DIII-D RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FORUM FOR THE 2011 EXPERIMENTAL CAMPAIGN

The DIII-D Research Opportunities Forum has been scheduled for December 7-9, 2010 at GA in San Diego. The Research Opportunities Forum provides a venue for interested scientists to present proposals and ideas for possible research on the DIII-D National Fusion Facility as well as an opportunity to discuss critical issues for both fusion science and preparations for ITER (see ITER reference documents link in left panel). Information on the proposal submission process and the Forum's agenda (as the details become available) can be found on the links to the left.

There are several objectives of the Research Opportunities Forum. The main goal of the DIII-D Research Opportunities Forum (ROF) is to lay the ground work for developing the best DIII-D experimental campaign. At the ROF, we wish to provide an opportunity for each scientist (DIII-D, national or international collaborator, and any interested participant) to present their ideas to the DIII-D team. The ROF also provides an opportunity for our colleagues in the fusion community to become familiar with the activities of the DIII-D program whether or not they propose specific experiments. Finally, we want the Research Opportunities Forum to be an opportunity for new participation in the DIII-D program.

As in the past any individual contributor can submit as many proposals to the website as they wish. These proposals will be sorted and distributed to the area leaders, or their delegates, to be discussed in the respective group meetings.

For those unfamiliar with the DIII-D planning process, this process consists of the following steps:

1. Determine the organization of the experimental program: This is done by DIII-D management with the advice of the DIII-D Research Council. This process is currently underway. A recent announcement outlines the High Priority Research Topics for the DIII-D Experimental Campaign in 2011 and the associated Task Forces and Working Groups for those topics. As was the case in 2009-2010, the 2011 program will be aligned with the organization of the Experimental Science Division.
2. Proposal submission: As in the past, proposals will again be submitted using a web interface starting in November. All individuals and institutions are encouraged to propose experiments that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the DIII-D facility in addressing key fusion science issues. These experimental proposals may be as small as a portion of a shot or may require several days to complete. See the link to the upper left for submission of ideas.
3. Research Opportunities Forum: The ROF will be held on December 7-9, 2010 at GA

as described above. Remote participation will be available using H.323 protocol (details to be posted on the "remote participation" link to the left).

1. Prioritization/Planning: The various research area leaders will organize meetings subsequent to the ROF in which the proponents of the proposals will discuss and determine which proposals can be combined effectively, leading to a proposed plan for the 2011 experimental plan. This plan will be presented to the DIII-D Research Council, which will then advise the DIII-D Director on the allocation of experimental time amongst the various areas. It is anticipated that notification of the allocations will be distributed early in February of 2011.

More Information:
Please contact Dr. Punit Gohil at
Phone: 858-455-4191
Fax: 858-455-4156