JT-60SA International Fusion School

JT-60SA is the largest tokamak in operation, designed and built jointly by Japan and Europe. Its unique properties include the capability to produce long-pulse, high-beta and highly shaped plasmas. The JT-60SA machine, laboratories, experimental programme and its associated modelling activity can be an ideal playground for the training of Japanese and European students and young professionals to foster the new generations of fusion physicists and engineers.

Objectives

The JT-60SA International Fusion School (JIFS) addresses the main aspects of fusion research, from plasma physics to engineering, with special attention to their combination into tokamak operation. Professional success in fusion research is often not only based on excellence in specific subjects (plasma theory, computing, experiments, diagnostics, engineering etc.), but also on a broad basis of knowledge allowing contributions to both the scientific exploitation and realisation of fusion experiments.
The JIFS school aims to prepare the next generation of fusion physicists and engineers from Japan and Europe (under the EURATOM fusion programme), focusing on:

• Supplementing their training by lectures, group works and visits, taking advantage of the JT-60SA facility, environment, experiences and data for practical examples and applications.
• Establishing and consolidating connections between Japanese and European students and young professionals, who could ideally be involved together in the future JT-60SA and ITER operation, scientific exploitation and upgrades.

Participating institutions

JIFS is jointly funded and operated by QST and EUROfusion, with the participation of lecturers and advisors from a number of Japanese and European universities and research institutes.

Structure

The JIFS school will take place every year at the QST Naka-site. The 2-week programme will include lectures, visits (e.g. torus hall, plant systems, control room and laboratories) and practical exercises (using experimental facilities in the JT-60SA laboratories, JT-60SA data, analysis and computational tools). The school also aims to provide a permanent background of online information and alumni network, as well as means to prepare and continue exchanges among students and between students and lecturers.

Topics

Typical topics addressed by the school are: tokamak operations, plasma diagnostics, transport and confinement, scenario design, heating and current drive, numerical simulation, plasma turbulence, MHD instabilities, plasma-wall interaction, energetic particles, disruption prediction and mitigation, magnetic equilibrium, plasma control, fuelling and pumping, integrated performance, IT for fusion facilities, data-driven science, cryomagnetic system, remote handling technology, DEMO design, fusion research strategy, etc.
Every year, a subset of topics is selected. Ideally, for each topic, lectures cover physics, operation and engineering aspects. In any case, the annual programme is elaborated with the aim of attaining a fair balance of these three fundamental aspects.

For more information, please see the individual school website.