Scientific Calendar Event



Description

An ICTP-IAEA Meeting

Participants will attend two week-long intensive school featuring experts' lectures from the academia and the private sector, to develop a wider understanding of fusion energy and provide them opportunities to connect with leading researchers.

Research into fusion is entering an exciting new era with several large facilities aiming to achieve the crucial milestone of net energy gain. To create sustained fusion reactions, fusion fuel must be heated to 100 million degrees. The fuel is rapidly converted to plasma, which is extremely difficult to confine and control. New international facilities using high energy lasers and superconducting magnets are crucial steps on the way to reliable fusion energy but there are still many challenges to overcome. This school will prepare to address these challenges. Participants will be introduced to the skills in computational and experimental plasma physics, and conduct cutting-edge research and technology under the guidance of leading international scientists and engineers. Participants will have the opportunities to interact with world-class international fusion experts, making the Fusion Energy School an excellent way to explore your interest in fusion and prepare for a career in this field.
 
Core lectures:
  • Plasma Physics for Fusion
  • Magnetic Confinement Fusion
  • Inertial Confinement Fusion
  • Plasma Diagnostic Techniques
  • Fusion Energy Technology
  • Fusion Fuel Cycle
  • Fusion Safety and Regulation
  • Fusion Legal and Institutional Aspects
  • Workshop on Designing DEMOs and Pilot Plants
  • Fusion Laboratory
Option lectures:
  • High Performance Computing
  • AI/ML Methods in Fusion
  • Low Temperature Plasma Science and Technology
  • Laser Interactions and High Density Plasmas
  • Astrophysical Plasmas
  • Lasers and Atom-Light Interactions
  • Nuclear Data

Call for Contributed Poster Abstracts: All applicants are encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster presentation. Abstract templates are available below for download.

Grants: A limited number of grants are available to support the attendance of selected participants, with priority given to participants from developing countries. There is no registration fee.

Go to day
  • Monday, 12 May 2025
    • 09:30 - 17:00
      • 09:30 Welcome Remarks 30'
        Speaker: Ralf KAISER (ICTP, Italy), Palak JAIN (IAEA, Austria), Lee PACKER (IAEA, Austria & UKAEA, UK), Laura WHEATLEY (IAEA, Austria)
      • 10:00 Introduction to fusion 1h0'
        Speaker: Palak JAIN (IAEA, Austria)
      • 11:00 Group Photo 5'
      • 11:05 Coffee Break 25'
      • 11:30 Introduction to plasma physics 1h0'
        Speaker: Yasmin ANDREW (Imperial College London, UK)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Plasma confinement - Magnetic 1h0'
        Speaker: Yasmin ANDREW (Imperial College London, UK)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Workforce development session 1h30'
        Speaker: Laura WHEATLEY (IAEA, Vienna)
  • Tuesday, 13 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Low temperature plasma applications 1h0'
        Speaker: Rajdeep Singh RAWAT (Nanyang Technological University, National Institute of Education. School of Science, Singapore)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 High energy density Z-pinch plasmas as novel tool for innovations in material processing and synthesis technologies 1h0'
        Speaker: Rajdeep Singh RAWAT (Nanyang Technological University, National Institute of Education. School of Science, Singapore)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Plasma confinement 1h0'
        Remote
        Speaker: Ryan MC CLARREN (University of Notre Dame, USA)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Climate change and Fusion Energy 1h30'
        Speaker: Ralf KAISER (ICTP, Italy)
    • 18:30 - 20:00
      • 18:30 Welcome Reception 20'
        All Participants are cordially invited to the Welcome Reception
  • Wednesday, 14 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Plasma material interaction 1h0'
        Speaker: Saskia MORDIJCK (William & Mary, USA)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Neutronics for Fusion Part I 1h0'
        Speaker: Lee PACKER (IAEA, Austria & UKAEA, UK)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Core edge integration 1h0'
        Speaker: Saskia MORDIJCK (William & Mary, USA)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Career session 1h30'
        Speaker: Palak JAIN (IAEA, Austria)
  • Thursday, 15 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Neutronics for Fusion Part II 1h0'
        Speaker: Lee PACKER (IAEA, Austria & UKAEA, UK)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Materials science in fusion environment 1h0'
        Speaker: Laura WHEATLEY (IAEA, Vienna)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Introduction magnetic confinment fusion engineering 1h0'
        Speaker: Michael ZARNSTORFF (PPPL and Stellarex, Inc., USA)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Hands-on training session 1h30'
        Remote
        Speaker: Ryan MC CLARREN (University of Notre Dame, USA)
  • Friday, 16 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 14:00
      • 10:00 How to operate a fusion device - plasma ops 1h0'
        Speaker: Eva BELONOHY (EUROfusion Consortium, Germany)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Q&A with students 1h0'
        Speaker: Palak JAIN (IAEA, Austria) & Laura WHEATLEY (IAEA, Vienna)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
  • Monday, 19 May 2025
    • 09:30 - 17:00
      • 09:30 Welcome and Recap Week 1 30'
        Speaker: Ralf KAISER (ICTP, Italy), Matteo BARBARINO (IAEA, Austria), Ryan WAGNER (IAEA, Austria)
      • 10:00 Worldwide fusion initiatives and the role of international collaboration 1h0'
        Speaker: Matteo BARBARINO (IAEA, Austria)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 JET record DT pulse combining scenario development and operational insights 1h0'
        Speaker: Joelle MAILLOUX (UKAEA, UK)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Presentations by students: individual research 1h0'
        Speaker: Matteo BARBARINO (IAEA, Austria)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Data science and ML for fusion 1h30'
        Speaker: Cristina REA (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Centre, USA)
  • Tuesday, 20 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Introduction to Inertial Fusion Energy Technology 1h0'
        Speaker: Clement GOYON (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Fusion Fuel Cycle 1h0'
        Speaker: Tim TEICHMANN (Kyoto Fusioneering, Germany)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Innovations in superconducting coils 1h0'
        Speaker: Victor PROST (Renaissance Fusion, France)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Presentations by students: individual research 1h30'
        Speaker: Ryan WAGNER (IAEA, Austria)
  • Wednesday, 21 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Tritium breeding 1h0'
        Speaker: Long ZHANG (Southwestern Institute of Physics, China)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Innovations in materials 1h0'
        Speaker: TBA
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Remote handling (RACE) 1h0'
        Speaker: Nick SYKES (UKAEA, UK)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Importance of Public-Private partnership in the fusion industry 1h30'
        Speaker: Nitendra SINGH (ITER Organization, France)
  • Thursday, 22 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 17:00
      • 10:00 Fusion power plant design 1h0'
        Speaker: Ryan WAGNER (IAEA, Austria)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 The ITER Project + Virtual ITER Tour 1h0'
        Speaker: Simon MCINTOSH (ITER Organization, France)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'
      • 14:00 Innovations in control 1h0'
        Remote
        Speaker: Eugenio SCHUSTER (Lehigh University, USA)
      • 15:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 15:30 Hands-on training session 1h30'
        Speaker: Simon MCINTOSH ( ITER Organization, France) (remote) and Nathan CUMMINGS (UKAEA, UK)
  • Friday, 23 May 2025
    • 10:00 - 14:00
      • 10:00 Pathways to fusion energy 1h0'
        Speaker: Matteo BARBARINO (IAEA, Austria), Ryan WAGNER (IAEA, Austria)
      • 11:00 Coffee Break 30'
      • 11:30 Group Photo 5'
      • 11:35 Closing & Certificates 55'
        Speaker: Ralf KAISER (ICTP, Italy), Matteo BARBARINO (IAEA, Austria), Ryan WAGNER (IAEA, Austria)
      • 12:30 Lunch Break 1h30'