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National Institute for Fusion Science

Research Activities

Research Report2014

Research Updates December 15, 2014
Destroy the Symmetry Slightly and Skillfully Confine the Plasma

Seeking the realization of the future fusion energy, in the magnetic field confinement device we are progressing in research on confining high-temperature, high-pressure plasma in the magnetic field container. ...

Research Updates December 1, 2014
Maintaining Plasma for Extended Duration: Enhancing the Performance of Steady-state Plasma through Increased Heating

In order to generate energy through nuclear fusion, plasma of a density of 100,000,000,000,000 parts per 1cc must be at a temperature that exceeds 120,000,000 degrees. ...

Research Updates November 17, 2014
Natural Radioactive Sources which Use Materials in Our Daily Lives: Developing Practical Radiation Education Methods

Due to the nuclear power plant accident at Fukushima, the necessity of spreading proper understanding and education of radiation is increasing. ...

Research Updates October 20, 2014
Investigating the Light from Tungsten: The Condition of Tungsten in a High-Temperature Plasma

In fusion plasma experiment devices beginning with the Large Helical Device (LHD), as well as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), plasma is confined in a magnetic field container and made to float in the vacuum so that the high-temperature plasma does not directly touch the vessel wall. ...

Research Updates October 6, 2014
Intertwined in a Complicated Manner, Dispersing Heat: Control of the Peripheral Area through the Structure of the Magnetic Field Lines

Plasma cannot freely move vertically in the magnetic field lines, but plasma have the quality of moving extremely fast along the magnetic field lines. ...

Research Updates September 22, 2014
Changing the Orbit by Collison: The Transport of Particles and Heat Caused by Collisions of Charged Particles

In magnetic fusion devices, beginning with the Large Helical Device (LHD), high-temperature high-density plasma is confined in the magnetic field lines container having a doughnut configuration. ...

Research Updates September 8, 2014
Measuring Ion Temperature from the Movement of Electrons: The Microwave Collective Thomson Scattering Method

In the future, in order to produce energy through fusion, at a density of 100 trillion parts per one cubic centimeter the temperature of hydrogen ions must exceed 120,000,000 degrees. ...

Research Updates August 25, 2014
Efficiently Confining High-pressure Plasma: Research on the Amount of Plasma Leakage

In the Large Helical Device (LHD), research is advancing on stable confinement of high-pressure plasma for a long duration in a nested container composed by magnetic field lines. ...

Research Updates August 11, 2014
Measuring the Energy of Light Emitted from Plasma: Bolometer Diagnostics

In the Large Helical Device (LHD), high-temperature plasma is confined by a container made from magnetic field lines. ...

Research Updates July 28, 2014
The Heating Region Expanded by Frequencies Two or Three Times Greater: Electromagnetic Wave Heating Using Higher Harmonic Waves

In the Large Helical Device (LHD), in generating high-temperature plasma, in particular, in heating electrons in a plasma, a powerful electromagnetic wave of 77 gigahertz (77,000 megahertz) frequency is used. ...

Press ReleaseEurekAlert! July 25, 2014
Magnets for fusion energy: A revolutionary manufacturing method developed

The National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) in Japan, has achieved an electrical current of 100,000 amperes, which is by far the highest in the world, by using the new idea of assembling the state-of-the-art yttrium-based high-temperature superconducting tapes to fabricate a large-scale magnet conductor. ...

Research Updates July 14, 2014
Confining High-energy Particles: Detecting Lost Ions

In the Large Helical Device (LHD) we are heating high-temperature, high-density plasma confined in the magnetic field by high-energy particles whose energy is much higher than that of ions and electrons in the plasma. ...

Research Updates June 30, 2014
Challenging Big Data: Fusion Experiments Supported by Leading Edge Japanese Information Technology

During 2013, in the Large Helical Device (LHD) we collected 891.6 gigabytes of diagnostic data per experiment, an average which became a new world record for the amount of data collected in this field. ...

Research Updates June 16, 2014
Making Beautiful Hydrogen Ice: The Application of Extreme Low-temperature Technology to Laser Fusion

In a magnetic confinement fusion experimental device such as the Large Helical Device (LHD), we confine high-temperature plasma through the strength of the magnetic field. ...

Research Updates June 2, 2014
Let’s Try to Destroy a Plasma: Stable Confinement of High-pressure Plasma

In the Large Helical Device (LHD) we are confining high-pressure plasma of high-temperature and high-density by utilizing the pressure of the magnetic field. ...

Research Updates May 12, 2014
Solving the Multi-Layer Phenomena of Plasma through Computer Simulation

In the Large Helical Device (LHD) plasmas whose temperatures exceed 100,000,000 degrees are confined by a magnetic field. Because the behavior of such plasmas is extremely complicated, utilizing computer simulations we are carrying out reproductions and predictions from experiment results. ...

Research Updates April 21, 2014
Producing a Negative Hydrogen Ion: A Negative Ion-type Neutral Particle Injection Heating Device

In the Large Helical Device (LHD), one of the methods used for heating plasma that has been confined by the magnetic field lines container is the NBI (a neutral particle injection heating device; Neutral Beam Injection), which is a method that injects into plasma a hydrogen atom beam that has been accelerated by high energy. ...

Research Updates April 7, 2014
Measuring Electron Temperature above 200,000,000 Degrees: Using the Thompson Scattering Measurement Instrument

In the Large Helical Device (LHD) an electron temperature exceeding 200,000,000 degrees has been measured. Because such a high temperature cannot be measured by a conventional thermometer, we take measurements by utilizing a powerful laser beam. ...

Research Updates March 24, 2014
Injecting Impurities by Pinpoint: Tracer Encapsulated Solid Pellet

In order to realize the future fusion energy generation it is necessary to maintain high-temperature plasma confined by a magnetic field. ...

Research Updates March 10, 2014
The “Flare of My Dreams” in My Mind: Integrated Simulation Research

Experiment-based research that aims at achieving the future fusion energy is moving forward in the Large Helical Device (LHD). ...

Research Updates February 24, 2014
Composing the Full Image of the Fusion Power Generation Plant: System Design Research

At the National Institute for Fusion Science, in seeking the future fusion power generation we are moving forward with conceptual designs for the helical fusion reactor. ...

Research Updates February 10, 2014
A Cooling Design for the Superconducting Coils in the Helical Fusion Reactor

At the National Institute for Fusion Science we are advancing design research for the Force-Free Helical Reactor (FFHR) in moving toward the future fusion power plant. ...

Research Updates January 27, 2014
Injecting Hydrogen Ice into Plasma: Supplying Particles through Solid Hydrogen Pellets

In the generation of fusion power in the future, in addition to maintaining the burning, a high-temperature plasma will be controlled by supplying fuel gas from outside into that high-temperature plasma. ...

Research Updates January 14, 2014
Clarifying the Circulation Process of Plasma Particles: Simulations of Plasma at the Periphery

In the generation of fusion power in the future, the fuel to be supplied from outside will burn in a high-temperature plasma state. ...