TCV tokamak, our star
A 3D image of the inside of TCV tokamak © The Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+)
The Sun is the source of nearly all energy on Earth and is responsible for sustaining life as we know it. This immense source of energy is produced by the fusion of hydrogen into helium in the star’s core, following Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2.
At the Swiss Plasma Center (SPC), we experimentally and theoretically study techniques to create and maintain the conditions necessary for fusion to occur, with the goal of obtaining a safe, abundant and reliable source of energy on Earth. These conditions are explored in a controlled environment using a toroidally (doughnut) shaped machine called the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). TCV uses magnetic fields to confine hydrogen plasma at temperatures of up to 100,000,000 C, enabling scientists to better understand the physics of fusion plasmas and the engineering of designs proposed for future, power plant size devices like ITER and DEMO.
At the Swiss Plasma Center (SPC), we experimentally and theoretically study techniques to create and maintain the conditions necessary for fusion to occur, with the goal of obtaining a safe, abundant and reliable source of energy on Earth. These conditions are explored in a controlled environment using a toroidally (doughnut) shaped machine called the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). TCV uses magnetic fields to confine hydrogen plasma at temperatures of up to 100,000,000 C, enabling scientists to better understand the physics of fusion plasmas and the engineering of designs proposed for future, power plant size devices like ITER and DEMO.
Introduction to TCV
Learn about the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV) Experiment
TCV Research
TCV research drives global innovation in nuclear fusion. Read more about the ongoing work at the focus of TCV research which is pushing the forefront of our understanding.
TCV Operations
Discover how the TCV tokamak operation is maintained, how we reach temperatures higher than the surface of the sun and how the cutting edge diagnostics give us insight into the underlying physics