- Department: Physics
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Chris Murphy
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
- See module specification for other years: 2021-22
Pre-requisite modules
- None
Co-requisite modules
- None
Prohibited combinations
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Spring Term 2022-23 |
The course will provide an overview of the key plasma physics issues associated with fusion research. It will enable students to make an informed decision on an
appropriate research degree project, while at the same time providing the essential foundations necessary to pursue a research degree in the field. It will provide the
necessary background for students to appreciate seminars in this research field. Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is one of two major routes that are being pursued
for fusion energy applications. It relies upon the extreme compression and heating of a tiny fuel capsule by the action of intense laser, ion or soft x-ray radiation. Students
will learn about key aspects of ICF including the physics of ignition and burn, implosion physics, laser plasma interactions and hydrodynamic instabilities as well as
being introduced to the latest developments in the field such as Fast Ignition. With magnetically confined fusion, a magnetic field confines the plasma at much
lower density, but for much longer times. We will focus on tokamak physics, while other toroidal confinement devices such as stellarators, will be introduced. Plasma
waves, additional heating, particle transport, instabilities, turbulence and plasma edge physics will be treated. The motivation and physics of the next generation
tokamak ITER currently under construction will be presented.
At the end of this module successful students will be able to:
ICF
MCF
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Fusion - Coursework 1 |
N/A | 7 |
Essay/coursework Fusion - Coursework 2 |
N/A | 7 |
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) Fusion |
8 hours | 86 |
None
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) Fusion |
8 hours | 86 |
Our policy on how you receive feedback for formative and summative purposes is contained in our Department Handbook.
Key texts (this may just be indicative, at this stage)
Lindl, The Quest for Ignition and Energy Gain Using Indirect Drive, Springer- Verlag,1998 (also available as a journal article Phys. Plasmas 2 (11), pp. 3933-4024,
1995)
Atzeni and Meyer-ter-vehn, The Physics of Inertial Fusion, Oxford, 2004
Zel dovich and Raizer, Physics of Shock Waves and High-Temperature Hydrodynamic Phenomena, Dover, 2002.
Chen F F, Introduction to plasma physics and controlled fusion (Plenum)***
Wesson, Tokamaks, Oxford Science Publications ***
Goldston & Rutherford; Introduction to plasma physics (IoP)**
JP Freidberg; Ideal Magneto-hydrodynamics
J Kruer, The physics of laser plasma interactions (Perseus)