ITALY - PAD

CONSORZIO RFX¹

Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova

Telephone: +39 049 829 5000/5001
Telefax: +39 049 870 0718
E-mail: lastname@igi.pd.cnr.it

President:	Rostagni, Giorgio
Director:	Gnesotto, Francesco
Deputy Director	Buffa, Antonio

Administrative Board	Scientific Board	Advisors
Rostagni, Giorgio(Chairman)	Gnesotto, Francesco (Chairman)	Escande, Dominique
Banzato, Gianfranco	Bruhns, Hardo	Monari, Demetrio
Farinelli, Ugo	Drake, James	Schmidt, Volker
Malesani, Gaetano	Escande, Dominique
Nigro, Massimo	Fontanesi, Marcello
Padrielli, Lucia	Romanelli, Francesco
Samuelli, Maurizio

Programme Management

Apolloni, Loris
Bagatin, Mario

Buffa, Antonio
Ortolani, Sergio

Piovan, Roberto
Sonato, Piergiorgio

Physics Groups

Valisa, Marco (Leader)
Carraro, Lorella

Puiatti, Maria Ester
Scarin, Paolo

Sattin, Fabio

Antoni, Vanni (Leader)
Cavazzana, Roberto
Desideri, Daniele

Martines, Emilio
Moresco, Maurizio
Serianni, Gianluigi

Spolaore, Monica
Tramontin, Lucia

Martini, Stefano (Leader)
Bolzonella, Tommaso
Canton, Alessandra

Garzotti, Luca
Innocente, Paolo
Lorenzini, Rita

Terranova, David
Zanca, Paolo

Martin, Piero (Leader)
Franz, Paolo
Giudicotti, Leonardo

Marrelli, Lionello
Murari, Andrea
Nielsen, Per

Pasqualotto, Roberto
Spizzo, Gianluca
Zilli, Enrico

Theory

Escande, Dominique (Leader)
Cappello, Susanna

Paccagnella, Roberto

Guo, Shi Chong

Engineering Groups
Plasma Engineering

Zaccaria, Pierluigi (Leader)
Baker, William
Dal Bello, Samuele

Marchiori, Giuseppe
Marcuzzi, Diego
Masiello, Antonio

Zollino, Giuseppe

Magnetic Systems

Chitarin, Giuseppe (Leader)
Fiorentin, Pietro

Peruzzo, Simone

Pomaro, Nicola

Electrical Systems

Toigo, Vanni (Leader)
De Lorenzi, Antonio

Gaio, Elena

Milani, Francesco

Automation and Information

Luchetta, Adriano (Leader)

Manduchi, Gabriele

Taliercio, Cesare

Research activities:
Consorzio RFX is a unique scientific opportunity to explore the potential of the Reversed Field Pinch configuration in Magnetic Fusion research.

The objectives of Consorzio RFX are:

• to perform studies and research activities in the field of controlled fusion as a possible source of energy, within the frame of the Euratom research programme
• to develop the RFX project, by means of experiments and theoretical studies
• to develop new methodologies and technologies
• to foster the integration of Universities, research Institutes and other institutions working on the fusion programme
• to carry out educational activities in fusion-related disciplines

RFX, in operation since 1992, is a large (R = 2m, a = 0.46m) RFP device. Its main features are a graphite first wall and controlled power supplies for plasma current and fields. It can store a poloidal flux up to 15 Vs with an air-core and produce plasma currents up to 2 MA with a pulse length up to 0,25 s. It has a diborane boronization system, a 8 pellets injector and a feedback system for magnetic field configuration.

The experiments (approximately 12.000 pulses executed) have already produced a number of novel scientific results, in particular on dynamo and transport phenomena, MHD mode control by external fields, current profile control, chaos-to-order transitions, electrostatic and magnetic turbulence, highly radiative régimes. New techniques have been developed for plasma measurements, magnetic field control, power handling, remote manipulation and vision.

Presently RFX is under shutdown for restoration after a fire that partially damaged the RFX power supplies and for improvements to the load assembly. Plasma experiments will be resumed in 2003.

¹Partners: CNR, ENEA, Universita' di Padova, Acciaierie Venete S.p.A.
Consorzio RFX is the Padova Research Unit of the ENEA-Euratom Association.