Fusion Physics division

Rijnhuizen is the centre for physics research in the frame of the European Fusion Programme in the Netherlands. This research is carried out under the Euratom-FOM association agreement, with financial support from NWO and Euratom. The Rijnhuizen fusion research programme is performed in close cooperation with the TEC-partners FZ-Jülich and ERM/KMS-Brussels. Throughout this annual report, activities that are supported by Euratom as part of the European Fusion Programme are marked with an asterisk (*).

Two FOM programmes on fusion physics
The fusion research at Rijnhuizen has two main branches. The first concerns the control and manipulation of turbulence and confinement in the hot core of fusion plasmas, and aims at the optimisation of the conditions in a fusion reactor. This research is carried out within the FOM-programme 74, ‘Manipulation of mesoscale structures in hot magnetised plasmas’, and is reported in Section 3.2. The second line of research concerns the interaction of a plasma with a material surface, in the extreme conditions typical of the divertor of a fusion reactor. It aims at developing means to handle the very large flux of heat and particles to the wall of a fusion reactor. This research is carried out within FOM-programme 75, ‘PSI-lab, an integrated laboratory on plasma surface interaction’, and is reported in Section 3.3.

ITER-NL
In 2007, FOM formed a strategic alliance with TNO and NRG, with the aim to optimise the scientific and industrial participation of the Netherlands in ITER. To this end, the consortium ITER-NL was established. In this consortium, the partners each bring in their core competences: fusion science and network by FOM, industrial network and technology transfer, project management and specific technologies by TNO, and nuclear know-how and materials expertise by NRG. The Dutch government made 15 Million Euro available for the programme of this consortium, for the period 2007-2009. 

This programme encompasses four work packages. Work package 1 and 2 concern the R&D for the ITER CXRS and ECRH systems, respectively. Work package 3 and 4 concern the support to industry and technology transfer. Thus, those R&D activities that need to be carried out for ITER but are rather technological in FOM terms, are carried out outside the FOM-programmes, by teams within ITER-NL in which FOM groups are strongly represented.

The very substantial work carried out in the frame of the ITER-NL consortium that is done directly in support of the ITER design is placed under a special heading in Section 3.2.4. It is important to note that these activities are done in European collaborations, for which consortia are being formed. For the ECRH Upper Port Launcher, ITER-NL is partner in a consortium with FZ-Karlsruhe, CRPP-Lausanne, CNR-Milano, and IPP-Garching. For CXRS, the main partner is FZ-Jülich, with further contributions from UKAEA-Culham, HAS-Budapest, and SCK.CEN-Mol, among others. These consortia are expected to be formally founded in 2009.

JET
In 2008, FOM-staff also participated in JET experimental campaigns and data analysis. As this work is thematically fully embedded in the FOM-programmes, reports on the activities that involve JET are integrated in the text. The work of long-term secondees to the JET operator or the EFDA Close Support Units is not separately reported here. 

Education, Training, Outreach and Public information
Finally, the substantial effort in the field of Public Information on fusion related issues is reported under ‘Education, Training, Outreach and Public Information’, chapter 4.

* supported by the European Fusion Programme (EFP)