Highlights for Fiscal Year 2006
Fiscal year 2006 (October 2005 – September 2006) brought exciting new capabilities and results on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX),
very high quality component construction on the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX), the
signing of the ITER Agreement at the ministerial level, strong contributions from theory and advanced computing,
excellent results from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s (PPPL) collaborations on Doublet III-D (DIII-D), Alcator C-Mod and the Joint European Torus (JET), as well as a new deeper layer of understanding of the basic physics of magnetic reconnection. We also contributed fundamental understanding of how black holes
interact with the plasma that swirls around them and how intense ion beams can be focused. We continued in the development of micro-aviation vehicles and tools to detect rogue radioactive materials for homeland security. This was an exciting year at PPPL.
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Highlights for Fiscal Year 2005
Fiscal year 2005 (10/2004 - 09/2005) was another year of excellent progress towards the Laboratory's goal of practical fusion energy. New diagnostics, a new coil configuration, and new control systems were brought on line for the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). These upgrades have permitted both deeper understanding and improved performance. The plasma discharge duration in NSTX was increased through improved shaping leading to the control of Edge-localized Modes. Plasma current generation without an internal transformer was dramatically demonstrated. Plasma stability was enhanced using new field-error control capabilities. The role of magnetic shear in improving electron thermal transport was studied in detail. Lithium coating was shown to be useful for density control for the first time in a diverted plasma. Finally, detailed measurements were made of fast-ion losses due to the excitation of a "Sea of Alfvén Modes," which are anticipated to play a role on ITER as well.
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