Tokamak Start-Up

Ramping a tokamak from breakdown to its flat-top operating current.

Start-up takes the plasma from breakdown through current ramp-up to the steady 'flat-top' where fusion conditions are held. Managing the current and density profiles through this sequence avoids instabilities.

Start-up takes the plasma from breakdown through current ramp-up to the steady flat-top where fusion conditions are held, all while keeping the current and density profiles stable and within the flux budget. It is a physics-rich sequence, especially in a compact machine, and a robust start-up scenario is part of proving the design can actually operate.