Swiss Plasma Center

Our mission: Shaping the Sun’s energy on Earth

Interior of the TCV tokamak. © A. Herzog, EPFL

The Swiss Plasma Center is one of the world’s leading fusion research laboratories.

Fusion is based on the principle that powers the Sun and it has the potential to provide a solution to humanity’s energy problem.

Through a wide range of research programs, all connected to education and training at different levels, we work to advance our understanding of the physics of plasmas and develop fusion as an energy source.

Research

The Swiss Plasma Center conducts a comprehensive research programme organised in six research lines: Plasma Theory, Basic Plasma Physics, TCV Tokamak Physics, International Collaborations, Superconductivity for Fusion, and Plasma Applications

Research Lines

Education

The Swiss Plasma Center is committed to preparing the next generations of fusion scientists and engineers. We provide education in Physics for students of all levels (Bachelor, Master and Doctoral School) and various sections. We are continuously training around 40 PhD students.

Education
© Carlos Castilla iStock photos

New high-performance computing hub aims to harness the sun's energy

EPFL

EPFL will soon be home to a European hub for high-performance computing focused on fusion power – a potential source of clean, risk-free energy. As part of this effort, EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center will lead a campus-wide, cross-disciplinary research team.

Joaquim Loizu (left), recipient of the 2020 IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Plasma Physics receiving the award from Minh Quang Tran [Chair, IUPAP Commission C16] © DR

Joaquim Loizu granted the IUPAP 2020 Prize in plasma physics

Research

Joaquim Loizu, a researcher at EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center, is the recipient of IUPAP’s (International Union of pure and applied physics) 2020 Young Scientist Prize in plasma physics. This prize is awarded annually to a young international scientist for outstanding research.

The TCV Tokamak at EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center © A. Herzog / EPFL

Heat loss control method in fusion reactors in Nature Communications

Research

The core of a fusion reactor is incredibly hot. Hydrogen that inevitably escapes from it must be cooled on its way to the wall, as otherwise, the reactor wall would be damaged. Researchers from the Dutch institute DIFFER and EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center have developed a strict measurement and control method for the cooling of very hot particles escaping from fusion plasmas. This milestone for fusion research is published in Nature Communications. 

All news

The last 5 papers of the Swiss Plasma Center

Integration concept of an Electron Cyclotron System in DEMO

T. Franke; G. Aiello; K. Avramidis; C. Bachmann; B. Baiocchi et al. 

Fusion Engineering And Design. 2021-07-01. Vol. 168, p. 112653. DOI : 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112653.

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Numerics and computation in gyrokinetic simulations of electromagnetic turbulence with global particle-in-cell codes

A. Mishchenko; A. Biancalani; A. Bottino; T. Hayward-Schneider; P. Lauber et al. 

Plasma Physics And Controlled Fusion. 2021-08-01. Vol. 63, num. 8, p. 084007. DOI : 10.1088/1361-6587/ac0bcb.

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Computation of multi-region, relaxed magnetohydrodynamic equilibria with prescribed toroidal current profile

A. Baillod; J. Loizu; Z. Qu; A. Kumar; J. Graves 

Journal of Plasma Physics. 2021-07-12. Vol. 87, num. 4. DOI : 10.1017/S0022377821000520.

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Vibrational excitation and dissociation of deuterium molecule by electron impact

V. Laporta; R. Agnello; G. Fubiani; I. Furno; C. Hill et al. 

Plasma Physics And Controlled Fusion. 2021-08-01. Vol. 63, num. 8, p. 085006. DOI : 10.1088/1361-6587/ac0163.

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Divertor closure effects on the TCV boundary plasma

O. Fevrier; H. Reimerdes; C. Theiler; D. Brida; C. Colandrea et al. 

Nuclear Materials And Energy. 2021-06-01. Vol. 27, p. 100977. DOI : 10.1016/j.nme.2021.100977.

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