US scientist Tim Luce appointed Head of ITER Science & Operations Department

Tim Luce has been leading a research group on the DIII-D tokamak machine for more than 10 years and was a member of the DIII-D team for 25 years before that. He got his Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences-Plasma Physics at Princeton University in 1987. He is author or co-author of more than 400 referenceable scientific publications and is the first author of 50. He has 35 years’ experience in fusion research on nine tokamaks and two stellarators (nine outside the US). Since 2015, he has been Chair of the Integrated Operation Scenarios Topical Group within the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA), of which he was co-chair from 2012 to 2014. He was also chair or co-chair of the ITER Research Plan Working Group on First Plasma and Pre-Fusion Power Operation Phase (2016-2017). He is well known in the fusion community as a brilliant scientist and an excellent manager. 

In a staff announcement today by the ITER Organization’s Director-General, Bernard Bigot, he said “We wish him every success in his new position which is critical for the successful development of ITER in the coming years”. 

Dr. Luce is expected to formally take office in November.

BACKGROUND TO THE PRESS RELEASE 

ITER—designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power—will be the world's largest experimental fusion facility. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars: when light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released. Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source. 

ITER is also a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. Europe will contribute almost half of the costs of its construction, while the other six Members to this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA), will contribute equally to the rest. The ITER Project is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in the south of France. 

For more information on the ITER Project, visit: https://www.iter.org/

CONTACT

Laban Coblentz 
+33 6 14 16 40 85 
Laban.coblentz@iter.org