Controlling Fusion Plasmas: Microturbulence Center for Simulation of Plasma Microturbulence (CSPM) Developing computational tools that will advance the understanding of microturbulence and its role in confinement of fusion plasmas William M. Nevins (project webpage) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Plasma microturbulence is a critical issue to the magnetic fusion program because it controls the energy confinement and thereby determines the performance of a burning plasma experiment. A key goal of magnetic fusion programs worldwide is the construction and operation of a burning plasma experiment. The performance of such an experiment is determined by the rate at which energy is transported out of the hot core (where fusion reactions take place) to the colder edge plasma (which is in contact with material surfaces). The dominant mechanism for this transport of thermal energy is plasma microturbulence excited by radial gradients in the plasma temperature and density.

Science Application: Fusion Science

Project Title: Center for Simulation of Plasma Microturbulence (CSPM)

Principal Investigator: William M. Nevins
Affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Project Webpage: http://fusion.gat.com/theory/CSPM

Participating Institutions and Co-Investigators:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - W. M. Nevins (PI)
General Atomics - J. Candy, R. Waltz
Massachusetts Institure of Technology - D. Ernst
University of Maryland - W. Dorland
University of Colorado - S. Parker, Y. Chen
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory - G. Hammett, G. Rewoldt

Funding Partners: Office of Science — Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research and Office of Fusion Energy Sciences

Budget and Duration: Approximately $0.85 million per year for three years ¹

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