Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE

Abstract On the basis of several recent breakthroughs in fusion research, many activities have been launched around the world to develop fusion power plants on the fastest possible time scale. In this context, high-fidelity simulations of the plasma behavior on large supercomputers provide one of th...

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Main Authors: Klara Höfler, Tobias Görler, Tim Happel, Carsten Lechte, Pedro Molina, Michael Bergmann, Rachel Bielajew, Garrard D. Conway, Pierre David, Severin S. Denk, Rainer Fischer, Pascale Hennequin, Frank Jenko, Rachael M. McDermott, Anne E. White, Ulrich Stroth, the ASDEX Upgrade Team
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56997-2
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author Klara Höfler
Tobias Görler
Tim Happel
Carsten Lechte
Pedro Molina
Michael Bergmann
Rachel Bielajew
Garrard D. Conway
Pierre David
Severin S. Denk
Rainer Fischer
Pascale Hennequin
Frank Jenko
Rachael M. McDermott
Anne E. White
Ulrich Stroth
the ASDEX Upgrade Team
author_facet Klara Höfler
Tobias Görler
Tim Happel
Carsten Lechte
Pedro Molina
Michael Bergmann
Rachel Bielajew
Garrard D. Conway
Pierre David
Severin S. Denk
Rainer Fischer
Pascale Hennequin
Frank Jenko
Rachael M. McDermott
Anne E. White
Ulrich Stroth
the ASDEX Upgrade Team
author_sort Klara Höfler
collection DOAJ
description Abstract On the basis of several recent breakthroughs in fusion research, many activities have been launched around the world to develop fusion power plants on the fastest possible time scale. In this context, high-fidelity simulations of the plasma behavior on large supercomputers provide one of the main pathways to accelerating progress by guiding crucial design decisions. When it comes to determining the energy confinement time of a magnetic confinement fusion device, which is a key quantity of interest, gyrokinetic turbulence simulations are considered the approach of choice – but the question, whether they are really able to reliably predict the plasma behavior is still open. The present study addresses this important issue by means of careful comparisons between state-of-the-art gyrokinetic turbulence simulations with the GENE code and experimental observations in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak for an unprecedented number of simultaneous plasma observables.
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spelling doaj-art-847b56a2bcee40e3860d9e6015d22b612025-08-20T03:01:38ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-56997-2Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENEKlara Höfler0Tobias Görler1Tim Happel2Carsten Lechte3Pedro Molina4Michael Bergmann5Rachel Bielajew6Garrard D. Conway7Pierre David8Severin S. Denk9Rainer Fischer10Pascale Hennequin11Frank Jenko12Rachael M. McDermott13Anne E. White14Ulrich Stroth15the ASDEX Upgrade TeamMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2University of Stuttgart, Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology, Pfaffenwaldring 31Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, CambridgeMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, CambridgeMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, Rte de SaclayMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, CambridgeMax Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2Abstract On the basis of several recent breakthroughs in fusion research, many activities have been launched around the world to develop fusion power plants on the fastest possible time scale. In this context, high-fidelity simulations of the plasma behavior on large supercomputers provide one of the main pathways to accelerating progress by guiding crucial design decisions. When it comes to determining the energy confinement time of a magnetic confinement fusion device, which is a key quantity of interest, gyrokinetic turbulence simulations are considered the approach of choice – but the question, whether they are really able to reliably predict the plasma behavior is still open. The present study addresses this important issue by means of careful comparisons between state-of-the-art gyrokinetic turbulence simulations with the GENE code and experimental observations in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak for an unprecedented number of simultaneous plasma observables.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56997-2
spellingShingle Klara Höfler
Tobias Görler
Tim Happel
Carsten Lechte
Pedro Molina
Michael Bergmann
Rachel Bielajew
Garrard D. Conway
Pierre David
Severin S. Denk
Rainer Fischer
Pascale Hennequin
Frank Jenko
Rachael M. McDermott
Anne E. White
Ulrich Stroth
the ASDEX Upgrade Team
Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
Nature Communications
title Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
title_full Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
title_fullStr Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
title_full_unstemmed Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
title_short Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE
title_sort milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence successful multi channel validation of the gyrokinetic code gene
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56997-2
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