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2012

Cum laude PhD Jonathan Citrin - advanced tokamak scenarios

Submitted by devries on 20 December 2012 - 11:16am

20 December 2012
On 20 december 2012, plasma physicist Jonathan Citrin defended his PhD thesis "Turbulent Transport in Tokamak Advanced Scenarios" at Eindhoven University of Technology. The committee awarded him his PhD title cum laude.

In the search for longer sustained plasmas in tokamak reactors, fusion physicists have discovered an advanced mode of operation - the so-called "hybrid scenario" - which also reduces detrimental turbulence in the plasma. However, the mechanism behind this has remained unclear. During his PhD research at DIFFER, Citrin worked with experts at the world's leading fusion facilities to model advanced tokamak operation in detail and explain part of the hybrid scenario's success.
 

PhD Rob Wieggers - modelling the fusion exhaust

Submitted by devries on 18 December 2012 - 10:59am
18 December 2012
On 19 December 2012 Rob Wieggers of the FOM Institute DIFFER will defend his PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology. Wieggers developed and validated a brand new computer model that can simulate the intense plasma conditions near the exhaust of advanced nuclear fusion experiments. His research helps pave the way to the future reactor ITER. There, the interplay between plasma and reactor wall is a critical factor in the success of the reactor.

Workshop: preparing the way for CO2 neutral fuels

Submitted by devries on 6 December 2012 - 1:16pm
6 December 2012
"Large scale storage of clean energy via carbon capture and storage in CO2 neutral fuels could solve the energy storage problems of a sustainable world", says Hans Geerlings (Shell Global Solutions) on the 27 November NWO/FOM-workshop CO2 neutral fuels in Woerden Castle. Participants of the workshop helped shape the multidisciplinary research program CO2 neutral fuels that NWO will open in 2013 to further strengthen the Dutch research in solar fuels. The program is part of NWO's efforts in line with the Dutch top sector Energy.

Hugo van den Brand wins Shell physics thesis prize

Submitted by devries on 29 November 2012 - 10:59am
30 November 2012
Physics engineer Hugo van den Brand has won one of the three prestigious Shell Master prizes for physics. The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities has awarded the young researcher the prize for his master thesis research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Van den Brand was stationed at the FOM Institute DIFFER and investigated how instabilities in a fusion reactor can be detected and controlled in time. Hugo is now continuing his research at DIFFER and TU/e in the form of a PhD.

ITER-like plasma in Magnum-PSI

Submitted by devries on 26 November 2012 - 5:33pm
27 November 2012
The new plasma experiment Magnum-PSI at the FOM Institute DIFFER can simulate the intense conditions expected at the exhaust of the future fusion reactor ITER. In a paper in Applied Physics Letters by Hans van Eck and his colleagues, the team shows that Magnum-PSI is the first laboratory experiment to achieve a plasma with the right combination of temperature and density, and dominated at the target by  charged particles. DIFFER designed and built Magnum-PSI to investigate how the walls of the exhaust of the advanced fusion reactor ITER will respond to the hot fusion plasma in the reactor.

New inner wall of fusion reactor JET requires tighter control

Submitted by devries on 26 November 2012 - 3:17pm

26 November 2012
Fusion reactor JET in Culham, UK, is acting like a totally new device, courtesy of its brand new inner wall made out of tungsten and beryllium. For instance, fast disruptions of the plasma now leak more heat to the wall, but paradoxically these disruptions cause far fewer problems when restarting the plasma in subsequent experiments. Plasma physicist Dr. Peter de Vries from FOM-DIFFER, together with an international team, describes the results of a year's experimenting at JET in the 22 November issue of Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. The experiments are a step to transforming JET into a test bed for the advanced fusion reactor ITER.

PhD Eric Louis: 20 years of multilayer EUV optics

Submitted by devries on 23 November 2012 - 2:51pm
23 November 2012
Today, at Twente University, Eric Louis from DIFFER's division of Nanolayer Surface and Interface Physics defends his PhD thesis. His topic is the development of knowledge about multilayer optics for the Extreme UltraViolet (EUV) wavelength range. These mirrors consist of alternatingly transparent and reflective 13.5 nm thin layers, stacked in a 100 layer sandwich. Controlled deposition of these layers requires fundamental understanding of the growth processes of thin films. The mirrors have an important application as optical elements in ASML's photolithography devices.

PhD Eric Louis: 20 jaar EUV-multilaagoptica

Submitted by devries on 23 November 2012 - 2:48pm
23 november 2012
Aan de Universiteit Twente promoveert op vrijdag 23 november Eric Louis uit DIFFER's afdeling Nanolayer Surface and Interface physics. Zijn onderwerp: de ontwikkeling van kennis over multilaagspiegels in het extreem UV, een sandwich van 100 laagjes van slechts 13,5 nm dik, afwisselend spiegelend en transparant. Voor het gecontroleerd aangroeien van die laagjes ontwikkelde Louis gedurende 20 jaar fundamentele kennis over de groeiprocessen van dunne films. De spiegels hebben een belangrijke toepassing in optische systemen voor de fotolithografische machines van ASML.

PhD Jurrian Boom: characterizing ELMs

Submitted by devries on 9 November 2012 - 5:58pm

9 November 2012
To mimic the fusion of hydrogen nuclei in the sun as an energy source on Earth, fusion scientists have to deal with miniature solar flares in their nuclear fusion reactor. These 'Edge Localized Modes' (ELMs) can damage the wall of the reactor. Physicist Jurrian Boom from the FOM Institute DIFFER researched ELMs with a new detector in the fusion experiment ASDEX Upgrade and investigated what happens when magnetic coils are used to dampen the ELMs. Boom successfully defended his PhD thesis "Characterization of Edge Localized Modes in Tokamak Plasmas" on Wednesday 7 November at Eindhoven University of Technology.
 

Henrik Bindslev new director Fusion for Energy

Submitted by avisser on 6 November 2012 - 11:16am
26 October 2012
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