I am studying for a PhD under the supervision of Dr Roddy Vann at the University of York.
My project involves examining resonant instabilities from modal overlap of plasma waves with similar wavevector. These waves interact via certain non-linear processes leading to cascade destabilisation of tokamak plasmas.
I typically examine shear Alfvn eigenmodes (SAEs) existing in the mode gap. These eigenmodes enjoy non-linear interactions which lead to resonant coupling, whilst also being relatively free from continuum damping.
My end goal is to understand these instabilities better so as to improve stability of the overall tokamak plasma. This will allow for greater confinement time, less damage to the reactor, and greater efficiency, providing useful steps on the path to sustainable ignition of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel for tokamak fusion power.
Benjamin is now a Fusion CDT Alumnus.
Linkeedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-woods/