Fusion advanced studies Torus

The successful development of ITER and DEMO scenarios requires preparatory activities on devices that are smaller than ITER, sufficiently flexible and capable of investigating the peculiar physics of burning plasma conditions. The aim of the Fusion Advanced Studies Torus (FAST) proposal [2.1] (formerly FT3 [2.2]) is to show that the preparation of ITER scenarios and the development of new expertise for the DEMO design and RD can be effectively implemented on a new facility. FAST will a) operate with deuterium plasmas, thereby avoiding problems associated with tritium, and allow investigation of nonlinear dynamics (which are important for understanding alpha particle behaviour in burning plasmas) by using fast ions accelerated by heating and current drive systems; b) work in a dimensionless parameter range close to that of ITER; c) test technical innovative solutions, such as full-tungsten plasma-facing components and an advanced liquid metal divertor target for the first wall/divertor, directly relevant for ITER and DEMO; d) exploit advanced regimes with a much longer pulse duration than the current diffusion time; e) provide a test bed for ITER and DEMO diagnostics; f) provide an ideal framework for model and numerical code benchmarks, their verification and validation in ITER/ DEMO-relevant plasma conditions