PCPW lab news

Nov 23

In memory of Valeriy Aleksandrovich Kurnaev, Head of the Department of Plasma Physics, NRNU MEPhI

With deep regret, we inform that on November 23, 2020, in the hospital after a severe illness at the age of 78, the head of the Department of Plasma Physics of the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies of the NRNU MEPhI, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Valery Aleksandrovich Kurnaev passed away. The entire career of Valery Aleksandrovich, a talented scientist and leader, is inextricably linked with MEPhI and the Department of Plasma Physics. Valery Alexandrovich was born on December 21, 1942. In 1966 he graduated from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute with a degree in Experimental Nuclear Physics. He began work at the university: first as an assistant, then as a postgraduate student. After graduating from postgraduate school, he worked at the Department of Plasma Physics as a researcher. In 1975 he defended his Ph.D. thesis on "Interaction of light ions with a solid." In 1992 he defended his doctoral thesis on "Reflection of light ions from a surface in problems of controlled fusion". In 1990 Valery Aleksandrovich headed the Department of Plasma Physics at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. In 1995 he was awarded the title of professor. For more than 50 years, Valery Aleksandrovich worked on thermonuclear fusion problems and trained highly qualified specialists in this field. He created several modern research facilities based on which students are trained. In 2019, under his leadership, students and employees of the Department of Plasma Physics assembled an educational demonstration tokamak - the first and only such facility in Russia designed for research in the field of controlled fusion. The great merit of Valery Aleksandrovich was the organization of the department's branches in the leading scientific centers of the industry: NRC "Kurchatov Institute", Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Fusion Research, ITEP. V.A. Kurnaev was recognized as an outstanding specialist in plasma interaction with materials of thermonuclear devices in Russia and abroad. He was a member of the International Vacuum Society IUVSTA, the Nuclear Society and the Vacuum Society of Russia, the Scientific and Technical Council of Rosatom, the working group of Rosatom on the ITER project, was a member of the program committees of many Russian and international conferences. V.A. Kurnaev was awarded medals "Veteran of Labor" and "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow", badges "Veteran of the Nuclear Industry and Energy", "Honorary Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation", "Veteran of Labor MEPhI". In 2010 he was awarded a prize of the Government of the Russian Federation, in 2012 - a sign "For services to Rosatom". V.A. Kurnaev actively participated in the university's social life, career guidance work with schoolchildren, and the popularization of scientific activities. Valery Aleksandrovich will remain in our memory as an outstanding scientist, wise mentor, responsive and reliable colleague.

Blessed memory of Valery Alexandrovich.

Nov 20

Successful Ph.D. thesis defense

защита диссертации

November 18, researcher of the laboratory D. Bulgadaryan successfully defended his thesis for the degree of candidate of physical and mathematical sciences on the topic "KeV-energy proton scattering as a tool for the analysis of thin layers on the surface of fusion materials" (supervisor - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Prof. V. Kurnaev ). The members of the dissertation council noted the prominent level of the presented work.

Sep 25

Research results presented at the SOFT-2020 conference

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On September 18-23, a large international conference on thermonuclear technologies (SOFT-2020, https://soft2020.eu/) was held for the first time in a remote format. The Director of ITER’s report opened the conference, and the latest results from leading thermonuclear installations and laboratory research from around the world were presented. The laboratory staff took part in the conference: Y. Gasparyan, D. Yelets, A. Dmitriev. In particular, the reports presented the first measurements of the yield of deuterium from co-deposited in plasma deuterium-tungsten layers under the action of laser radiation of different power and an analysis of the stability of materials facing the plasma to laser radiation. These results are the initial stage in developing a system for remote monitoring of hydrogen isotopes in the walls of the tokamak.

Aug 01

Additional funding for the lab

The project of the PCPW laboratory head Yury Gasparyan “The effect of helium and redeposited layers on the accumulation of hydrogen isotopes in the materials of thermonuclear installations” received additional funding from the Russian Science Foundation for two years. The work will be carried out jointly with the Department of Physical Problems of Materials Science of MEPhI and with the support of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center and the Julich Research Center (Germany). The project will continue to study the mechanisms of co-deposition of hydrogen with metals and investigate deuterium and helium’s behavior in promising “smart” tungsten alloys and brazed tungsten-steel joints. These materials are being considered for use in future fusion reactors (DEMO).

Jul 25

The lab is open

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The new laboratory of the LaPlas Institute, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, will deal with the international organization ITER’s priority tasks.

 Yuri Gasparyan, Associate Professor of the Department of Plasma Physics at the LaPlas Institute, won a four-year grant to create a new laboratory in a contest held by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation among leading young scientists. The creation of the laboratory “Physical and Chemical Processes in the Walls of Fusion Installations” was supported by the Scientific Council of NRNU MEPhI. 

More than 80% of the laboratory staff will be young specialists. In the new laboratory within the framework of a grant together with the Physico-Technical Institute named after A.F. Ioffe, work will be carried out to develop methods for remote monitoring of the accumulation and removal of hydrogen isotopes from the walls of fusion devices using laser radiation. This topic is relevant from the point of view of the safety of thermonuclear installations and was recently included by the international organization ITER in the list of tasks with the highest priority. 

The project is not limited to plasma physics issues but is also closely related to laser physics, solid-state physics, and materials science. The project plans to actively interact with various departments of NRNU MEPhI and many other Russian organizations – PTI, ITEP, IPC RAS, IAM RAS. Joint research of promising alloys and composite materials based on tungsten with the Scientific Center Julich (Germany) is planned. Those wishing to join the project can contact the head of the laboratory: 

????‍????Dr. Yury Gasparyan
????phone.: +7 (495) 788 56 99, add. 9983
✉e-mail: YMGasparyan@mephi.ru