Project description
Unlocking the physics of plasmas
Plasmas are superheated gases of charged particles that make up most of the visible universe. Understanding how energy is transferred within plasmas is essential for advancing fusion as a clean energy source. However, plasma is notoriously difficult to control and understanding exactly how energy moves through it remains one of physics’ great unsolved problems. To address this challenge, the ERC-funded TURBO4ENERGY project proposes to develop innovative imaging tools capable of capturing plasma behaviour with unprecedented resolution. These tools, alongside advanced modelling, will shed light on the mysterious heating of the Sun’s outer atmosphere and help scientists design better fusion reactors.
Objective
Plasmas are the underlying matter to most of the energetic events that we measure in our universe. Scintillation imaging techniques have transformed our field by enabling direct tracking of wave-particle interactions in plasmas. In 2021, my team made a pioneering contribution by providing the first direct measurements of wave-particle interactions driven by some of the most violent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluctuations in a magnetized plasma. The physics model that we developed gave us the capability to design innovative control tools to minimize the MHD-induced particle transport and loss.
TURBO4ENERGY will go a step further – aimed at resolving the wave-particle paradigm in magnetized plasmas. The development of innovative imaging diagnostics will provide, for the first time, simultaneous measurements of the ion and electron fluctuations, offering unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution that will allow us to track the signatures of wave-particle interactions induced by a variety of instabilities. The 2D measurements will provide new insights into currently inaccessible physics phenomena and advance our understanding in magnetized plasmas.
By uncovering the driving mechanisms behind these instabilities, we can convert this complex challenge into opportunity: in fusion plasmas, this project will lay the groundwork for full core-edge integration by optimizing the turbulence level of the plasma. Using models verified against experimental data, I will also critically test the wave-particle paradigm in solar flares, bridging fusion and solar plasma physics while contributing to solving the mystery of the heating of the solar corona.
Central to this project is an integrated approach, combining innovative instrumentation with state-of-the-art modelling and unconventional plasma actuators. The results of this project will open a new avenue for the design of compact burning plasma devices and establish a unified physics framework for both fusion and solar plasmas.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy galactic astronomy solar physics
- natural sciences physical sciences nuclear physics nuclear fusion
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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41004 Sevilla
Spain
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