ITER is planned to be the first fusion experimental reactor in theworld operating for research in physics and engineering. The first tenyears of operation will be devoted primarily to physics issues at lowneutron fluence and the following ten years of operation to engineeringtesting at higher fluence. ITER can accommodate various plasmaconfigurations and plasma operation modes, such as inductive high Qmodes, long pulse hybrid modes and non-inductive steady state modes, withlarge ranges of plasma current, density, beta and fusion power, andwith various heating and current drive methods. This flexibility willprovide an advantage for coping with uncertainties in the physicsdatabase, in studying burning plasmas, in introducing advancedfeatures and in optimizing the plasma performance for the differentprogramme objectives. Remote sites will be able to participate in theITER experiment. This concept will provide an advantage not only inoperating ITER for 24 hours a day but also in involving theworldwide fusion community and in promoting scientific competitionamong the ITER Parties.
H-mode plasmas in the pre-fusion power operation 1 phase of the ITER research plan