Fusion research is accelerating, ITER needs well-trained engineers.
The worldwide collaboration on the development of nuclear fusion as a safe, clean and inexhaustible energy source, is now culminating in the construction of the large test reactor ITER. ITER is being built in Europe (in Cadarache, France) and will demonstrate 10-fold power multiplication at the 500 MW level. With ITER the science and the engineering of nuclear fusion get a major boost. ITER will also need a new generation of highly trained engineers and scientists for its operation. Eindhoven University of Technology has now selected fusion as one of its high profile areas, by starting a dedicated research group and establishing a full-blown education programme on fusion at the Master level.

Unique at Eindhoven: master study in fusion.
As of this year, 2009/2010, you can study  'Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion', 'FUSION' for short, at Eindhoven University of Technology. The TU/e is the only university in the Netherlands that offers this specialization. The curriculum is harmonized with other Universities in Europe that offer education in fusion, through the European Fusion Education Network FUSENET, that is being coordinated by the TU/e.
As of today, you can select FUSION as a specialization ('master track') within applied physics, albeit that this track will only become official in September 2010. From September 2011 an independent FUSION master will be offered.

Master Track FUSION within Applied Physics: as of now.
As of September 2009, the TU/e offers 5 specialized FUSION courses within Applied Physics, as well as 2 within Mechanical Engineering. As of September 2010, there will be an official Master Track FUSION within Applied Physics. This means: if you put together a study programme that satisfies the criteria for the FUSION Track, you will receive a Diploma Applied Physics with the (official, legally approved) additional remark: 'specialization Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion'. What those criteria are you'll find below.

Although the Master track will become official per September 2010, it is already possible to put together a study programme that will allow you to formally enter the Master track Fusion in 2010. Just take the criteria given below as guideline and come to the fusion group leader Prof. Niek Lopes Cardozo to discuss your course programme for approval Formally entering the FUSION track in September 2010 is only an administrative action, then.

Interdepartmental Master FUSION: as of September 2011
An independent Master 'Fusion' is in preparation. The aim is to go live with this Master in September 2011. But we have to go through the accreditation procedure before we can start, and that needs proper preparation and time.

The FUSION master will be interdepartmental and independent. This means: your diploma will carry the title 'Master of Science in Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion'.  (i.e. not Applied Physics, or Mechanical Engineering, or another of the established Masters).

Double master degree – under consideration.
We intend to organize the FUSION master in such a way that the programme has a compulsory core which has its center of mass somewhere between Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering, possibly with some Electrical Engineering mixed in, too. By supplementing this core with a suitable selection of elective courses, and a properly defined graduation project, it would be possible to receive a double master degree, i.e. in FUSION as well as e.g. Applied Physics or Mechanical Engineering. This would typically require a 2.5 year master phase (i.e. 6 month additional to the standard 2 years). The possibility of a double master degree ('bidiplomering') is under consideration at present – if you intend to go this way please check with the study advisor what the status is.

Once the FUSION master goes live, it will no longer be possible to start a FUSION Track. Those who started the FUSION Track before September 2011 will be given the choice to either:
-       transfer to the FUSION Master
-       finish the FUSION TRACK [1]

Criteria for the study programme for the FUSION Track.
As this is a specialization within the master Applied Physics, the criteria follow the following basic pattern:

First year:

• Specialist subjects                     12 ECTS
• Technical electives                       9 ECTS
• Free choice electives                  12 ECTS
• Interdepartmental project            8 ECTS
• Internship[2]                            19 ECTS
  

  Second year: graduation project.

 For the FUSION Track, the specifics are as follows:

• Specialist subjects: to be chosen from the following list:
    3F010 Fusion on the Back of an envelope
    3F020 Magnetic confinement in fusion reactors
    3F030 Heating and diagnosing fusion reactors
    3F040 Plasma wall interaction in fusion reactors
    3F050 Routes to fusion power

• Technical electives: according to standard criteria, showing good coherence with FUSION theme. Here, e.g. the 2 fusion courses offered by the mechanical engineering department can be accommodated:
     4K480 Control and operations of tokamaks
     4K490 Advanced control for fusion plasmas
  
  We are planning to offer additional courses on fusion technology, including nuclear materials and superconducting magnets.

• Free choice electives: no specifics – proposal by student to be discussed with Prof. Lopes Cardozo
• Interdepartmental project: as FUSION is intrinsically an interdepartmental field, there will be plenty of opportunity to define such projects.
• Internship and graduation projects: in FUSION subject, of course

Finally: if you are interested in fusion but are in doubt on how to put together a good study programme, don't hesitate to contact the FUSION group. We'll talk about the options and find out what the best course of action is.

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Smarter than ITER?
The world is concentrating on ITER as the next step towards fusion power. But there are several other – perhaps possible - routes to fusion power. Some are well established, such as Inertial Confinement Fusion, others are much less known. Yet, many of these ideas have interesting physics in them. E.g. it is possible to rigorously show that the so-called 'bubble fusion', based on sonoluminescence, can never lead to fusion power generation. But this requires quite some elaborate and instructive physics. The different subjects selected are all fascinating in their own way. To understand muon-catalyzed fusion we need to bring together knowledge of accelerator physics, atomic physics and fusion, for the fusion-fission hybrid we'll need to analyze the fuel cycles of fission and fusion reactors, consider aspects of waste and proliferation, etc. The Fusor I don't have to advertise – we'll build one in Eindhoven!

But … you can't fool nature
You can think of smart schemes, but you can't ignore the laws of physics. The Lawson criterion is clear: you need a sufficiently large product of pressure and confinement time. So you can try long confinement at low pressure (magnetic fusion) or short confinement at high pressure (inertial fusion) or something in between (dense Z-pinch, fusor, bubble fusion). Or more fundamentally, you can try to change the cross-section of the reaction (muon-catalyzed fusion), or drop the requirement of net power production altogether by combining the fusion reaction with another one (fission) and maximize the energy gain of the combination. But you always have to fight the energy losses by radiation, conduction and convection, the instabilities of the plasma, the material issues, etc.

In this course you'll explore the possibilities and try to find the fastest route to fusion power.

The topics of this year:
This is the list of topics we have selected for the academic year 2009-2010 (do google them!):
•            Inertial Confinement fusion. (Niek Lopes Cardozo)
•            Hybrid Fusion-Fission power generation (Hugo De Blank)
•            Muon-catalysed fusion (Niek Lopes Cardozo)
•            Dense Z-pinch (Roger Jaspers)
•            Fusor – (including the polywell concept) (Roger Jaspers)
•            Bubble fusion: why it cannot work (Hugo De Blank)

The DIY-approach: Working groups.
This course isn't a regular plenary lecture course. After an introductory lecture you will be split up in six working groups. Each of the groups will make a study of a different route to fusion power. There are three lecturers involved in this course: Dr. Hugo de Blank (FOM-Rijnhuizen), and dr. Roger Jaspers and prof Niek Lopes Cardozo of the Fusion group. Each will coach 2 working groups. As these are off-the-beaten-track topics, we – the lecturers – will have to study as much as you do: we are looking forward to learning new stuff… with you!

After the first plenary lecture, every week on the Wednesday afternoon we'll get together in the G-wing of the physics building, home of the Fusion group. First each group gives a brief status report – to which the others respond with questions and suggestions, hopefully also leading to cross-fertilization. Then the groups work separately. We have a small library of relevant books, access to wireless internet and to an unlimited supply of good coffee and tea.

The last plenary session will be entirely devoted to final reports and discussion. Working in groups, reporting and discussion are central in this course.

Examination
Finally, each participant will write a short individual essay, to be handed in on the planned examination date. There is no classical examination; we'll give you marks based on your presentations, your contributions to the discussion and your individual essay.
As we estimate the amount of work for this course to be somewhat higher than for a regular class, we assign 4 ECTS to the course.

Interested? Do register on Studyweb!

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