Wegbereiter für ITER : der Tokamak ASDEX Upgrade

The ASDEX Upgrade tokamak fusion experiment at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching near Munich is focused entirely on preparation and support of the ITER international test reactor. Germany's present largest fusion plant is available for experimental work to scientists from all over Europe. To optimize the operation of ITER, ASDEX Upgrade, for instance, serves to develop plasma conditions combining optimum thermal insulation with long pulse duration. One example is the improved H-regime, a mode of operation with a particularly high energy content of the plasma. One of the main purposes of ASDEX Upgrade operation is to find out how to combine favorable plasma conditions of this kind with other requirements, such as stability, contamination control, and energy removal. In addition, a variety of wall materials are studied which are able to withstand the flows of power and particles in a fusion power plant.