Subscribe options

Select your newsletters:

Please enter your email address:

@

Your email address will only be used for the purpose of sending you the ITER Organization publication(s) that you have requested. ITER Organization will not transfer your email address or other personal data to any other party or use it for commercial purposes.

If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe option at the bottom of an email you've received from ITER Organization.

For more information, see our Privacy policy.

News & Media

Latest ITER Newsline

  • Fusion world | Japan and Europe inaugurate largest tokamak in the world

    It was 6:00 a.m. in La Bergerie, a former sheep barn located a few kilometres from ITER in the vast Château de Cadarache domain, and that had been converted [...]

    Read more

  • Stakeholders | ITER Director-General meets Prime Minister Kishida

    In Japan, the prime minister lives and works at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in central Tokyo, just a few blocks from the National Diet Building and [...]

    Read more

  • Image of the week | Season wrapping

    Although the travel distance is short, barely exceeding one hundred metres, the transfer of vacuum vessel sector #8 from the Assembly Hall, where it is presentl [...]

    Read more

  • In memoriam | Bernard Pégourié, physicist and mountaineer

    The worldwide fusion community mourns Bernard Pégourié, of France's Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research (CEA-IRFM), who passed away on 25 November following [...]

    Read more

  • COP28 | Fusion is making a splash

    The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, opened on 30 November in Dubai's Expo City—a sprawling conference centre built two years ago for the W [...]

    Read more

Of Interest

See archived entries

ITPA addresses key physics R&D priorities

The ITPA, which convened in Cadarache during 12-14 December, directly involves 305 fusion experts from 65 institutes, together with a much larger group of collaborators who contribute to the ITPA's wide-ranging research on fusion physics. (Click to view larger version...)
The ITPA, which convened in Cadarache during 12-14 December, directly involves 305 fusion experts from 65 institutes, together with a much larger group of collaborators who contribute to the ITPA's wide-ranging research on fusion physics.
The latest major review of tokamak physics R&D in support of ITER was hosted by the ITER Organization during 12-14 December. The joint meeting of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA)  Coordinating Committee and representatives of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Implementing Agreement for Cooperation on Tokamak Programs also marked the tenth anniversary of ITPA's establishment .

In his opening remarks, the ITPA Coordinating Committee chair, Dr Yutaka Kamada of JAEA, noted that the ITPA directly involves 305 fusion experts from 65 institutes, together with a much larger group of collaborators who contribute to the ITPA's wide-ranging research on fusion physics.

The ITPA has built up a strong collaboration with the IEA's Implementing Agreements (IAs) on tokamak fusion research. The first joint meeting of the ITPA and the IEA IAs took place at MIT in November 2002 with the aim of developing a program of joint experiments on burning plasma physics which would strengthen collaboration among the world's major tokamak fusion facilities.Since that initial meeting, proposals for research which leverage the benefits of executing essentially the same experiment on two, three or more of the major tokamaks of the ITPA partners have been reviewed and approved through a joint ITPA/IEA-IA review meeting which takes place annually.

Following the integration of several of the IEA Implementing Agreements into a single Implementing Agreement on Cooperation on Tokamak Programs (CTP) it was agreed that joining the ITPA CC and the ITPA/ CTP meetings into a single annual review of the ITPA Topical Groups' research activities and their proposals for joint experiments addressing ITER's physics R&D priorities would provide an effective forum for evaluating and planning the work of the ITER partners' leading tokamak facilities in support of ITER.

Director-General Motojima highlighted project progress and stressed the priority of keeping to ''scope, schedule and cost'' during the meeting. (Click to view larger version...)
Director-General Motojima highlighted project progress and stressed the priority of keeping to ''scope, schedule and cost'' during the meeting.
The overall focus of this week's meeting was the review of the progress made by ITPA Topical Groups in addressing ITER key physics R&D priorities, including areas such as H-mode plasmas, ELM control, disruption mitigation, plasma operation with metallic plasma-facing components, development of ITER plasma scenarios, energetic particle physics and plasma measurement systems.

Impressive results were presented by the Topical Group Chairs underlining the quality of the experimental, modelling and theoretical research undertaken within the ITPA framework. Many aspects of these presentations reflected the benefits of the program of joint experiments conducted by the tokamak facilities in collaboration with the Topical Groups. Further proposals for joint experiments were reviewed in a dedicated session of the meeting.

The meeting had a further significance in that it marked a major change in the leadership of the Topical Groups (TG). TG Chairs who have led research activities over the past three-and-a-half years, and whose service to the ITPA typically spans the entire 10 years of its existence, were warmly thanked by Dr. Kamada for their leadership and contributions.

A new group of Chairs, many of whom have served as TG Deputy Chairs in recent years, will now assume office and take responsibility for coordinating the R&D activities of each TG over the next three years.


return to the latest published articles