FPN01-69

International Tokamak Activity Initiated

October 27, 2001

Since the end of U.S. participation in the ITER-EDA extension in 1998, the U.S. tokamak research community has been limited in its ability to engage in the activities of international topical physics groups since they were under the auspices of ITER. Since 1999, the U.S. participated in "Preparatory Meetings" that focused on the scientific topics but did not include ITER-specific work. Now, after more than two years of discussion and joint planning through several international arrangements, the U.S. is once again a full participant in the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA), which will foster cooperative research aimed at the advancement of understanding of the physics of burning plasmas. DOE fusion chief, Dr. N. Anne Davies, said, "I consider ITPA to be an important opportunity for the U.S. researchers to achieve U.S. program goals more effectively via joint research with the world fusion program on tokamak burning plasma physics, and I urge (U.S. fusion researchers) to participate fully in this activity."

The ITPA aims at cooperation in advancement of the physics basis for burning tokamak plasma physics by cooperation between four Participants: Japan (JA), European Union (EU), Russian Federation (RF), and the U.S. It evolved from the ITER Physics Expert Groups and the subsequent International Preparatory Meetings through discussions among the representatives from the U.S., EU, JA, RF over the past two years at various occasions. At its meeting at Sorrento in Italy on October 3, 2000, the IAEA International Fusion Research Council (IFRC) developed and approved a position paper supporting the formation of ITPA. The IFRC reaffirmed its support of ITPA at its meeting in Vienna on June 18, 2001 and the process was started to implement ITPA as of July 1, 2001. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Fusion Physics Coordinating Committee also expressed its support of ITPA at its January 2001 meeting.

The legal basis for the U.S. participation in ITPA is provided through the U.S. bilateral agreements with JA, RF, and EU.

The official international membership of ITPA includes a maximum of five scientists from each party for each of the seven Topical Physics Groups. However, the U.S. participation in the activities of these groups is open and broad participation is welcomed. U.S. participants have, as a major part of their scope, the integration of the ITPA topical group activities into the U.S. community, as well as assisting DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences in selecting the U.S. participants for the official Topical Group meetings. An ITPA Web Page that will be established at IPP Garching.

Dr, Davies said, "As the U.S. fusion community works toward the achievement of the objectives of the 2002 Snowmass Summer Study, I see the ITPA as a significant source of information on the key scientific issues that relate to the physics basis for designing such an experiment, and on the scientific benefits of research on a burning tokamak plasma. The ITPA will provide access to the ITER physics basis and will foster involvement of the international fusion community in the determination of criteria for assessing the benefits of research on the range of approaches to study of burning plasmas."

Davies said, "In the past, there has been some confusion and concern about the designation of past ITER Physics work and future ITPA work as "voluntary". This confusion is unfortunate, since it is perceived as reducing the significance and recognition of the work, almost to the extent of placing it outside the official work scopes for the U.S. fusion program. This perception is incorrect. The ITPA activities are fully consonant with and are part of the official U.S. fusion program work, and the U.S. participants are supported to engage in the ITPA activities as part of their pursuit of the U.S. program goals. The term 'voluntary' means only there is no binding agreement on how much each party is obligated to contribute to this effort. The work of the U.S. scientists on ITPA is a part of their work funded by the OFES, guided by their program managers at laboratories and OFES. The relevance of the ITPA work to the U.S. program goals, its close coupling to the U.S. activities as described above, and its productivity and excitement will determine the level of effort that the U.S. scientists contribute to this effort. I expect that the U.S. scientists will participate in the ITPA as a part of their program to enhance understanding of burning plasmas, through joint work on highly integrated experiments, theory, and modeling and sharing databases and their analysis. I am looking forward to a successful ITPA and your participation in international activity which offers the U.S. and opportunity to advance U.S. fusion goals more effectively through joint research."