22nd International Spherical Torus Workshop

ISTW 2024 will be hosted by UK Atomic Energy Authority at Rhodes House, Oxford, England from 21st – 24th October 2024. 

Contact the organiser on

Previous ISTWs have been held Virtually/Beijing (2022), Frascati (2019), Seoul (2017), Princeton (2015), York (2013), Toki (2011), Madison (2009), Frascati (2008), Fukuoka (2007), Chengdu (2006), St Petersburg (2005), Kyoto (2004), Culham (2003), Princeton (2002), Sao Jose dos Campos (2001), Seattle (1999), Tokyo (1998), St Petersburg (1997), Culham (1996), Princeton (1995), Oak Ridge (1994).  Further details of previous events can be found here.

Objectives

The objectives of this workshop are to contribute to advancing the understanding of spherical tori (ST) configurations and to enhance their potential for fusion power applications. The scope of the meeting covers the full range of research activities on STs, extended to their interface with other compact toroid fusion concepts, namely, spheromaks and field reversed configurations, and aims to provide a forum for discussion and collaboration enhancement.

Topics

Topical areas of interest include:

  • A. Plasma science (experiment and/or theory-computation)
  • B. Engineering, technology and diagnostic development
  • C. Future concepts (device upgrades, power plants)

To be notified when registration opens for the conference, tours of Culham and Tokamak Energy, and the conference dinner please register your interest. We will continue to keep the website updated as and when further information about the programme becomes available.

Visas

Please check the UK Government website to see if you need a visa to attend this conference and if so click the box when registering your interest.

We will send you a visa invitation letter to assist with the process.  We recommend you apply for a visa at least 16 weeks ahead of the event.

Register Interest

Please let us have the following information and we will let you know as soon as registration opens.

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Abstracts

A one page abstract must be submitted by Friday 28th June to . The abstract may be text only or contain figures and graphics, but must be only one page. The abstract must contain the authors’ names, affiliation and email address. Acceptable file formats are Microsoft Word or PDF.

The abstract shall be prepared according to the following instructions:

  • 1) Page size: A4 (297mm by 210 mm) – vertical orientation
  • 2) Margins 25mm all around
  • 3) Layout:
          Title: single-spaced, 14-point size, Times New Roman Font, bold
          Authors: single-spaced, 12-point size, Times New Roman Font
          Affiliation: single-spaced, 12-point size, Times New Roman Font, italic
          Text: single-spaced, 12-point size, Times New Roman Font
          Length: one page

Local Accommodation

Oxford City Centre:

Just outside Oxford City Centre:

Nearby Towns hotel suggestions:

Transport Links

  • Buses run directly from London Heathrow Airport to Oxford and take less than 90 minutes.
  • From Gatwick you can travel to Oxford directly by bus, or via London by train.
  • Trains run to Oxford from Paddington Station and take around an hour.
  • There is a direct train with no changes from Birmingham Airport to Oxford which takes an hour.
  • There is a bus that runs from Birmingham Airport to Oxford Bus Station and takes around 1hr 20 mins.
  • You can travel by train from London St Pancras International, the terminus for Eurostar in 90 minutes.

Committee Members

  • Chair: Jack Berkery (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)
  • China: Tan Yi (Tsinghua University)
  • EU: Eleonora Viezzer (Universidad de Sevilla)
  • Japan: Akira Ejiri (University of Tokyo)
  • Korea: Jong-Kyu Park (Seoul National University)
  • UK: Sarah Elmore (UKAEA)
  • UK: Otto Asunta (Tokamak Energy)
  • US: Stephanie Diem (University of Wisconsin)

Jack Berkery

Deputy Director, NSTX-U Research Program

Dr. Jack Berkery is the Deputy Director of Research for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U). Additionally, Dr. Berkery manages PPPL’s research collaborations with spherical tokamaks around the world, including in the UK, Spain, and Japan. Prior to joining PPPL, Dr. Berkery had worked for many years for Columbia University on a long-term collaboration at NSTX-U. His research was focused on reducing disruptions of fusion plasma discharges in tokamaks, including the resistive wall mode, an instability of the plasma that can appear at high pressures. Dr. Berkery received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1999, and his PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 2005. Dr. Berkery is a member of the American Physical Society (APS) and has been invited by selective committees to give talks on his research at many venues domestically and internationally. Dr. Berkery has been the first author on over twenty scientific papers on his research including two in the prestigious Physical Review Letters and one that was recognized as one of the most cited articles of 2014 by Physics of Plasmas.