Of Interest archive

On Friday 2 February, the Royal Institution in London is hosting a public discussion on "The latest developments in fusion energy."

At this in-person and live-streamed event, co-hosted by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), distinguished experts Fernanda Rimini (UKAEA), Pietro Barabaschi (Director-General of the ITER Project), and Tammy Ma (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) will take participants on a journey into the heart of fusion research and the most recent and groundbreaking discoveries in this leading-edge field.

See all information for how to attend in person or online here.

The recruitment campaign for 2024-2026 Monaco-ITER Postdoctoral Fellowships has opened. We are looking for top candidates with an excellent track record of creativity and accomplishment. Research possibilities exist in many areas of fusion science and technology, including:

Control technology
Plasma-facing materials and components
Burning plasma physics (confinement, stability, plasma-wall interactions, control, energetic particle physics)
Heating and current drive physics and technology
Fusion plasma diagnostics
Superconducting magnet technology
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering/ structural analysis
Remote handling technology
Vacuum technology and plasma fuelling technology
Cryogenics
Tokamak operations
Tritium breeding and tritium handling technology
Thermohydraulics

If your PhD was awarded after 1 January 2021—or if you are about to obtain one—and you come from one of the seven ITER Members or the Principality of Monaco, you are eligible to apply.

See all information on this webpage. Applications close on 29 February.

Fusion researchers are constantly challenging the scientific state of the art and improving the technology. This drive lay the basis the conditions for innovation, much of which can be exploited in other sciences and industrial sectors for the benefit of society.

The SOFT Innovation Prize rewards outstanding achievements in fusion energy research showcasing opportunities of valorization in the sector. It is intended for researchers and/or industrial actors who find new solutions, possibly with wider applications, to the challenges of fusion.

SOFT stands for Symposium on Fusion Technology—the name of  conference where the prize is awarded. Following the success of the previous editions, the European Commission is holding the contest again in conjunction with SOFT 2024 (23-27 September 2024, Dublin, Ireland).

There are no specific categories for this prize. Participants are free to submit an application concerning any physics or technology innovation that has been developed in magnetic confinement fusion research and that has market potential or has been taken up (or recognized) by industry to be further developed for the market.

Entries will be assessed on originality and replicability, technical excellence, economic impact, exploitation, and plans for further development. Proposals are studied by an independent jury composed of experts in technology transfer, from business and academia.

The deadline to submit applications has been extended to 15 February 2024. See further details on the SOFT Prize website.

At the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), the KSTAR tokamak recommenced operations in December after a major upgrade to replace the device's carbon divertor with a tungsten divertor.

According to an article on the KFE website, the original carbon divertors could take a thermal load of 5MW/m², whereas the tungsten divertor can take 10MW/m². The upgrade is critical to the goal of sustaining a 100-million-degree plasma for 300 seconds by 2026. Data from the operational campaign will be directly relevant to ITER, which will operate a tungsten divertor under similar plasma conditions in terms of shape and structure.

This testing campaign will continue through February 2024. Read more about the plans in this article in English on the KFE website, or in Korean in the Chosun Biz.