Luke Rogers

After studying Natural Sciences with a focus on Materials Science, I moved into academic publishing for a few years. After that, I became a design engineer in the nuclear fission industry, working on the development of nuclear microreactors for use both terrestrially and in space. After two fantastic years working on this, a colleague of mine gave a presentation on their attendance of the Fusion Industry School run by the University of York.

I was fascinated by fusion immediately and began to research as much as I could about the subject. Since I was already looking into going back to university to gain a Master’s degree, the Fusion Energy MSc at the University of York was a natural choice.

Once at York, I found I was fascinated by plasma physics and the fundamental science that drove fusion. Enrolling to study a PhD through the Fusion CDT gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in these subjects even further.

The project I am doing is based around the simulation and use of microwaves and electron Bernstein waves (EBWs) in the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the USA. The purpose of MPEX is to test materials for plasma-facing components (PFCs) when exposed to fusion-relevant plasmas.

Microwaves can be used to heat plasmas but are reflected away from regions of the plasma above a certain density, making them so-called ‘overdense’ plasmas. To access overdense regions of the plasma, the microwaves must be converted into EBWs by a complex process known as OXB conversion.

MPEX is mostly an overdense plasma and, as such, requires EBWs for its interior to be heated to fusion-relevant conditions. My work will focus on: simulating the paths of microwaves through the MPEX plasma, the OXB conversion, the subsequent paths of EBWs, and the effect of EBW absorption on the MPEX plasma.

Luke Rogers – Professional Profile | LinkedIn

Supervisors

• Prof Roddy Vann
• Wouter Tierens