Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik - IPP

Our Cryo Group has started to cool down the Wendelstein 7-X cryostat in preparation for the next operation phase (OP2.4) which is due to begin in September.

How do you keep the hottest matter in the solar system under control?  400 international fusion researchers are meeting in Regensburg this week Until Friday, Regensburg is the hub of international fusion research: the marinaforum is hosting the 27th International Conference on Plasma-Surface Interactions in Controlled Fusion Devices (17–22 May). Almost 400 participants from 27 countries and three continents are there to discuss one of the key questions on the path to a fusion power plant: how can the enormous heat from a fusion plasma be dissipated without damaging the plant’s wall materials? The topics range from the physics of the plasma boundary layer to the development of actively cooled components – that is, those parts that will later have to withstand extreme stresses in a power plant. The conference is being hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP); the last PSI organised by the IPP took place in Rosenheim, Bavaria, in 2000. #fusionenergy

What’s that pink glow? – To celebrate the International Day of Light, we take a look inside the vacuum vessel of Wendelstein 7-X. The video shows a close-up of a plasma discharge, in which the plasma is visible through pink light. This glow is caused mainly by charged and neutral particles colliding with one another and releasing the energy they have absorbed in form of light (the pink light comes from a combination of radiation in the blue and red ranges). Depending on which element is used in the experiment, it glows in a different colour. At Wendelstein 7-X, we usually experiment with hydrogen, which glows pink. To show the effect, we have colourised the video, as the Wendelstein 7-X camera only records in black and white. What is glowing here are just the comparatively cool edges of the plasma with 100,000 degrees Celsius. In Wendelstein 7-X the ion temperatures in the centre reach 40 million degrees Celsius; that is more than twice as hot as the Sun. Power plants will operate at temperatures of over 100 million degrees Celsius in the centre and that's where fusion will take place. This is invisible for us. Even though, videos like these offer a fantastic insight into fusion research. #lightday2026 #InternationalDayOfLight #DayOfLight #FusionEnergy #light

Congratulations, Hartmut Zohm, on receiving the Ernst Mach Honorary Medal for Merit in the Physical Sciences. On 11 May, Prof. Hartmut Zohm, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, was honoured by the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague for his lifelong contributions to plasma physics and fusion research — and for fostering international scientific collaboration. Hartmut Zohm’s work is closely connected with ASDEX Upgrade, one of the world’s leading tokamak experiments. His research has contributed significantly to the understanding of transport phenomena, plasma stability limits and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, as well as to applying this knowledge to plasma control. The laudatio also highlighted his contributions to the European fusion programme, the international ITER project, and the collaboration between IPP in Garching and the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Speaking in Prague, Hartmut Zohm emphasised the importance of long-term international cooperation in fusion research, as success does not come overnight. Photo 1: Radomír Pánek (President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), Hartmut Zohm and Ilona Müllerová, (Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic) Credit: Josef Landergott #fusionenergy #nuclearfusion #science #physics

We just can’t get enough of such cool photos!   Following a break of several months for maintenance and refurbishment, our ASDEX Upgrade tokamak in Garching, near Munich, was brought back online two weeks ago and is running smoothly. In preparation for the resumption of plasma experiments, the 32 m³ vacuum vessel had to be heated to 150 °C over several days to achieve the required vacuum quality. The 360-degree photo was taken shortly before the vessel was sealed.   Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Simon Heckmair

Ein Tag voller Neugierde und Wissensdrang! 14 Schülerinnen der 5. und 6. Klasse schnupperten am Mädchen-Zukunftstag am IPP in Garching in Werkstätten und Laboren und durften auch selber Hand anlegen: ein Centstück metallografisch bearbeiten und im Mikroskop unter die Lupe nehmen sowie einen elektronischen Würfel löten. Abgerundet wurde die Erfahrung mit einem Vortrag über die Fusionsforschung und einer Besichtigung des Kontrollraums der großen Fusionsforschungsanlage ASDEX Upgrade, wo die Mädchen eine Entladung live miterlebten. Die Girls waren hoch motiviert und stellten entsprechend viele Zwischenfragen. Erfreulicherweise bekundeten einige großes Interesse an einer wissenschaftlichen Laufbahn. Wir hoffen, in zehn Jahren die ein oder andere Teilnehmerin erneut am IPP willkommen heißen zu dürfen! #GirlsDay2026 #GirlsDay #womeninscience #MädcheninderForschung #femaleempowerment #lablive #Wissenschaft #Technik #ipp #Plasmaphysik #kernfusion #campusgarching #fusionenergy

To say that recently optimism around stellarator reactors has been reignited in the fusion community would be an understatement. Stellarators present a highly attractive pathway toward a viable fusion reactor—but important questions still remain. To help focus and accelerate progress, we’ve prepared a concise report https://lnkd.in/eSyx9zhK outlining the key open issues that need to be addressed. We also introduce a more quantitative perspective by adapting the concept of Scientific Readiness Levels, inspired by frameworks used in the space community. Our goal is to help prioritize challenges and inspire research groups to take on these critical questions. Take a look—we’d be very interested in your thoughts.

🔥 Neues von der Zukunft der Energie! NDR-Reporter Moritz Schröder nimmt euch mit zum größten und modernsten Stellarator der Welt: Wendelstein 7-X in Greifswald. Wie funktioniert die Kernfusion, die unser Stromnetz revolutionieren könnte? Was wurde bereits an Wendelstein 7-X erreicht? 👀 Exklusive Einblicke und Interviews mit Dorothea Gradic, Thomas Klinger und Marco Krause. 👉 Schaut rein https://lnkd.in/dzN9mwHZ #Fusionsenergie #Plasmaphysik #Wendelstein7X #W7X #NDR #Wissenschaft #Science

Ringvorlesung „Rechtsfragen der Fusionsenergie“ Die Nachwuchsforschungsgruppe „Rechtsfragen der Fusionsenergie“ der Universität Würzburg startet im Sommersemester 2026 eine spannende Ringvorlesung, die Studierende, Forschende und die interessierte Öffentlichkeit gleichermaßen anspricht. 🗓 Termine (alle 2 Wochen, mittwochs 16:00–18:00 Uhr) • 22. April 2026 – Auftakt • 06. Mai 2026 • 20. Mai 2026 • 03. Juni 2026 • 17. Juni 2026 • 01. Juli 2026 Weitere Informationen zum Programm: https://lnkd.in/dkPFTfrS 📍 Ort: HS I, Alte Universität, Domerschulstraße 16, 97070 Würzburg 💻 Online: Zoom Link (Link auf der Webseite s.o.) #Kernfusion #Fusionsenergie #Rechtsfragen #Ringvorlesung

A Game-Changer for Stellarator Design: Bridging the gap in gyrokinetic turbulence simulation (https://lnkd.in/gtNa9-4H)