Master of Fusion Science
With the construction of the Megajoule Laser in Bordeaux (LMJ) and the ITER tokamak in its territory, France will become an international focal point for thermonuclear fusion sciences, both by inertial confinement (LMJ) and magnetic confinement (ITER). It will thereby actively participate in the global effort that aims to emulate the conditions of the sun to both better understand hot plasmas and better control them for a sustainable energy source.
The research associated with the scientific operation of these two facilities on an international level requires the development of a highly competent and sufficiently large scientific community, educated at the Master’s and Doctoral level. The specialisation of the Fusion Science Master’s aims to prepare, in a coherent and clear manner, top scientists and engineers (35 to 50 per year), both French and international, mainly European, to scientifically and technically operate these major facilities or their equivalents around the world (including HIPER, the high power laser project). The areas involved are primarily plasma physics, which will be the basis for thermonuclear reactions, but also physics and technology for the confinement and heating of these plasmas, structure materials, low temperature magnetism, robotics, experimental diagnostics and numerical simulation methods. This master’s degree is part of a "fusion science course" federation created in May 2006 to provide an entry point for student and professor exchanges with partners in these major facilities.
Course structure
The Master's specialisation is structured into three streams with two different programs:
- The "Research" program. which aims to train future doctoral students or research engineers highly skilled in their specialisation on how to integrate into national organisations and the international network of laboratories involved in fusion science and related disciplines. The three streams include: Magnetic confinement fusion (MCF), Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), and Fusion Physics and Technologies (FPT). Important links have been forged between these streams and graduate schools able to offer and support fusion-related thesis topics.
- The "Professional" program, which aims to train future engineers with solid technology expertise coupled with fusion plasma physics. The aim is to prepare students to integrate into industry and research organisations as engineers. One stream is involved: Fusion Physics and Technologies (FPT).
The multidisciplinary nature implied by fusion is evident in the technological content of the program, this includes both the MCF and ICF research streams, with approximately one-third technological content in their program. In addition, the skills acquired in this new specialisation will allow students to work directly in the fusion field, but will also open up other career opportunities for them in technology areas on large projects.
Content
The federation is based on a strong logic of location, indicated by the periodic regrouping of students around major research resources in Cadarache and Bordeaux, and by researchers associated with this research being involved in the course.
The specialisation involves six months of course work and a six-month internship. Teaching takes place at all four sites, except for two periods when all students meet near major fusion facilities, at the beginning of the academic year and in February when the year level divides based on chosen career path.
Teaching is organised into nine to 12 teaching units, for a total of approximately 320 hours per stream. In addition to two core teaching units taught over six weeks, these teaching units are:
- in the MCF stream: MHD equilibrium and stability, Turbulence and heating, Particle control and power deposition, Plasma-wall interaction
- in the ICF stream: Atomic physics, Dense plasmas, High laser flux-plasma interaction, Hydrodynamics and instabilities, Ultra-high intensity interaction, Astrophysics
- in the FPT stream: Materials under high heat flux and neutron irradiation, Vacuum, cryogenics and superconductors, Power source and high pulsed power, Diagnostics and instrumentation
- shared by MCF and ICF: Radiation of non-equilibrium plasmas, Numerical methods, Energy conversion
- shared by MCF and FPT: Advanced physics and technology of tokamaks
- shared by ICF and FPT: High energy and power lasers
Students complete their year of study with an internship. These internships take place in industry environments or in a research laboratory based on the student's chosen path. This is for a period of five to six months and takes place either in France or abroad. The viva voce takes place before a single national jury in September.
There are a total of seven institutions at the Saclay Plateau involved in this specialisation. This Master’s is also supported by the Institute laser-plasma (ILP) and the Magnetic fusion research federation, ITER.
Partners
Figures
There are more than 100 lecturers from all four sites. For the most part, they are scholars, researchers from the CEA and CNRS, and researchers from ONERA; engineers from large companies also teach in this course. Since it began in 2006, more than 100 students have completed this master’s degree, with a third in a double-degree (engineering degree master). Approximately two-thirds of each year level continue writing their thesis while the other third undertakes an engineering related activity.
