This project focuses on analyzing plasma density and temperature measurements made on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, operatingat MIT between 1991-2016. To this day, it holds the record for volume averaged plasma pressure in a magnetic fusion device. While it is no longer operational, the device is among the closest in parameter space to the next generation of devices, as it operated at high magnetic field and high density.
This project focuses on analyzing plasma density and temperature measurements made on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, operatingat MIT between 1991-2016. To this day, it holds the record for volume averaged plasma pressure in a magnetic fusion device. While it is no longer operational, the device is among the closest in parameter space to the next generation of devices, as it operated at high magnetic field and high density. Recent interest in the international community in better understanding how conditions in the edge of tokamaks affects core confinement and plasma operation has prompted a renewed study of data from C-Mod in an attempt to improve predictive models for successful operation of tokamak reactors.
The goal of this project is to help develop a streamlined workflow for analyzing Thomson scattering data for database creation and analysis. The student will start by creating routines to identify plasma discharges of interest. The student will then apply existing data analysis routines, while attempting to find ways to streamline and generalize the process for analyzing Thomson scattering measurements. The student will then create an SQL database, populated with all discharges of interest, and look for ways to organize the data and begin identifying trends. Throughout the project, the student will learn about measuring plasma properties in a tokamak, and why predicting things like electron density and temperature profiles are vital to ensuring successful tokamak operation. The project will involve collaboration with scientists across the international community, in particular at the AUG, JET, and WEST tokamaks in Germany, England, and France, as well as with DIII-D in San Diego. The student will also learn about state-of-the art models for plasma edge turbulence and will use Alcator C-Mod as a testbed for evaluating these and making predictions for next-generation devices like SPARC.
Head to MIT's UROP site to apply for this opportunity.
