki	IPP (Garching)	I. Chatziantonaki	30+39
1.7	Theory and modelling for ITER	UoThessaly	ULB (Suisse)	A. Iatridis	32
		UoThessaly	ULB (Suisse)	D. Dimopoulos	14
		UoThessaly	ULB (Suisse)	N. Pelekasis	7
		UoCyprus	UoThessaly	N. Kanaris	8
2	Development of plasma auxiliary systems
2.1	Heating and current drive systems	NTUA	FZK (Germany)	K. Avramides	32+7+14
		NTUA	CRPP (Suisse)	J. Vomvoridis	16
		NTUA	CRPP (Suisse)	K. Avramides	16+15
		NTUA	MIT (USA)	K. Hizanidis	15
		NTUA	MIT (USA)	Y. Kominis	9
		U Athens	MIT (Boston)	I. Tigelis	13
		U Athens	CRPP (Suisse)	I. Tigelis	17
		U Athens	CRPP (Suisse)	G. Latsas	18
		U Athens	CRPP (Suisse)	M. Moraitou	18
		U Athens	FZK (Germany)	I. Tigelis	17+16
		UoAthens	FZK (Germany)	Z. Ioannidis	16
		UoAthens	FZK (Germany)	G. Latsas	16
2.3	Plasma fuelling	FORTH	IPP (Germany)	P. Lalousis	4+6
3.	Development of concept improvements and advances in fundamental understanding of fusion plasmas
3.4	Theory and Modelling	U Ioannina	IPP (Germany)	G. Throumoulopoulos	30+49
		U Thessaly	FZK/KIT (Germany)	S. Pantazis	28
		U Thessaly	FZK (Germany)	S. Misdanitis	28
		U Thessaly	FZK (Germany)	C. Dritselis	30
		UoThessaly	ULB (Suisse)	S. Pantazis	29
		UoThessaloniki	UKAEA (Gr. Britain)	Th. Pisokas	6
4.	Emerging Technologies
4.2	Materials Modelling	NCSRD	CEA (France)	G. Apostolopoulos	4
Fuelling &Particle Control (EFDA)		UoThessaly	EFDA, Garching	D. Valougeorgis	3