| 1. |
- Coda, S., et al.
(author)
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Overview of the TCV tokamak program : Scientific progress and facility upgrades
- 2017
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : Institute of Physics Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 57:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The TCV tokamak is augmenting its unique historical capabilities (strong shaping, strong electron heating) with ion heating, additional electron heating compatible with high densities, and variable divertor geometry, in a multifaceted upgrade program designed to broaden its operational range without sacrificing its fundamental flexibility. The TCV program is rooted in a three-pronged approach aimed at ITER support, explorations towards DEMO, and fundamental research. A 1 MW, tangential neutral beam injector (NBI) was recently installed and promptly extended the TCV parameter range, with record ion temperatures and toroidal rotation velocities and measurable neutral-beam current drive. ITER-relevant scenario development has received particular attention, with strategies aimed at maximizing performance through optimized discharge trajectories to avoid MHD instabilities, such as peeling-ballooning and neoclassical tearing modes. Experiments on exhaust physics have focused particularly on detachment, a necessary step to a DEMO reactor, in a comprehensive set of conventional and advanced divertor concepts. The specific theoretical prediction of an enhanced radiation region between the two X-points in the low-field-side snowflake-minus configuration was experimentally confirmed. Fundamental investigations of the power decay length in the scrape-off layer (SOL) are progressing rapidly, again in widely varying configurations and in both D and He plasmas; in particular, the double decay length in L-mode limited plasmas was found to be replaced by a single length at high SOL resistivity. Experiments on disruption mitigation by massive gas injection and electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) have begun in earnest, in parallel with studies of runaway electron generation and control, in both stable and disruptive conditions; a quiescent runaway beam carrying the entire electrical current appears to develop in some cases. Developments in plasma control have benefited from progress in individual controller design and have evolved steadily towards controller integration, mostly within an environment supervised by a tokamak profile control simulator. TCV has demonstrated effective wall conditioning with ECRH in He in support of the preparations for JT-60SA operation.
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| 2. |
- Marco, Aitor, et al.
(author)
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A Variable Structure Control Scheme Proposal for the Tokamak a Configuration Variable
- 2019
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In: Complexity. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1076-2787 .- 1099-0526.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fusion power is the most significant prospects in the long-term future of energy in the sense that it composes a potentially clean, cheap, and unlimited power source that would substitute the widespread traditional nonrenewable energies, reducing the geographical dependence on their sources as well as avoiding collateral environmental impacts. Although the nuclear fusion research started in the earlier part of 20th century and the fusion reactors have been developed since the 1950s, the fusion reaction processes achieved have not yet obtained net power, since the generated plasma requires more energy to achieve and remain in necessary particular pressure and temperature conditions than the produced profitable energy. For this purpose, the plasma has to be confined inside a vacuum vessel, as it is the case of the Tokamak reactor, which consists of a device that generates magnetic fields within a toroidal chamber, being one of the most promising solutions nowadays. However, the Tokamak reactors still have several issues such as the presence of plasma instabilities that provokes a decay of the fusion reaction and, consequently, a reduction in the pulse duration. In this sense, since long pulse reactions are the key to produce net power, the use of robust and fast controllers arises as a useful tool to deal with the unpredictability and the small time constant of the plasma behavior. In this context, this article focuses on the application of robust control laws to improve the controllability of the plasma current, a crucial parameter during the plasma heating and confinement processes. In particular, a variable structure control scheme based on sliding surfaces, namely, a sliding mode controller (SMC) is presented and applied to the plasma current control problem. In order to test the validity and goodness of the proposed controller, its behavior is compared to that of the traditional PID schemes applied in these systems, using the RZIp model for the Tokamak a Configuration Variable (TCV) reactor. The obtained results are very promising, leading to consider this controller as a strong candidate to enhance the performance of the PID-based controllers usually employed in this kind of systems.
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| 3. |
- Fenstermacher, M.E., et al.
(author)
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DIII-D research advancing the physics basis for optimizing the tokamak approach to fusion energy
- 2022
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 62:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DIII-D physics research addresses critical challenges for the operation of ITER and the next generation of fusion energy devices. This is done through a focus on innovations to provide solutions for high performance long pulse operation, coupled with fundamental plasma physics understanding and model validation, to drive scenario development by integrating high performance core and boundary plasmas. Substantial increases in off-axis current drive efficiency from an innovative top launch system for EC power, and in pressure broadening for Alfven eigenmode control from a co-/counter-I p steerable off-axis neutral beam, all improve the prospects for optimization of future long pulse/steady state high performance tokamak operation. Fundamental studies into the modes that drive the evolution of the pedestal pressure profile and electron vs ion heat flux validate predictive models of pedestal recovery after ELMs. Understanding the physics mechanisms of ELM control and density pumpout by 3D magnetic perturbation fields leads to confident predictions for ITER and future devices. Validated modeling of high-Z shattered pellet injection for disruption mitigation, runaway electron dissipation, and techniques for disruption prediction and avoidance including machine learning, give confidence in handling disruptivity for future devices. For the non-nuclear phase of ITER, two actuators are identified to lower the L-H threshold power in hydrogen plasmas. With this physics understanding and suite of capabilities, a high poloidal beta optimized-core scenario with an internal transport barrier that projects nearly to Q = 10 in ITER at ∼8 MA was coupled to a detached divertor, and a near super H-mode optimized-pedestal scenario with co-I p beam injection was coupled to a radiative divertor. The hybrid core scenario was achieved directly, without the need for anomalous current diffusion, using off-axis current drive actuators. Also, a controller to assess proximity to stability limits and regulate β N in the ITER baseline scenario, based on plasma response to probing 3D fields, was demonstrated. Finally, innovative tokamak operation using a negative triangularity shape showed many attractive features for future pilot plant operation.
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| 4. |
- Bruzzi, M, et al.
(author)
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Radiation-hard semiconductor detectors for SuperLHC
- 2005
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In: Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5087 .- 0168-9002. ; 541:1-2, s. 189-201
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An option of increasing the luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN to 1035 cm-2 s-1 has been envisaged to extend the physics reach of the machine. An efficient tracking down to a few centimetres from the interaction point will be required to exploit the physics potential of the upgraded LHC. As a consequence, the semiconductor detectors close to the interaction region will receive severe doses of fast hadron irradiation and the inner tracker detectors will need to survive fast hadron fluences of up to above 1016cm-2. The CERN-RD50 project "Development of Radiation Hard Semiconductor Devices for Very High Luminosity Colliders" has been established in 2002 to explore detector materials and technologies that will allow to operate devices up to, or beyond, this limit. The strategies followed by RD50 to enhance the radiation tolerance include the development of new or defect engineered detector materials (SiC, GaN, Czochralski and epitaxial silicon, oxygen enriched Float Zone silicon), the improvement of present detector designs and the understanding of the microscopic defects causing the degradation of the irradiated detectors. The latest advancements within the RD50 collaboration on radiation hard semiconductor detectors will be reviewed and discussed in this work.
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| 5. |
- Bombelli, F. B., et al.
(author)
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DNA Closed Nanostructures: A Structural and Monte Carlo Simulation Study
- 2008
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5207 .- 1520-6106. ; 112:48, s. 15283-15294
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DNA nanoconstructs are obtained in solution by using six unique 42-mer DNA oligonucleotides, whose sequences have been designed to form a pseudohexagonal structure. The required flexibility is provided by the insertion of two non-base-paired thymines in the middle of each sequence that work as flexible hinges and constitute the corners of the nanostructure when formed. We show that hexagonally shaped nanostructures of about 7 nm diameter and their corresponding linear open constructs are formed by self-assembly of the specifically designed linear oligonucleotides. The structural and dynamical characterization of the nanostructure is obtained in situ for the first time by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), a noninvasive method that provides a fast dynamic and structural analysis and allows the characterization of the different synthetic DNA nanoconstructs in solution. A validation of the LS results is obtained through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In particular, a mesoscale molecular model for DNA, developed by Knotts et al., is exploited to perform MC simulations and to obtain information about the conformations as well as the conformational flexibilities of these nanostructures, while AFM provides a very detailed particle analysis that yields an estimation of the particle size and size distribution. The structural features obtained by MC and AFM are in good agreement with DLS, showing that DLS is a fast and reliable tool for characterization of DNA nanostructures in solution. © 2008 American Chemical Society.
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| 6. |
- Bouget, D., et al.
(author)
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Preoperative Brain Tumor Imaging: Models and Software for Segmentation and Standardized Reporting
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Neurology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-2295. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For patients suffering from brain tumor, prognosis estimation and treatment decisions are made by a multidisciplinary team based on a set of preoperative MR scans. Currently, the lack of standardized and automatic methods for tumor detection and generation of clinical reports, incorporating a wide range of tumor characteristics, represents a major hurdle. In this study, we investigate the most occurring brain tumor types: glioblastomas, lower grade gliomas, meningiomas, and metastases, through four cohorts of up to 4,000 patients. Tumor segmentation models were trained using the AGU-Net architecture with different preprocessing steps and protocols. Segmentation performances were assessed in-depth using a wide-range of voxel and patient-wise metrics covering volume, distance, and probabilistic aspects. Finally, two software solutions have been developed, enabling an easy use of the trained models and standardized generation of clinical reports: Raidionics and Raidionics-Slicer. Segmentation performances were quite homogeneous across the four different brain tumor types, with an average true positive Dice ranging between 80 and 90%, patient-wise recall between 88 and 98%, and patient-wise precision around 95%. In conjunction to Dice, the identified most relevant other metrics were the relative absolute volume difference, the variation of information, and the Hausdorff, Mahalanobis, and object average symmetric surface distances. With our Raidionics software, running on a desktop computer with CPU support, tumor segmentation can be performed in 16-54 s depending on the dimensions of the MRI volume. For the generation of a standardized clinical report, including the tumor segmentation and features computation, 5-15 min are necessary. All trained models have been made open-access together with the source code for both software solutions and validation metrics computation. In the future, a method to convert results from a set of metrics into a final single score would be highly desirable for easier ranking across trained models. In addition, an automatic classification of the brain tumor type would be necessary to replace manual user input. Finally, the inclusion of post-operative segmentation in both software solutions will be key for generating complete post-operative standardized clinical reports.
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| 7. |
- Bucciarelli, Saskia, et al.
(author)
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Unusual dynamics of concentration fluctuations in solutions of weakly attractive globular proteins
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185 .- 1089-5639. ; 6:22, s. 4470-4474
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The globular protein γB-crystallin exhibits a complex phase behavior, where liquid–liquid phase separation characterized by a critical volume fraction ϕc = 0.154 and a critical temperature Tc = 291.8 K coexists with dynamical arrest on all length scales at volume fractions around ϕ ≈ 0.3–0.35, and an arrest line that extends well into the unstable region below the spinodal. However, although the static properties such as the osmotic compressibility and the static correlation length are in quantitative agreement with predictions for binary liquid mixtures, this is not the case for the dynamics of concentration fluctuations described by the dynamic structure factor S(q,t). Using a combination of dynamic light scattering and neutron spin echo measurements, we demonstrate that the competition between critical slowing down and dynamical arrest results in a much more complex wave vector dependence of S(q,t) than previously anticipated.
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| 8. |
- Creely, A. J., et al.
(author)
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Overview of the SPARC tokamak
- 2020
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In: Journal of Plasma Physics. - 0022-3778 .- 1469-7807. ; 86:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B-0 = 12.2 T), compact (R-0 = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H-98,H- y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H-98,H- y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q approximate to 11 and P-fusion approximate to 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (< n(e)> approximate to 3 x 10(20) m(-3)), high temperature (< Te > approximate to 7 keV) and high power density (P-fusion/V-plasma approximate to 7 MWm(-3)) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC's place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.
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| 9. |
- Lennartsson, Anders, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Reversible Guest Binding in a Non-Porous FeII Coordination Polymer Host Toggles Spin Crossover
- 2015
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In: Chemistry - A European Journal. - : Wiley. - 1521-3765 .- 0947-6539. ; 21:45, s. 16066-16072
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Formation of either a dimetallic compound or a 1D coordination polymer of adiponitrile adducts of [Fe(bpte)]2+ (bpte=[1,2-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)thio]ethane) can be controlled by the choice of counteranion. The iron(II) atoms of the bis(adiponitrile)-bridged dimeric complex [Fe2(bpte)2(μ2-(NC(CH2)4CN)2](SbF6)4 (2) are low spin at room temperature, as are those in the polymeric adiponitrile-linked acetone solvate polymer {[Fe(bpte)(μ2-NC(CH2)4CN)](BPh4)2 Me2CO} (3Me2CO). On heating 3Me2CO to 80°C, the acetone is abruptly removed with an accompanying purple to dull lavender colour change corresponding to a conversion to a high-spin compound. Cooling reveals that the desolvate 3 shows hysteretic and abrupt spin crossover (SCO) S=0虠S=2 behaviour centred at 205K. Non-porous 3 can reversibly absorb one equivalent of acetone per iron centre to regenerate the same crystalline phase of 3Me2CO concurrently reinstating a low-spin state.
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| 10. |
- Schifano, R., et al.
(author)
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Electrical and optical characterization of 4H-SiC diodes for particle detection
- 2005
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In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 97:10, s. 103539-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The electronic and optical properties of several (medium to high quality) 4H-SiC epitaxial sensors for particle detection have been studied. The samples are n -doped Schottky diodes with different nitrogen concentrations (6× 1013 cm-3 -5× 1015 cm-3) and thicknesses (20-40 µm). A full electrical and optical characterization has been performed by capacitance versus voltage measurements and near-band-edge low-temperature photoluminescence. The effective doping along the epilayer and the depletion width have been determined and data are consistent with the charge collection efficiency characterization performed with a minimum ionizing ? -source. All the investigated samples exhibit a 100% collection efficiency. In particular, the best samples yield a highly reproducible signal, well separated from the pedestal. Photoluminescence results show a linear relationship between the effective doping and the ratio of nitrogen-bound excitonic emission (Q0) and free excitonic line (I76), in agreement with a previous work on 4H-SiC with a higher doping concentration [I. G. Ivanov, C. Hallin, A. Henry, O. Kordina, and E. Janzn, J. Appl. Phys. 80, 3504 (1996)]. Moreover we show that the dependence of the major spectral features as a function of the penetration depth of the exciting laser beam can quantitatively provide information on substrate contribution to the photoluminescence. In conclusion, we bring evidence that a detailed characterization of SiC-based detectors, by all optical techniques, yields an accurate value for the net doping and gives a qualitative information on the epilayer thickness prior to any electrical wafer tests. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.
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