San Diego World Affairs Council
Please join us to warmly welcome
Dr. Alessandro Bortolon
"Fusion Energy Research and the Creation of Miniature Stars for Electricity"
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Dr. Bortolon will introduce the concept of fusion energy, the energy source that powers the sun and the stars. During his presentation, Dr. Bortolon will present on the worldwide scientific and technological efforts to bring fusion energy to earth as a long term, safe, and clean energy source.
About our Speaker: Dr. Alessandro Bortolon
Dr. Bortolon is a research physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), a collaborative National Center for Fusion and Plasma Research run by Princeton University. Dr. Bortolon is part of the PPPL group working on the DIII-D tokamak in San Diego, located within the General Atomics Torrey Pines campus. Tokamaks are machines able to contain plasma at extremely high temperatures, where fusion reactions can happen. Only a few machines of this kind exist in the world and all groups of researchers working on them are trying to find the optimal conditions to develop a prototype able to generate consumable energy through fusion.
At DIII-D, Dr. Bortolon is leading the research on the effects of actively-injected, non-recycling impurities on key aspects of fusion plasma. He completed his doctoral research at the Swiss Federal Technical Institute focusing on measurement of intrinsic plasma rotation, momentum transport, and spontaneous rotation revealed in the TCV tokamak in Lausanne. He subsequently conducted his postdoctoral research at PPPL, on NSTX spherical torus, turning his interest to energetic particle physics, in particular fast-ion transport and fast-ion driven instabilities in the presence of externally applied magnetic perturbations. His present research on DIII-D investigates the use of controlled injection of low-Z, non-recycling impurities in form of solid granules or powder, as innovative tools to improve energy confinement, mitigate edge localized instabilities or address the issue of diverter power exhaust.
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Location:
National University, Sanford Center Auditorium
11355 N. Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
Complimentary parking on the National University campus
Help us grow - bring a friend(s)!
Time:
Registration/Reception: 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Presentation, followed by a Q&A: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Cost:
SDWAC Members: Free
Non-Members: $10
Student with student ID: $5
*Please note that the viewpoints expressed by speakers at SDWAC events are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of SDWAC. As a nonpartisan organization, SDWAC seeks to engage speakers who, together, represent a variety of viewpoints across the political, cultural, and social spectrums in order to contribute to informed policy discussion and a meaningful exchange of ideas within the San Diego community.
SDWAC is a 501(C)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization - your donations will help our organization continue to provide top-notch international programming.
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