Magnum-PSI
Magnum-PSI
Magnum-PSI is a unique laboratory facility that uses a high-density low temperature plasma source and superconducting magnet to produce and even exceed the heat and particle fluxes expected in the heat exhaust region (divertor) of a fusion reactor. This capability is combined with good access to the plasma-material interaction region for diagnostics and sample manipulation. It can be used to study plasma-wall interaction processes for fusion reactors, and to carry out material studies under extreme conditions. It is a key facility for the European fusion research (EUROfusion) programme and is used by researchers from all over the world.
Infrastructure and User Services
In Magnum-PSI, a cascaded arc plasma source produces a low temperature, dense plasma which is guided to the target by a superconducting magnet. This linear plasma generator is the only laboratory experiment in the world capable of producing the extreme conditions near the wall of the ITER reactor and future fusion reactors. A multitude of diagnostics is employed to analyze the plasma and the wall material during and after exposure. The infrastructure further consists of:
- Upgraded Pilot-PSI (UPP), which is a linear plasma generator used for ion beam analysis of materials during fusion-relevant plasma exposures. The device enables analysis of the top few micrometers of a material during plasma exposure, being the first facility of its kind to be able to study dynamic processes this way during high flux plasma.
- An Ion Beam Facility (IBF) which features a 2.7 MV Singletron ion accelerator for detailed studies of the surface morphology after plasma exposure. The IBF has beam lines to Magnum-PSI, UPP, a standalone Ion Beam Analysis Station, and DIFFER's Irradiation-Corrosion Experiment (DICE). The IBF offers various ion beam analysis techniques such as RBS, ERD,NRA, PIXE and PIGE.
- The Liquid Metal Shield Laboratory (LiMeS-Lab) is a laboratory facility used to test the use of liquid metals in fusion reactor walls, which would offer a more resilient self-healing wall. The laboratory consists of a 3D printer for the printing of a sponge-like tungsten wall that can contain the liquid metal, and a plasma set-up to test prototypes. LiMeS-Lab is currently under construction.
Examples/description of the type of research
The Magnum-PSI facility is used for the development and testing of materials suitable for fusion and fission energy applications, including handling the extreme conditions of the plasma and heat flux. The facility has the unique capacity to test materials under conditions relevant to fusion energy applications, including addressing fluence (aging) conditions in a practical time duration for the tests. It is also equipped with a wide variety of specialized diagnostics enabling studies of plasma properties. DICE allows molten salt reactor (MSR) structural material testing under simultaneous ion-irradiation and salt-corrosion. UPP enables studies of dynamic processes, and can also be used to simulate the synergistic effects of combined plasma and neutron loading that would take place in fusion reactors.
In the development area, the institute is implementing a strategy to look at novel materials to enable liquid metal solutions that potentially could allow routine operation at even more extreme conditions. The choice of these facilities well matches community needs with facilities that can be operated by an institute of this size.
How to access the infrastructure
In order to obtain access to Magnum-PSI, a research proposal must be submitted using the form on the DIFFER website or via direct contact with the scientific program committee. A Scientific Program Committee reviews and selects the submitted proposals once every two weeks.
The applicant will be informed about the outcome, including a motivation and/or a suggestion to adapt the proposal if necessary. Successful proposals are then further elaborated together and presented to the operational and scientific teams for additional feedback.