Speaker: Piero Martin, University of Padova, Italy
Title: The Divertor Tokamak Test facility
Abstract: During this term I’m visiting Columbia APAM, where I teach a class dedicated to history and perspectives of nuclear fusion as a source of energy. This talk will be opportunity to present my research work and to contextualize it within the global challenge of fusion.
I’m presently serving as coordinator of the physics activities for DTT, the Divertor Tokamak Test facility, which will be the subject of the main part of my talk. DTT is a new tokamak experiment under construction in Frascati, Italy. DTT is equipped with full W actively cooled plasma facing components and has the capability of investigating various divertor configurations. Its compact size and large auxiliary heating power (45 MW coupled to the plasma) allow to simulate DEMO divertor heat loads and to produce ITER/DEMO relevant plasmas. DTT will be a device with breakeven class performance, which is designed to address one of the main challenges towards the construction of a fusion power plant, i.e., the development of credible solutions for the heat exhaust.
DTT will be an element to facilitate the achievement of fusion energy, a task which has dreamed about since about a century. In this respect fusion history is an interesting source of thoughts about its future. In the final part of the talk, I will briefly mention about a new cross-disciplinary line of research we are starting in Padova, i.e. about ethical implications connected with fusion research.
Bio: Piero Martin is a professor of physics at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Padua. He carries out his research on thermonuclear fusion as an energy source, analyzing both the scientific aspects and those related to the ethics of energy. He has conducted his research in various Italian and international laboratories, directing large research groups. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and is currently seconded to the Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare “Beniamino Segre”.
He accompanies his research with scientific outreach. One of his books, “Le 7 misure del mondo” (“The Seven Measures of the World”) (Laterza, 2021) has been translated into 9 languages and published in English by Yale University Press.
Event details: In-person seminars are only available to CU ID holders. At this time, Non-Columbia affiliates and the general public are only invited to participate remotely. Contact [email protected] if you would like the Zoom link for this seminar.