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.

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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

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.

Outreach

The Swiss Plasma Center conducts a variety of outreach initiatives, encompassing visits of the Center, conferences given on-site or outside, as well as the publication of printed or electronic documents for the general public

Quick links

Attendees of the course Control and Operation of Tokamaks © Federico Felici / EPFL 2023

A new generation facing the challenges of high power fusion devices

23.02.23Education

It brought together an audience from all over Europe, Switzerland and the United States. The great success of the course organized this February by five research scientists from the Swiss Plasma Center of EPFL, confirms the growing importance in control solutions in the research towards a fusion reactor.

Tackling the high-voltage needs of next-gen satellites

02.11.22Innovation

Scientists at the Swiss Plasma Center at EPFL, in collaboration with Beyond Gravity and with the support of the ESA, have developed a slip ring assembly that can more than triple the operational voltage of new-generation, high-voltage satellites.

The tokamak thermonuclear fusion reactor at Swiss Plasma Center. Credit: Alain Herzog (EPFL)

A new law unchains fusion energy

17.05.22Research

Physicists at EPFL, within a large European collaboration, have revised one of the fundamental laws that has been foundational to plasma and fusion research for over three decades, even governing the design of megaprojects like ITER. The update shows that we can actually safely use more hydrogen fuel in fusion reactors, and therefore obtain more energy than previously thought.

All news

The last 5 papers of the Swiss Plasma Center

Ion temperature spectroscopic measurements in high rotation discharges by means of X-ray diagnostic at JET

K. Koziol; A. Broslawski; A. Patel; H. Weisen; J. Rzadkiewicz

Journal Of Instrumentation. 2022-07-01. Vol. 17, num. 7, p. C07008. DOI : 10.1088/1748-0221/17/07/C07008.

Detailed record

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Dynamic pulse scheduling in ASDEX Upgrade: Disruption avoidance and investigation of the H-Mode density limit

B. Sieglin; M. Maraschek; A. Gude; F. Felici; F. Klossek et al.

Fusion Engineering And Design. 2023-02-13. Vol. 191, p. 113546. DOI : 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2023.113546.

Detailed record

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Control upgrade for the TCV coils power supplies

D. V. de la Fuente; N. Cherix; D. Fasel; J. Dubray; J. Orsinger et al.

Fusion Engineering And Design. 2023-02-15. Vol. 191, p. 113539. DOI : 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2023.113539.

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Validation of 2D T e and n e measurements made with Helium imaging spectroscopy in the volume of the TCV divertor

B. L. Linehan; A. Perek; B. P. Duval; F. Bagnato; P. Blanchard et al.

Nuclear Fusion. 2023-03-01. Vol. 63, num. 3, p. 036021. DOI : 10.1088/1741-4326/acb5b0.

Detailed record

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First characterization of the SPIDER beam AC component with the Beamlet Current Monitor

B. P. Duteil; A. Shepherd; T. Patton; A. R. Garola; R. Casagrande

Fusion Engineering And Design. 2023-05-01. Vol. 190, p. 113529. DOI : 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2023.113529.

Detailed record

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Only 3 seminars at maximum are shown here. The full list is available on the page SPC Memento.