Introduction and overview: Chapter 1 of the special issue: on the path to tokamak burning plasma operation
Abstract The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) has developed a comprehensive overview of the results of its coordinated R&D activities in fusion physics and diagnostics implemented during the past two decades with the aim of developing an improved physics basis for the operation of tokamak burning plasma experiments. Here, an introduction is presented to key concepts in the physics of burning plasmas in tokamaks, together with an overview of the scope of the principal areas of physics R&D pursued by the ITPA Topical Physics Groups in which the critical issues, major areas of progress and most significant recent results are highlighted. This paper introduces the following collection of articles, which encompass detailed presentations of the progress achieved by the Topical Groups in preparing the physics basis for the operation of tokamak burning plasma experiments expected to come into operation in the 2030s.
Authors
- W. Suttrop (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0983-8881)
- M. Salewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3699-679X)
- D. Campbell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1668-9538)
- C. M. Greenfield (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7053-1358)
- S. D. Pinches (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0132-945X)
- Hanol Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2292-0919)
- E. Tsitrone
- M. Yoshida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2899-1323)
- A. Fasoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4319-5736)
- R. M. McDermott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8958-8714)
- R.J. Hawryluk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3172-9115)
- F. M. Poli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3959-4371)
- A. J. H. Donné (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9782-138X)
- Eugenio Schuster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7703-6771)
- Didier Mazon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5560-2277)
- A. Hubbard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8469-780X)
- S. I. Konovalov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9665-0344)
- M.E. Fenstermacher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-7330)
- Abhijit Sen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9878-4330)
- Donald A. SPONG (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2370-1873)
- K. Krieger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0427-8184)
- A. Loarte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9592-1117)
- Yong-Su Na (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7270-3846)
- G. Vayakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5133-5551)
- I. Bandyopadhyay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7334-2683)
- B.N. Wan
Institutions
- ITER (FR)
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Seoul National University of Education (KR)
- Lehigh University (US)
- Homi Bhabha National Institute (IN)
- Princeton University (US)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (US)
- Kurchatov Institute (RU)
- New Generation University College (ET)
- Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KR)
- Institute for Plasma Research (IN)
- CEA Cadarache (FR)
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (JP)
- Institute of Plasma Physics (CN)
- Fusion (United States) (US)
- Plasma Technology (United States) (US)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (DE)
- Fusion Academy (US)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nuclear Fusion
- Published
- 2025-08-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adf126
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.87