ITER CTA NEWSLETTER
No. 10, DECEMBER 2001

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, VIENNA, AUSTRIAISSN 1024–5642

ORGANIZATION OF THE ITER CO-ORDINATED TECHNICAL ACTIVITIESINTERNATIONAL TEAM
At its meeting in Toronto on 7 November 2001, the ITER Co-ordinated Technical Activities (CTA) Project
Board took note of the organizational arrangements for the CTA International Team at the Garching and Naka
Joint Work Sites. The organization chart of the Team remains almost unchanged from that of the ITER
Engineering Design Activities (see overleaf). However, there is no special division responsible for plasma andfield control. Activities in plasma control will be taken over by the Physics Unit.
At the same time, the organizational features of the Team, as proposed by the International Team Leader,
Dr. R. Aymar, while emphasizing integration issues, foresee modifications of the charges to the sites anddivisions in accordance with the following approach:·Very often, the design responsibilities previously exercised by a Group will now, taking into account theavailable human resources, bear only one Team staff member, who, working together with relevant
Parties' Teams, shall maintain, update and improve the Project technical status.

·The role of each Division should be adapted to the new situation. The dedication of the Division Heads
in their previous roles, their experience and authority will continue to be helpful to the Project. The
Divisions should maintain continuity in previous knowledge and documentation for their previous specificarea, but be flexible to participate, if needed, in building a Task Force across Divisions on priority
subjects.

Regarding details of the organizational scheme, it has to be noted that:·Some field areas have no continuity in personnel and will rely heavily on the support of the Parties'Teams'. These areas are: Pulse Power Supplies, Neutral Beam Heating and Current Drive,
Radiofrequency Heating and Current Drive, and CODAC.

·The drawing offices in Garching and Naka have different levels of human resources, as a consequenceof which the Garching drawing office is required to perform work for some Naka designers. Theconnections between the Naka and the Garching drawing offices should be very good to enable them towork together on reference drawings, standards, etc.

·It is assumed that the Russian Federation Design Team will continue to provide helpful support to theProject in line with the same procedure as in the past. In particular, the Steady-State Power Supply
specifications should continue to be developed by this Team.

One strong feature of the work for the CTA is the necessity for the International Team to maintaincomprehensive documentation and to improve its quality. For this purpose, a Technical Co-ordination Meetingshould be operational to control all the Baseline Documents, in particular all the top-level documents. In sodoing, it should review Design Changes (proposals and implementation if agreed) and, therefore, resourceand time targets, deliverables, etc. The Meeting will be chaired by the Team's Leader or Co-Leader.
Permanent members should be Heads of Sites, the Leaders of the Design Integration Unit and of the Safety
Unit; other attendees being Division Heads and Responsible Officers or Designers, or Analysts and Heads ofDesign Offices, depending on the agenda.
The Project should make clear its review process and keep track of decisions that affect the reference
baseline (necessary to remain the Design Authority).
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ITER CTA International Team Structure

R. Aymar (IT Leader)/Garching
Y. Shimomura (IT Co-Leader)/Naka

NAKA

GARCHING

Head of JWS
M. Huguet

Head of JWS
V. Chuyanov

Quality
Assurance
SchedulingSuperconducting
coils & Structure
Division

Design Integration
Unit

Safety,Environment andHealth GroupT. Mizoguchi

M. Huguet

P. Barabaschi

C. Gordon

Physics Unit

Nuclear Technology
Division

Divertor & Plasma
Interface Division

Vacuum & Blanket
Division

M. Shimada

R. Haange

V. Chuyanov

K. loki

START OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOKAMAK PHYSICS ACTIVITY
by Dr. D. Campbell, Chair, ITPA Co-ordinating Committee
As the ITER EDA drew to a close, it became clear that it was desirable to establish a new mechanism in orderto promote the continued development of the physics basis for burning plasma experiments and to preserve
the invaluable collaborations between the major international fusion communities which had been establishedthrough the ITER Physics Expert Groups. Prompted by Dr. H. Ninomiya of JAERI, representatives of theEuropean Union, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States began discussions, under theauspices of the respective fusion programme administrations, to establish a new framework for international
collaboration on voluntary Physics R&D in support of the design of burning plasma experiments.
The result of these discussions is encapsulated in the "Agreed principles for conducting the International
Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA)" appended to this report (see box overleaf). The implementation of this2

Agreed principles for conducting the International Tokamak Physics Activity
The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) aims at cooperation in development of the physics basis
for burning tokamak plasmas. The ITPA continues the tokamak physics R&D activities that have been
conducted on an international level for many years resulting in achievement of a broad physics basis usefulfor all fusion programs, for the ITER design, and for general tokamak research worldwide.
With the introduction of the ITER project, these activities were focused on the ITER Physics R&D activities,
which have been well organized and successfully conducted to develop the physics basis for the ITER
design and to coordinate general tokamak research worldwide. Further development of these voluntary
physics activities is important to continue an internationally coordinated approach to tokamak research andto advance the databases for future burning plasma research, including ITER.
The ITPA shall consist in providing:·validated experimental data according to an agreed format;·
analyzed results of experiments to advance understanding of fusion plasma physics;·
the organization, management, and updating of qualified databases;·
theoretical models and simulation results to explain and reproduce experimental results;·
studies of fusion plasma performance in burning plasma tokamak devices, such as ITER; and·identification and resolution of key diagnostics issues which might arise both in plasma control and inanalysis of a burning plasma experiment, such as ITER.
The International Fusion Research Council (IFRC) supports the ITPA, which is a joint activity of fusion
programs in EU, Japan, RF, and US * (the ITPA participants). The IFRC receives annual progress reportson the ITPA activity. The organizational structure of the ITPA consists of one Coordinating Committee andseveral Topical Physics Groups.
-The role of the ITPA Coordinating Committee is to oversee the Topical Physics Groups in conducting
their tasks as described above. It is composed of three members from each participant. An additional
three members can be also appointed from the ITER International Team (IT) through the participants.
The Chairman of the Committee is selected from the Committee members by consensus. TheCommittee can select its secretary (or secretariat). The Committee holds at least one meeting peryear.

-The Coordinating Committee shall determine the number and subject of the Topical Physics Groups.
Each Group should coordinate tokamak physics research in its specific subject, analyze the database,carry out modeling, and develop materials for its report to the CC. The Coordinating Committee selects
the chair and co-chair of the Topical Physics Groups. Each Group consists of 3-5 scientists perParticipant, named by each Participants. The Groups may invite the participation of additional
scientists, if necessary. Each Group holds an average of two meetings a year. Meeting locations anddates must be approved by the Coordinating Committee. The agendas of Group meetings can include
physics issues specific to burning plasma experiments, including ITER. The Group should issue to theCoordinating Committee a succinct summary of each meeting promptly within two weeks after theGroup meeting. Group activities should be reported at each meeting of the Coordinating Committee.
Groups are encouraged to make their work available to the broader fusion community in a timelymanner.

Each participant in the ITPA agrees to perform the following duties:-Support the purposes, processes, and infrastructure of ITPA as described above.
Host the meetings of the Coordination Committee and several Physics Groups alternately. Noparticipation fee shall be charged. The host partner shall provide support of the meeting in terms ofservices such as conference room, computers with internet connection, secretarial support and othermeeting arrangements.

The Coordinating Committee will consider the participation of additional participants and take actions basedon readiness of that possible participant to satisfy the duties enumerated above.
* The US activity in ITPA is carried out within the existing US bilateral agreements with Japan,
European Union, and Russian Federation.

3

agreement has been supported by the International Fusion Research Council and the IEA Fusion PowerCo-ordinating Committee. Representatives of the four participating fusion communities therefore assembled
at the JAERI Fusion Research Establishment in Naka on 3-4 September 2001 in the first meeting of theITPA Co-ordinating Committee in order to initiate the activity and to establish the necessary structures topursue the goals of the ITPA.
In scope, the ITPA continues the tokamak physics R&D activities which were conducted successfully during
the 1990's, which assembled a comprehensive physics argument for the construction of a burning plasma
experiment based on the tokamak and which culminated in the publication of the ITER Physics Basisdocument in 1999. This extensive review has emerged as an important resource, not only for the ITER
activity, but also for the broader magnetic fusion community. The Participants in the ITPA recognize thevalue of such international collaboration and consider that internationally co-ordinated research isnecessary to advance the fundamental understanding and databases for future burning plasma research,including ITER.
The activities of the ITPA are implemented via seven Topical Physics Groups whose members are drawn
from the Participants' fusion laboratories and the ITER CTA International Team (IT). It is the responsibility of
the Topical Groups' members to maintain contact with the experimental and modelling activities within theParticipants' fusion programmes, to disseminate progress in the programmes' fusion research activities
within the ITPA and the broader fusion community, and to promote collaboration among the programmes.
Topical Groups typically hold two meetings per year and provide reports on their activities to the ITPA Coordinating Committee.
The first meeting of the ITPA Co-ordinating Committee (CC) was convened to formalize the implementationof the activity. The members of the CC nominated by the Participants and the ITER IT are listed in the tablebelow. The delegates were welcomed by Dr. H. Ninomiya, who hosted the meeting on behalf of JAERI,
and who opened the meeting as Acting Chair. The members of the CC expressed their warm appreciationof Dr. Ninomiya's tireless efforts in support of the establishment of the ITPA.

Members of the ITPA Co-ordinating Committee
EUJA

RFUS

ITER IT

D. Campbell ‡F. Romanelli
H. Zohm

H. Ninomiya ‡S. Takamura*
M. Wakatani ‡N. Ivanov* ‡S. Konovalov*
S. Mirnov*

E. Oktay ‡N. Sauthoff
R. Stambaugh

R. Aymar*
M. Shimada
Y. Shimomura‡ Participants’ Contact Persons* Did not attend first CC meeting

The CC agreed the structure of the Topical Physics Groups and, on the basis of nominations made by theParticipants, selected Dr. D. Campbell (EU) as Chair and Dr. M. Shimada as Co-chair for the CC. On thesame basis, it selected Chairs and Co-Chairs for the Topical Groups (see the table on the next page).
Dr. M. Shimada, CC Co-Chair, was appointed as Secretary for the Co-ordinating Committee. The Secretariat
will be responsible for managing the calendar of Topical Group Meetings and the approval of Topical Group
Minutes. The CC also agreed that it is important to allow a range of experts from the Participants' fusion
programmes to take leading roles in the ITPA as Chairs/Co-Chairs of the Topical Groups. The CC will
therefore review these positions annually with the intention of rotating the Chairs/Co-Chairs appointments
amongst the Participants' experts, with a typical timescale of several years.
The CC drafted the Charge to the Topical Groups (box on page 6), defining the general scope of the TG
activities and their responsibilities within the ITPA. In particular, the need to focus the ITPA activity on burning
plasma physics issues was confirmed. The CC recommended that, in framing their scope and tasks, the4ITPA Topical Physics Groups and Chairs/Co-Chairs

Chair

Co-ChairDiagnostic

Tony Donne (EU)Alan Costley (IT)

Pedestal & Edge Physics

Yutaka Kamada (JA)Tom Osborne (US)Divertor & Scrape-Off Layer Physics

Nobuyuki Asakura (JA)

Bruce Lipschultz (US)MHD, Disruptions andControl

Otto Gruber (EU)

Yuri Gribov (IT)

Confinement Database andModelling

Wayne Houlberg (US)Alexei Polevoi (IT)Transport & Internal Transport
Barrier Physics

Edward Doyle (US)

Vladimir Mukhovatov (IT)

Energetic Particles, Heating & Current
Drive, & Steady-State Operation

Claude Gormezano (EU)

Kenro Miyamoto (JA)TGs refer to the "Agreed principles for conducting the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA)" forguidance in identifying the range of activities to be addressed: the TGs are expected to identify specific tasks
in their fields of competence which can be implemented within the Participants' fusion programmes and which
will promote the development of an improved physics basis for the design of burning plasma experiments.
The CC requested that the TGs prioritize their activities into High Priority, Medium Term and Long Term. In
particular, each Group should define a small number (=3) of High Priority Physics R&D Issues. These would
provide a focus for the Topical Groups' activities in a timeframe of 1-2 years and should be determined on thebasis of their likely importance both in increasing understanding of fusion plasmas and in providing increased
confidence in achieving significant fusion gain in proposed long-pulse burning plasma facilities, as well as on
the probability of achieving significant progress within this timeframe.
Dr. Shimomura, Co-Leader of the ITER IT, presented an overview of ITER status and plans. He emphasizedthat Physics R&D under the ITPA is considered an important element contributing to the continuing ITER
studies during the CTA. The delegates briefly discussed current developments in relation to ITER and thedesign of other burning plasma devices.
Finally, the necessity of developing a general Physics Basis for burning plasma experiments from the existing
ITER Physics Basis and Physics Guideline documents was agreed. It is intended to discuss this issue indetail, with the participation of Topical Group Chairs and Co-Chairs, at the next Co-ordinating Committee
Meeting, to be held in San Diego on 1-2 March 2002.
An ITPA website has been established, where further information on developments in relation to the activity
can be obtained: http://www.aug.ipp.mpg.de/itpa/.

5Charge to the ITPA Topical Groups for 2002
1. Topical Group meetings are intended to be working meetings to further develop the physics basis
for burning plasma experiments and to focus international collaborations. They are not intended to beadditional conferences. Each topical group should hold an average of two meetings per year,
preferably with one meeting scheduled with other topical area groups and one meeting just for the workof the topical group. The Topical Group should aim to schedule every other meeting in conjunction withother major international meetings. Aim to schedule meetings at least six months in advance andobtain approval of the ITPA Coordinating Committee for the meetings' schedule and location.
2. Issue Meeting Summary (a few pages) promptly after Meetings (within two weeks) to be
distributed among the fusion community with a succinct Executive Summary appropriate for unlimited
distribution.
3. Prepare a scope and task definition for the topical group for submission to the ITPA CC byNovember 1, 2001. Identify opportunities for increased effectiveness, including revised scopes of
topical areas, and choice of topical areas; identify how relevant databases will be maintained.
4. Bring important new results achieved in the Parties' Base Programmes to the ITPA Coordinating
Committee's attention.
5. Identify and formulate Research Priorities for Physics R&D relevant to next step tokamak burning
plasmas. These priorities are to be endorsed by the ITPA Coordinating Committee.
6. Evaluate and document, from the burning plasma perspective, scientific progress regarding theResearch Priorities and provide an annual written report to the ITPA Coordinating Committee. Arrange
for a wide distribution of this report within their area of expertise after acceptance by the ITPA Coordinating Committee.
7. Communicate the importance of the 2002 ITPA Physics Research Priorities to their respective
Parties and fusion research establishments and foster collaborative research activities amonginternational fusion research establishments.
8. Recommend the physics guidelines and methodologies for physics design calculations forburning plasma experiments.
9. Consider future directions of fusion research in their topical area and report to the ITPA
Coordinating Committee on the opportunities afforded by proposed future experimental facilities tosupport those lines of research.

Printed by the IAEA in Austria
March 2002

602-00402

Items to be considered for inclusion in the ITER CTA Newsletter should be submitted to B. Kuvshinnikov, ITER Office, IAEA,Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, or Facsimile: +43 1 2633832, or e-mail: c.basaldella@iaea.org(phone +43 1 260026392).