The Euratom Seventh Framework Programme FP7 (2007-2011)

The objective of the Seventh Euratom Framework Program in the area of nuclear fission and radiation protection is to establish a sound scientific and technical basis to accelerate practical developments of nuclear energy related to resource efficiency, enhancing safety performance, cost-effectiveness and safer management of long-lived radioactive waste. Key cross-cutting topics such as the nuclear fuel cycle, actinide chemistry, risk analysis, safety assessment, even societal and governance issues are linked to the individual technical areas. Research need to explore new scientific and techno- logical opportunities and to respond in a flexible way to new policy needs that arise. The following activities are to be pursued. (a) Management of radioactive waste, research on partitioning and transmutation and/or other concepts aimed at reducing the amount and/or hazard of the waste for disposal; (b) Reactor systems research to underpin the con- tinued safe operation of all relevant types of existing reactor systems (including fuel cycle facilities), life-time extension, development of new advanced safety assessment methodologies and waste-management aspects of future reactor systems; (c) Radiation protection research in particular on the risks from low doses on medical uses and on the management of accidents; (d) Infrastructures and support given to the availability of, and cooperation between, research infrastructures necessary to maintain high standards of technical achievement, innovation and safety in the European nuclear sector and Research Area. (e) Human resources, mobility and training support to be provided for the retention and further development of scientific competence, human capacity through joint training activities in order to guarantee the availability of suitably qualified researchers, engineers and employees in the nuclear sector over the longer term

Overview of JET results in support of the ITER physics basis

The JET experimental campaign has focused on studies in support of the ITER physics basis. An overview of the results obtained is given for the reference ELMy H mode and advanced scenarios, which in JET are based on internal transport barriers. JET studies for ELMy H mode have been instrumental in the definition of ITER FEAT. Positive elongation and current scaling in the ITER scaling law have been confirmed, but the observed density scaling fits a two term (core and edge) model better. Significant progress in neoclassical tearing mode limits has been made showing that ITER operation with q(95) around 3.3 seems to be optimized. Effective helium pumping and divertor enrichment is found to be well within ITER requirements. Target asymmetries and hydrogen isotope retention are well simulated by modelling codes taking into account drift flows in the scrape-off plasmas. Striking improvements in fuelling effectiveness have been made with the new high field pellet launch facility. Good progress has been made on scenarios for achieving good confinement at high densities, both with radiation improved modes and with high field side pellets. Significant development of advanced scenarios, in view of their application to ITER, has been achieved. Progress towards integrated advanced scenarios is well developed with edge pressure control (impurity radiation). An access domain has been explored showing, in particular, that the power threshold increases with magnetic field but can be significantly reduced when lower hybrid current drive is used to produce target plasmas with negative shear. The role of ion pressure peaking on MHD has been well documented. Lack of sufficient additional heating power and interaction with the septum at high beta prevents assessment of the beta limits (steady plasmas achieved with beta (N) up to 2.6). Plasmas with a non-inductive current (I-NI/I-p = 60%), well aligned with the plasma current, high beta and good confinement have also been obtained