Progress in the ITER Physics Basis

I would firstly like to congratulate all who have contributed to the preparation of the `Progress in the ITER Physics Basis' (PIPB) on its publication and express my deep appreciation of the hard work and commitment of the many scientists involved. With the signing of the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement in November 2006, the ITER Members have now established the framework for construction of the project, and the ITER Organization has begun work at Cadarache. The review of recent progress in the physics basis for burning plasma experiments encompassed by the PIPB will be a valuable resource for the project and, in particular, for the current Design Review.The ITER design has been derived from a physics basis developed through experimental, modelling and theoretical work on the properties of tokamak plasmas and, in particular, on studies of burning plasma physics. The `ITER Physics Basis' (IPB), published in 1999, has been the reference for the projection methodologies for the design of ITER, but the IPB also highlighted several key issues which needed to be resolved to provide a robust basis for ITER operation. In the intervening period scientists of the ITER Participant Teams have addressed these issues intensively. The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) has provided an excellent forum for scientists involved in these studies, focusing their work on the high priority physics issues for ITER. Significant progress has been made in many of the issues identified in the IPB and this progress is discussed in depth in the PIPB. In this respect, the publication of the PIPB symbolizes the strong interest and enthusiasm of the plasma physics community for the success of the ITER project, which we all recognize as one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century. I wish to emphasize my appreciation of the work of the ITPA Coordinating Committee members, who are listed below. Their support and encouragement for the preparation of the PIPB were fundamental to its completion.I am pleased to witness the extensive collaborations, the excellent working relationships and the free exchange of views that have been developed among scientists working on magnetic fusion, and I would particularly like to acknowledge the importance which they assign to ITER in their research. This close collaboration and the spirit of free discussion will be essential to the success of ITER.Finally, the PIPB identifies issues which remain in the projection of burning plasma performance to the ITER scale and in the control of burning plasmas. Continued R&D is therefore called for to reduce the uncertainties associated with these issues and to ensure the efficient operation and exploitation of ITER. It is important that the international fusion community maintains a high level of collaboration in the future to address these issues and to prepare the physics basis for ITER operation.ITPA Coordination CommitteeR. Stambaugh (Chair of ITPA CC, General Atomics, USA)D.J. Campbell (Previous Chair of ITPA CC, European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit, ITER Organization)M. Shimada (Co-Chair of ITPA CC, ITER Organization)R. Aymar (ITER International Team, CERN)V. Chuyanov (ITER Organization)J.H. Han (Korea Basic Science Institute, Korea)Y. Huo (Zengzhou University, China)Y.S. Hwang (Seoul National University, Korea)N. Ivanov (Kurchatov Institute, Russia)Y. Kamada (Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka, Japan)P.K. Kaw (Institute for Plasma Research, India)S. Konovalov (Kurchatov Institute, Russia)M. Kwon (National Fusion Research Center, Korea)J. Li (Academy of Science, Institute of Plasma Physics, China)S. Mirnov (TRINITI, Russia)Y. Nakamura (National Institute for Fusion Studies, Japan)H. Ninomiya (Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka, Japan)E. Oktay (Department of Energy, USA)J. Pamela (European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit)C. Pan (Southwestern Institute of Physics, China)F. Romanelli (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente, Italy and European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit)N. Sauthoff (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, USA)Y. Saxena (Institute for Plasma Research, India)Y. Shimomura (ITER Organization)R. Singh (Institute for Plasma Research, India)S. Takamura (Nagoya University, Japan)K. Toi (National Institute for Fusion Studies, Japan)M. Wakatani (Kyoto University, Japan (deceased))H. Zohm (Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching, Germany)