Plasma real time control by calorimetry

Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-26-0425  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Corpuscular physics and outer space

Thesis topics

Plasma real time control by calorimetry

Contract

Thèse

Job description

Inside thermonuclear fusion devices, plasma facing components are subject to intense heat fluxes. The WEST tokamak has water cooled plasma facing components to limit their heating. Calorimetric measurement on these components allows for the measurement of the power received by each component. This makes it possible to control the plasma position or the additional plasma heating in function of the power distribution.
During this PhD, a simulation of plasma control using calorimetry will be performed, simulating the heat fluxes received by the components as a function of the plasma position and the associated calorimetric response. In-situ calorimetric measurements will be carried out on the components at the top and bottom of the machine during dedicated plasma experiments to refine the simulations and the control of the WEST plasma position based on calorimetric measurements will finally be implemented and validated during dedicated experiments, for plasma-facing components protection and plasma physics purposes.

University / doctoral school

Sciences pour l’Ingénieur : Mécanique, Physique, Micro et Nanoélectronique (SIMPMN)
Aix-Marseille Université

Thesis topic location

Site

Cadarache

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2026

Person to be contacted by the applicant

GERARDIN Jonathan jonathan.gerardin@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFM/SI2P/GP3
CEA Cadarache
IRFM/STEP/GPAS, bât. 513
13108 St-Paul-lez-Durance

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

NOUAILLETAS Rémy remy.nouailletas@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFM/STEP/GPAM
CEA Cadarache
IRFM/STEP/GPAS, bât. 513
13108 St-Paul-lez-Durance
0442254825

En savoir plus