Disruption Group

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Picture credits: Jenn Scarborough / PSFC
MIT PSFC Disruption Studies Group — Cambridge MA, September 2023.

The MIT PSFC Disruptions Team is actively engaged in developing solutions for Prediction, Avoidance, and Mitigation of disruptive events in current fusion experiments and next generation devices, like ITER and SPARC. The team includes focus areas in MHD and Stability Physics, Energetic Electrons, and AI-driven algorithms for disruption prediction and avoidance. The team plays a key role in SPARC Disruption Strategies and MHD Physics research, for example leading the development of the Runaway Electron Mitigation Coil (REMC) and contributing to several stability observers to be integrated in SPARC's pulse planning framework. Along the same lines, the team also contributes to ITER research by participating in several International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) Topical Groups. In particular, Dr. Rea is the Spokeperson for MDC-22 joint activity in the MHD, Disruptions, and Control ITPA Group, focused on advancing research to design the trigger algorithm for the Disruption Mitigation System on ITER.


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