|
|
About Theory Department
The fusion energy sciences mission of the
Theory Department at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is to
help provide the scientific foundations for establishing magnetic confinement
as an attractive, technically feasible energy option. The Department generates
the theoretical physics knowledge required for realistic extrapolation of
present experimental results and suggests new approaches to improve performance.
This involves the innovative development of better calculation capabilities,
together with applications of the best theoretical tools to interpret and
design experiments.
Important contributions to understanding the
physics of plasma transport, MHD, and energetic particle behavior are reminders
of the role theory can play in the fusion sciences program. These achievements
underscore the fact that many of the advances in the field have resulted
from an improved understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in toroidal
confinement and not just from the development of empirical rules for scaling.
Continuing improvements in operating regimes in magnetically confined plasmas
and in diagnostic techniques should enable even more realistic comparisons
of experimental results with theoretical models. As more reliable physics-based
models emerge, it is expected that the pace of breakthroughs will be accelerated
by more efficient harvesting of key results from experimental facilities
and from identification of attractive new approaches and the associated
designs for new facilities.
The Princeton Plasma Laboratory Theory Department
continued its lead role in providing the theoretical and computational capabilities
to help the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences program achieve the scientific understanding
and produce the key innovations which will lead to an attractive energy
source. Endorsements and requests for enhanced collaborations in both tokamak
and alternate concept research areas by the national and international fusion
research communities have been stimulated not only by this group's impressive
record for generating key seminal concepts, but also by its development
and maintenance of the most comprehensive system of toroidal design and
analysis codes.
|
|
