Réf ABG-139485 Sujet de Thèse
09/06/2026 Autre financement public
AMU
Lieu de travail
MARSEILLE - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - France
Intitulé du sujet
Modeling of dissipative regimes in next generation high-field compact tokamaks: development of con-trol methods for detached plasma.
Champs scientifiques
Sciences de l’ingénieur
Numérique
Physique
Mots clés
Magnetic fusion - tokamak - numerical modelling-ITER
Description du sujet
High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets represent a major breakthrough for nuclear fusion, enabling the development of compact, economically viable reactors with high power density. However, their design still faces significant physical and technological challenges, making advanced numerical modeling essential for progress. As for ITER, one of the key challenges remains power exhaust, as steady-state heat fluxes could exceed the technological limits of plasma-facing components (PFCs). Various strategies allow tokamaks to operate in dissipative regimes, such as impurity injection (Neon, Argon), which dissipates energy at the edge but dilutes the plasma. Among these, the detached plasma regime is particularly promising, as it dramatically reduces plasma temperature at the wall, leading to recombination into a protective neutral layer that shields PFCs from the hot core plasma.
While achieving this regime is relatively straightforward, controlling it in high-power machines remains a major challenge. Power fluctuations across the separatrix can trigger transients where the neutral layer reionizes, reattaching the plasma and risking PFC damage. Developing reactive control methods—capable of acting within appropriate timeframes—is therefore critical to protect PFCs continuously. This response time depends on the "burn-through" time—the duration required for plasma to ionize neutrals near the wall during a power transient.
This thesis aims to study these regimes through numerical modeling, particularly to predict transient power timescales and optimize steady-state detached plasma operation to maximize burn-through time. The ultimate goal is to achieve a state where neutrals never fully ionize during transients, enabling passive absorption of disturbances.
To accomplish this, two modeling approaches will be used:
First-principles simulations with SOLEDGE3X-EIRENE (co-developed by the collaborating teams) for realistic simulations.
Reduced-order models for parametric studies and extrapolating results to different machines.
Profil du candidat / Candidate profile :
Master ou diplôme d'ingénieur en physique des plasmas, mathématiques appliquées ou mécanique des fluides / Master's degree or engineering diploma in plasma physics, applied mathematics or fluid mechanics,
Related publications :
H. Bufferand, et al. “Progress in edge plasma turbulence modelling—hierarchy of models from 2D transport application to 3D fluid simulations in realistic tokamak geometry”. In: Nuclear Fusion 61.11 (2021), p. 116052.
J. Bucalossi, et al. “Operating a full tungsten actively cooled tokamak: overview of WEST first phase of operation”. In: Nuclear Fusion 62.4 (2022), p. 042007.
Prise de fonction :
01/10/2026
Nature du financement
Autre financement public
Précisions sur le financement
PEPR SupraFusion
Présentation établissement et labo d'accueil
AMU
Unité de recherche en Sciences pour l'Ingénieur, le laboratoire a un spectre large et continu de recherches allant de la recherche à caractère fondamental motivée par la volonté d’accroître les connaissances à la recherche à caractère finalisé liée à des problèmes économiques et sociétaux, en lien étroit avec des partenaires privés. L'originalité du M2P2 réside dans ses thématiques de recherche dans le domaine de la Mécanique des Fluides Numérique
Site web :
https://www.m2p2.fr/
Intitulé du doctorat
Doctorat en Sciences de l'Ingénieur
Pays d'obtention du doctorat
France
Etablissement délivrant le doctorat
Aix-Marseille Université
Ecole doctorale
Sciences pour l'ingénieur : mécanique, physique, micro et nanoélectronique
Profil du candidat
Master ou diplôme d'ingénieur en physique des plasmas, mathématiques appliquées ou mécanique des fluides / Master's degree or engineering diploma in plasma physics, applied mathematics or fluid mechanics,
Date limite de candidature
31/07/2026
