ITER has been nurturing partnerships with big tech companies and the larger scientific community to help store, distribute and analyze all the data that will be produced from experiments. "In the end, what the Member states are paying for is the data," says Peter Kroul, Computing Center Officer. The job at the ITER Scientific Data and Computer Centre (SDCC) is to deliver on that commitment—storing, securing, processing and distributing the vast amounts of scientific data produced throughout the lifetime of the project. But the Data Centre will not do it alone; it will be assisted by partners with deep experience in managing and sharing very high volumes of information. ITER data management challenges are comparable to those of CERN, synchrotrons, telescopes and other large scientific installations—one of which is that at least one copy of all data generated during experiments will be stored onsite. Since researchers will need to analyze data across different experimental phases, it must be possible to quickly compare the results of the latest pulses with some of the earlier ones. This means very fast data access at any time, to any scientific data ever produced over the lifetime of the project. "We have worked with IBM and partner B4Restore since 2020 to run a proof of concept of the long-term data storage and high-performance storage," says Kroul. "We get access to their technological road maps to foresee, for instance, how storage technology is advancing, so we can better forecast the systems and space needed for ITER's Scientific Data and Computing Centre. As an important partner, we have also benefitted from testing some of their latest systems before they are released to the market." "Knowing where IBM and other companies will be in the next few years helps us predict how we'll be able to squeeze a growing amount of data into our limited facility. A discipline like capacity management at some point will become very essential to the daily operation of the Data Centre. We need to get used to frequently adding capacity, removing outdated storage systems and replacing them with the latest technology—and we have to manage this while in operation and without downtime." Offsite storage and distribution ITER's Scientific Data and Computing Centre must guarantee 99.99% availability, which means downtime must be under one hour per year. To support this stringent requirement, at least one extra copy of all data will be stored offsite at a fast-retrieval distribution centre to ensure each Member state gets immediate access to data they request. That infrastructure is being constructed in a data centre in Marseille and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2024. Two geographically separated fibre optic links will connect the distribution centre to the ITER site, with one set of cables serving as a hot standby. Another redundant pair of cabling systems will connect it to the research network backbone funded by the European Union. "We have coordination meetings with other organizations from the ITER Members because we're using the same research networks that constitute the backbone of the scientific internet," says David Fernandez, Leader of the IT System & Operation Section. The distribution centre will be a hub for all continental and intercontinental data traffic but also for all the cloud providers, which will host some applications and possibly provide extra computational power as needed. "A year ago, we finalized the first test of integrating our on-site computing clusters with both Google Cloud and with Microsoft Azure," says Kroul. "And that was a successful test, meaning we managed to seamlessly integrate our on-site facility directly into these cloud operators so that we could offload some of the computational jobs to services off site—and do so in a manner that is transparent to the scientists. We did this with both Google and Microsoft, and it was very impressive. The speed was almost the same as if the service were on site—and sometimes faster—even though we had to send the job to Google or Microsoft in the cloud, spin up the resources and then get the call back. With Google we ran several important large computations using over 5,000 cloud-based cores, which saved us months of onsite resources and work." While the cloud comes as an incremental cost, it is convenient and easy to use on an as-need basis to provide a hybrid burst capacity for onsite computation jobs. If the load is too high and researchers don't have time to wait for high-performance computing resources to become available on site, the job can be off-loaded to the cloud. Quick retrieval and deep analysis A data rate of at least 50 gigabyte per second is expected during full deuterium-tritium operation at ITER. But that may grow even higher because as sensors and cameras become more advanced, they will generate much more data than what was predicted at the initial phases of the project. On the retrieval side, the data rate must be at least the same as the rate at which it is stored. "When we get the connectivity to Marseille, we can start performing data challenges," says Fernandez. "These will be tests to demonstrate the feasibility of data replication to the offsite data centre within the timeframe requirements. Similarly, when we have connectivity into the international research networks at a high speed, transatlantic data challenges will also be attempted. These tests will be run with several partners. As of today, this includes ESnet [the Energy Sciences Network] and the United States Domestic Agency US ITER." Depending on the queries scientists want to make, it might be necessary to retrieve data from different sources. To enable that kind of operation, the right software needs to be deployed and the data needs to be appropriately structured so that, for example, a query does not require opening a thousand different files simultaneously. The infrastructure has to perform well enough to support these dispersed retrievals without creating bottlenecks. Finally, ITER is keeping an eye on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used for data analysis. AI is still relatively new and the need for intensive analysis is still a few years off, so no commitments have been made yet. However, the group in charge of ITER's Scientific Data and Computing Centre has already begun discussions with big tech companies to see how AI software and hardware might be used. "To give you an example, we have been talking with Google and NVIDIA about how AI and Machine Learning could help us manage and analyze data," says Kroul. "It looks very promising."

The central solenoid is one of the most massive components of the ITER machine, as tall as a seven-storey building and weighing in excess of 1,000 tonnes. Made of six 110-tonne cylindrical modules stacked one on top of another and connected by a delicate network of cables and piping, this monster magnet plays an essential role in ITER operation. Its function is to induce and sustain a powerful current (15 MA) inside the plasma. On Tuesday 5 September, the second module of the six-module stack was moved into position on the component's dedicated assembly platform. Whether in the Tokamak assembly pit, in one of the twin sub-assembly tools or in any support or transport structure, the positioning of a component requires both heavy machinery and subtle adjustment devices. This is particularly true of the central solenoid modules: as the approximately 2-metre-tall components are stacked upon one another, any deviation from nominal would be progressively amplified as the stacking progresses. And the tolerance for deviation is low: no more than 20 mm for the 18-metre-tall structure once completed. Stacking cylindrical devices and connecting their fragile electrical and cryogenics leads demands a particular attention to concentricity and straightness. 'We have a target of concentricity between two cylinders of about 0.2 mm and the same for straightness (0.2 mm over 350 mm),' says Carl Cormany, the superconductor engineer responsible for central solenoid assembly. Such precision is achieved through a complex system of adjustment devices whose manual handles allow micrometric movements in pitch, roll and spin. For operations as strategic as installing ITER components and systems, precision is taken into account long before platforms and tooling are installed. 'In terms of precision, nothing is trivial,' specifies Cormany. 'The formulation of the concrete that anchors the platform plays a part, as does the way bolts are tightened.' For a specialist in superconductivity, this is a new domain of expertise. A third central solenoid module was received at ITER in June and a fourth is expected to ship before the end of the year. In total, US ITER contractor General Atomics is providing seven modules to the ITER Organization, one of them a spare.

This year, the ITER Games were more than just a sports tournament; they were a celebration. The edition held on Saturday 9 September marked the tenth time that ITER employees and contractors, their families, and local sportsmen and women came together for a day of fun and recreation. The ITER Games were the brainchild of the former director of ASSYSTEM, Bernard Blanc, together with Mayor Claude Cheilan of Vinon-sur-Verdon, France, and the former director of Agence Iter France, Jérôme Pamela. They came up with the tournament as a way to unite all those who worked on the ITER Project for one special day of festivities and sports, and to raise awareness about the local associations available to ITER staff in order to encourage more integration with the local community. They launched the Games 12 years ago (some editions were cancelled due to Covid). Cyrille Hours, a former ITER contractor who now works for the Region, added a festive, communal lunch to celebrate participants and winners when he joined the organization team during the second edition. The latest edition of the ITER Games surpassed all previous participation records, with more than 700 enrolled. Sports such as trail running, mountain biking, tennis and kayaking on the Verdon River were popular once again, but it is at the soccer tournament where the drama and competition come to a head. The champions this year—Team 04—were a melting pot of staff from the ITER Organization, contractors, and staff from the Domestic Agencies, so in the end ... fusion always wins!

Nearly 1,000 people are taking part in the first International Conference on Magnet Technology to be organized in person since the Covid pandemic. This morning, scientists and engineers from more than 30 countries woke up to the start of the 28th International Conference on Magnet Technology in Aix-en-Provence, France, just 30 minutes from the ITER site. The venues are operating at maximum capacity with 900 registered week-long participants, plus day passes. Nearly 20 percent of participants are students. "As the first fully in-person conference since Covid, special attention has been given to providing as many opportunities for in-person exchange as possible, for example through roundtable discussions, large spaces for poster sessions, and meeting places," says Program Chairman Thierry Schild, a magnet specialist from ITER. In addition to five days of lectures, presentations, poster sessions, and short courses, 43 companies and academic partners are showcasing their technologies as part of an industrial exhibition. Fully half of participants (500 people) will have the opportunity to visit the ITER site as part of a guided tour. The conference was opened this morning by ITER Deputy Director-General for Science & Technology Yutaka Kamada, who presented ITER Project status. We'll have reports on the conference in the next edition(s) of the ITER Newsline.

The team operating the HL-3 tokamak reports operating for the first time in high-confinement mode (H-mode) with a plasma current of one million amperes. HL-3 is a research device located at the Center of Fusion Science/Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP) in Chengdu, China. Its construction was a decade-long project that cumulated with the completion of first plasma in December 2020. (The device used to be referred to as HL-2M.) Two years later, in October, the device achieved operation with a plasma current of one million amperes. Last month, the device achieved repeatable 1 MA/H-mode operation. "This [latest milestone] once again broke the operation record of China's nuclear fusion devices with magnetic confinement, overcoming many technical challenges. This milestone holds great importance in China's nuclear fusion energy development, signifying a crucial step forward in the research of high-performance nuclear fusion plasma operation," said the press release released by the China National Nuclear Corporation, CNNC. The success of operation in H-mode is the result of upgrades to the device's heating, operation and control, diagnostic, and power supply system. The next goal for HL-3 is to increase the fusion triple product—a plasma's particle density, energy confinement time, and ion temperature—to attain the kind of high plasma performance that is needed to study frontier fusion plasma physics. Read more about the milestone on the CNNC and CGTN websites. 

Three years and close to eight months ago, on 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union and, consequently, from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). However in December of that same year, an agreement was signed that provided a temporary framework for some forms of cooperation and discussions on possible future association. Last week, on Thursday 7 September, the government of the United Kingdom officially made public its decision to associate with European research by re-joining the Horizon Europe and Copernicus programs through a bespoke new agreement, but to leave the Euratom Community for good. In the official government declaration, a paragraph states how the United Kingdom would approach fusion research from now on: 'In line with the preferences of the UK fusion sector, the UK has decided to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy instead of associating to the EU's Euratom programme. This will involve close international collaboration, including with European partners, and a new, cutting-edge alternative programme, backed by up to £650m to 2027.' The European Commission acknowledged that 'this decision [was] guided by the UK's assessment that its industry's long absence from Euratom and Fusion For Energy/ITER programmes cannot be reversed.' Severing ties with Euratom, however, does not mean ending the potential for collaboration with ITER. In a subsequent communication on 7 September, the government of the United Kingdom clearly stated that the domestic program it has chosen to pursue 'fully aligns with the core principle of international collaboration in the UK fusion strategy' and assured it remained 'open to such collaboration including with the EU and ITER.' For Sir Ian Chapman, the CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the government's decision was a welcome clarification, one that 'provides the certainty needed by the sector.' There is no doubt in his mind that 'there is a huge amount that the UK can offer to ITER, but reciprocally there's a huge amount that we would benefit from being in ITER. We will be seeking pathways to continue our engagement with the ITER Project and we think that will be genuinely to mutual benefit.' (Watch video here) International collaboration has been at the core of fusion research—its hallmark and very DNA—for the past seventy years. 'We still trust that the UK will retain a strong interest to continue to be engaged in one form or another in the ITER Project,' commented ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi. 'We expect that now that the overall negotiation on Horizon has been completed, it will be possible to collectively seek ways to achieve these objectives.'