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Prof. Tadeusz Pisarczyk, head of the Laboratory of Plasma Hydrodynamics at the IPPLM Department of Laser Plasma Physics and Applications, has been nominated as a member of the Laserlab-Europe Expert Group in the field of laser fusion.

The Laserlab-Europe Consortium coordinates and finances European laser plasma research and laser fusion projects. A group of experts evaluates the project applications awarded by the Consortium and monitors the results of their implementation.

Prof. Pisarczyk has been managing research projects for many years, mainly at the PALS Laboratory in Prague, Czech Republic. He is a recognized expert in the field of laser plasma research and laser fusion. He specializes in applying laser diagnostics to this research, mainly interferometry and polarimetry prepared by his team at the IPPLM. Prof. Pisarczyk has a wealth of scientific achievements in this field.

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Assoc. Prof. Monika Kubkowska, IPPLM Deputy Director for Scientific Research, became a member of the international Advisory Board (Fachbeirat) of the Max Planc Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany: https://www.ipp.mpg.de/17373/fachbeirat.

The IPP is an institute of the Max Planck Society. It is associated with the European fusion program and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres. The Advisory Board is an opinion-forming body to the IPP Directorate, mainly in matters related to the planning and implementation of research projects, and advises the President of the Max Planck Society on the scientific development of the institute.

Assoc. Prof. Monika Kubkowska has been cooperating with the IPP for many years and managing research projects concerning, inter alia, developing diagnostics for the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator and testing the transport of impurities in plasma. The above nomination is an expression of recognition for the scientific achievements and competences of Dr hab. Monika Kubkowska.

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In the first two weeks of July 2022, a delegation of researchers from the IPPLM and the University of Opole participated in setting up and testing the components of the CO monitor diagnostics installed on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator in the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, Germany.

This system was designed by Polish resarchers and is now entering the commissioning phase before the next W7-X experimental campaign, which is planned for the end of 2022. The CO monitor is a spectrometer used to measure light plasma impurities which are of the greatest importance for stable and optimal conditions fot the device operation. Ultimately, it will consist of four independent systems that will measure the spectral lines of elements such as carbon, oxygen, boron and nitrogen.

During the upcoming operational phase, the first part of the spectrometer responsible for measuring the intensity of the carbon and oxygen lines will be put into operation for the first time and tested under experimental conditions.

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The aim of the ITER tokamak is to achieve a burning plasma and control it for 400 or even 600s. It means that dominated heating power will be generated in the fusion reactions. Controlling the plasma confinement requires monitoring power generation, fuel mix, plasma density and temperature. The products of the DD and DT fusion reactions are neutrons with energies of 2.5-MeV and 14-MeV, respectively. Neutrons carried out the unperturbed information about their source. Therefore, neutron measurement allows for fusion power determination.

The Radial Neutron Camera (RNC) for ITER aims at the time-resolved measurement of neutron emissivity distribution and associated fusion power density. The RNC will also provide information about ion temperature, fuel ratio and plasma position. The RNC will be located in the ITER Equatorial Port #01 and consist of two systems: in-port and ex-port. Both are composed of collimating structures with neutron detectors at the ends. The in-port part includes six detectors located in the port plug in the tokamak wall and observes plasma edges. The ex-port system probes the core plasma and is placed in a further position. The measurement along collimated lines of sight by 22 detectors allows for the reconstruction of the neutron emissivity over the plasma poloidal cross-section.

Diagnostic scheme

The RNC Consortium is close to finishing the design of the in-port part of the system and moving forward to the manufacturing. The team working on this diagnostic is led by ENEA and includes the IPPLM, IST and IFJ PAN. At the end of in-port collimators, two detectors will be placed in line: a single Crystal Diamond matrix (sCD) and a ²³⁸U Fission Chamber (FC). The preliminary design assumed a water cooling system for diamond detectors protection. Due to the strict ITER requirements, a high-temperature resistant sCD has been developed and tested. The elimination of the cooling system close to the tokamak wall reduces the safety risk. The fabrication of the port plug is planned to be completed in 2025.

Example of the tomographic accuracy		Example of the tomographic result

Source: IPPLM, https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu

On 20-24 June, 2022, the 23^rd International Stellarator-Heliotron Workshop (ISHW) was held at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw. The host of the event was the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion. Over 130 participants arrived from Poland and abroad. Among the guests were the leading reserchers from e.g. Germany, Spain, Japan and the United States.

The topics discussed during the conference included, among others, optimization of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, the concepts of the magnetic field generated by a complex system of coils, the study of the behavior of particles in plasma and the concept of a reactor based on a stellarator or heliotron.

The chairman of the Local Organizing Committee and a member of the International Scientific Committee was Ms. Monika Kubkowska, the IPPLM professor.

After the conference, on 24 June (Friday), the Stellarator-Heliotron Coordinated Working Group Meeting (CWGM) was also held to discuss joint experiments on fusion devices located in Germany (W7-X), Japan (LHD, Heliotron-J), Spain (TJ-II) and the United States (HSX).

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