Fusion

The ANT research group works on two main areas of Fusion:

• Technology for Fusion (T4F)
  Develops models for simulating:

  • liquid metal behavior,
  • tritium transport,
  • helium bubble movement, and
  • heat/mass transfer in fusion reactors.

They contribute to the EUROfusion project.

• Plasma Physics for Fusion (PP4F)
  Focuses on two lines:

  1. Fusion Plasma: 
     Studies how to confine very hot plasma (the fuel for fusion reactions) using magnetic fields. They collaborate with existing fusion devices and ITER, a large international fusion project. Their research covers turbulence, MHD (MagnetoHydroDynamics), and control methods for plasma instabilities.
  2. Non-linear Plasma Physics: 
     Explores applications of plasma, such as:
     • MHD simulations for controlling instabilities in fusion reactors (e.g., using pellet injection).
     • Studying MHD behavior in stellarators (another type of fusion device).
     • Investigating interactions between energetic particles and instabilities.
     • Plasma propulsion for spacecraft using the dynamo effect (a self-generated magnetic field). We're developing a new simulation code based on OpenFOAM software.