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Congratulations to the DIII-D National Fusion Facility team on being honored with the 2026 Dawson award for advancing the negative triangularity scenario! Read below to learn more about the science behind this achievement. 🧪 d3dfusion.org/dawsonaward2...

Negative triangularity plasma in the DIII-D tokamak.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 10/09/2026

DIII-D is hosting public tours as part of Nuclear Science Week. Join us 21 October for an in-person look at the largest fusion research facility in the US. See how our team develops new insights into fusion energy and translates that into innovation. 🧪 Advanced registration required: bit.ly/4wpQB7d

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 12/08/2026

Calling all computationally skilled fusioneers, a data science challenge using thousands of actual DIII-D and MAST shots is now open! We're all looking forward to seeing what you can do ☀️ #datascience #fusionenergy 🧪

sophelio.io

Open ML Competition: Fusion Plasma Equilibrium With Tokamak Data

ML challenge for NeurIPS 2026: infer tokamak equilibrium on DIII-D & MAST (UKAEA) without magnetic sensors (relevant to ITER, SPARC, ARC & CFETR)

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 27/07/2026

Central Solenoid was designed and manufactured in California by the fusion energy team at General Atomics. Read all about the Central Solenoid assembly directly from ITER, www.iter.org/node/20687/s... Learn about Energy Group, the fusion energy team at General Atomics, www.ga.com/about/energy...

iter.org

Standing tall

The placement of the final 110-tonne central solenoid module means the world’s largest pulsed superconducting electromagnet has now reached its full height.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 27/07/2026

ITER has completed stacking assembly of the Central Solenoid magnet. That's six 100+ ton modules stacked vertically to a height of 18 meters while maintaining alignment on the mm-scale. Most powerful electromagnet ever built in a device that will demonstrate fusion energy beyond anything previous.

image from https://www.iter.org/node/20687/standing-tall

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 26/07/2026

The authors took DIII-D NT shapes and potential NT parameters from @cfs.energy ARC reactor design and modeled LH behavior. The image shows high mid-radius absorption predicted in DIII-D, exactly as reactors like ARC need. DIII-D experiments can confirm this and retire this risk of reactor design.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 26/07/2026

Here, the negative triangularity (NT) magnetic shape is used to predict the effectiveness of lower hybrid (LH) current drive. NT is inherently able to reduce power fluxes on device walls. Few devices can produce NT shapes at all, and d3dfusion.org produces the highest energy NT plasma available.

d3dfusion.org

DIII-D National Fusion Facility

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 26/07/2026

To achieve fusion energy using magnetic confinement to hold the plasma, we need the ideal magnetic field shape. That shape results from the combined magnetic fields of the device's electromagnets and those of the plasma itself. Driving plasma current remains a scientific challenge in fusion. 🧪

Conceptual diagram of computational modeling of lower hybrid wave propagation and current drive in plasmas from the DIII-D device (realized) and ARC (in-design).

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 23/07/2026

This role gives you the opportunity to help fusioneers across the entire community, from senior researchers at national laboratories, undergraduates from schools all over the country, to engineers working to bring private fusion facilities to life. Apply at the link below.

sjobs.brassring.com

Search Jobs at | General Atomics and Affiliated Companies

Search for Internet job openings.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 23/07/2026

The best job in fusion energy is now open: DIII-D Deputy Director. A broad spectrum of fusion science and technology is discovered, developed, and understood through the efforts of the 1,000 person DIII-D team.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/04/2026

DIII-D conducts research across a wide range of plasma parameters, requiring different frequencies of wave injection to be effective. Future fusion reactors will be simpler in this regard; they will operate with a narrow parameter range and use a single frequency gyrotron. 2/2

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/04/2026

A big step forward for hotter fusion plasmas! A new gyrotron is completing installation at d3dfusion.org and it will deliver 1 MW of heating and current drive power to the plasma.The unique aspect of this unit is that it can output power at three different frequencies (all above 100 GHz). 🧪 1/2

A gyrotron is installed at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/03/2026

This work shows the minimum complexity required in order to predict the behavior of the fusion plasma boundary in future reactors. This work brings together co-authors from Fiat Lux, General Atomics, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). 3/4

iopscience.iop.org

Linear simulations of a wide pedestal quiescent H-mode plasma with the extended-MHD code NIMROD

Linear simulations of a wide pedestal quiescent H-mode plasma with the extended-MHD code NIMROD, Dominguez-Palacios Duran, J.J., King, J.R., Izzo, V.A., Chen, X., Ebrahimi, F., Pankin, A.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/03/2026

In results from d3dfusion.org, plasma experiments were simulated to identify the behaviors of boundary instabilities. The researchers showed that more complex terms (so-called extended MHD effects) had to be included to accurately produce instability behavior. 2/4

d3dfusion.org

DIII-D National Fusion Facility

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/03/2026

Tokamaks achieve fusion by confining plasmas in a magnetic bottle. Plasma transport at the boundary of that bottle largely determines overall fusion power performance. Plasmas produce instabilities and waves at the boundary, and those can drive plasma particles outward to the device wall. 🧪 1/4

Conceptual schematic of experimental research performed at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. The research took fusion plasmas with quiescent boundaries and performed NIMROD simulations to identify instability thresholds and characteristics as a function of impurity density and species.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 21/03/2026

The image shows confinement time of energetic ions decreases as wave amplitude increases. The paper provides detailed evaluation (theory & measurement) of how wave-wave interactions lead to wave-particle interactions that push energetic ions out of the plasma core. 4/5

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 21/03/2026

The team measured interactions between different types of plasma waves and saw the waves enhancing each other and increasing energetic ion transport. Large energetic ion transport reduces fusion power output, making it more difficult to maintain fusion temperatures. 3/5

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 21/03/2026

In new research from G.A. Riggs and colleagues, experiments at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility used neutral beams to create a strong core-localized population of energetic ions that excited a series of plasma waves similar to those that will occur in future reactors. 2/5

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 21/03/2026

A challenge for designing pilot fusion energy power plants is that a wide range of their parameter space has never been observed (because no similar machine has ever existed), demanding that the foundational science be solid enough to allow for high-confidence predictions of their behavior. 🧪 1/5

Conceptual schematic of a plasma wave and wave-particle interaction experiment performed in the DIII-D tokamak at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 16/03/2026

Come see how our facility enables many different aspects of fusion energy technology development and scientific research. Learn about the tour options here, usfusionenergy.org/event/diii-d... Learn about all the great Fusion Energy Week activities here, usfusionenergy.org/fusion-energ... 2/2

usfusionenergy.org

DIII-D National Fusion Facility Tours 2026

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 16/03/2026

Did you know that the most popular tour of the early 2020's was Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" and that the second most popular tour was the DIII-D National Fusion Facility Fusion Energy Week tour? For Fusion Energy Week 2026, DIII-D will be hosting three in-person and two virtual tours. 🧪 1/2

interior view of the DIII-D tokamak at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 13/03/2026

See some testimonials from past participants, who also happen to have become professional fusioneers after completing their internships. science.osti.gov/wdts/WDTS-La... science.osti.gov/wdts/WDTS-La... 3/3

science.osti.gov

WDTS Alex LeViness | U.S. DOE Office of Science(SC)

Former SULI intern received Fulbright fellowship to study plasma physics in Germany Internship program: SULI Year: 2016 Undergraduate institution: The University of Alabama Major: Physics Host DO...

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 13/03/2026

If you do, then you'll complete a cutting-edge fusion energy research project with a mentor from any one of our 128 participating organizations, including the US National Laboratories, universities, and private industry. 2/3

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 13/03/2026

The application process for Fall 2026 Undergraduate Internships at U.S. Department of Energy laboratories is now open! See the announcement here, content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USD... 🧪 If you are an undergraduate interested in fusion energy, then we hope you'll apply for d3dfusion.org 1/3

undergraduate interns pose at a scale model of the DIII-D tokamak at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility alongside the program manager.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 07/03/2026

Jonathan Coburn, et al., Nuclear Materials and Energy 46, 102064 (2026), doi.org/10.1016/j.nm... 5/5

doi.org

Redirecting

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 07/03/2026

This work was produced through a massive international team including co-authors from @sandialabs.bsky.social, PPPL, @pennstateuniv.bsky.social, @uwmadison.bsky.social, DIFFER, ORNL, GA, @ucsandiego.bsky.social@unm.edu, Kyoto University, LLNL, Auburn University, Max Planck IPP, and UT Knoxville. 4/5

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 07/03/2026

Tungsten architectures are the closest to fully-viable for fusion reactor applications, and capillary porous structures with lithium may develop into a suitable replacement. Ultra-high temperature ceramics demonstrate the required heat flux management and warrant the next stage of development. 3/5

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 07/03/2026

Researchers conducted the Fusion Pilot Plant Candidate Materials Thrust experimental campaign at d3dfusion.org. 17 different candidate materials were subjected to the intense plasma environment, including ultra-high temperature ceramics, liquid lithium, and tungsten-based configurations. 2/5

d3dfusion.org

DIII-D National Fusion Facility

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 07/03/2026

Materials science & fusion science are having a blast working together to commercialize fusion energy. As the next generation of fusion devices is being designed and constructed, many questions remain concerning the survivability and operational impacts of the selected plasma-facing materials. 1/5 🧪

Conceptual schematic of fusion energy materials research experiments conducted at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. Various candidate plasma-facing materials are exposed to fusion conditions and behaviors such as erosion and arc suppression.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 03/03/2026

Completing a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering with an experimental fusion energy project is an incredible achievement. @utknoxville.bsky.social tells of Jeremy Mateja's experiments at d3dfusion.org exploring how eroded wall materials can be removed from fusion reactors. ne.utk.edu/tokamak-expe... 🧪

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/03/2026

Simply coupling different codes together does not get the job done. The research team identified optimizations that correctly describe reality. This is important because the simple integration of codes produces pedestal heights higher than reality, which would overestimate fusion power output.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/03/2026

In tokamak plasmas, the far edge establishes a pedestal, a steep cliff connecting the hot and dense plasma to the region that interacts with the wall. The height of this pedestal largely determines the power output, so pedestal modeling must be accurate in order to hit targeted outputs.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/03/2026

A priority for fusion energy is to understand power exhaust sufficiently to design systems that handle that intense power. In the work below, researchers used d3dfusion.org to generate a comprehensive experimental data set and then coupled models to accurately calculate plasma behavior. 🧪

Schematic of research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in which integrated models reproduce plasma pedestal structure. Experiments utilized three different divertor geometries to build a comprehensive data set for comparing against different optimizations of integrated models. This work is published in R.S. Wilcox et al 2026 Nucl. Fusion 66 036005, DOI 10.1088/1741-4326/ae3845

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/03/2026

Simply coupling different codes together is insufficient. The research team identified optimizations that correctly describe reality from experiments. This is important because simple integration of codes produces pedestal heights higher than reality, which overestimates the fusion power output.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 01/03/2026

In tokamak plasmas, the far edge establishes a pedestal, a steep cliff connecting the confined hot and dense plasma to the unconfined region that interacts with the wall. Pedestal height largely determines power output, so pedestal modeling must be accurate in order to hit the targeted outputs.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 03/11/2025

Part of the benefit is that high frequency microwaves mostly move through the device unaffected by the plasma all the way until they reach the resonance position where their energy is absorbed. Lower frequency injected waves can be deflected by plasma and stray from the intended path.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 02/11/2025

Absolutely, standard issue personal protective equipment 😀

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 02/11/2025

At d3dfusion.org we inject microwaves (100 - 200 GHz) to heat and drive current in our fusion plasmas. We've just unboxed our newest 1 MW microwave unit, a gyrotron named Zapdos, and are excited to bring it online. This unit will extend our plasma parameter range deeper into reactor territory. 🧪

The RF team at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility stands next to a just opened crate featuring a MW-class gyrotron manufactured by Kyoto Fusioneering. This gyrotron will be used for heating and current drive in fusion energy experiments.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/10/2025

This work was featured in the 2024 Early Career Collection from Physics of Plasmas, pubs.aip.org/pop/collecti... T. Macwan, et al., Physics of Plasmas 31, 122503 (2024), doi.org/10.1063/5.02...

doi.org

ELM-free enhanced Dα H-mode with near zero NBI torque injection in DIII-D tokamak

Enhanced Dα H-mode (EDA H-mode), an ELM-free H-mode regime, and the concomitant quasi-coherent mode (QCM) are explored in neutral beam heated, lower single null

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/10/2025

T. Macwan and colleagues performed experiments at d3dfusion.org to determine the drivers for a plasma mode that regulates pressure in the far edge. When far edge pressure gets too high, fusion plasmas tend to expel large bursts of hot particles that will definitely cause wall damage in a reactor.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 31/10/2025

Best way to control a fusion plasma is likely combining external actuators & internal plasma behaviors. Fusion plasmas produce waves and modes that affect particle & energy transport across the device. The more the plasma self-regulates, the less effort (cost) needs to come from external control. 🧪

Schematic of an experiment in the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. The experiment made simultaneous measurements of many plasma characteristics in order to determine the driver of an edge mode dominant in the enhanced D-alpha H-mode scenario.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 29/10/2025

d3dfusion.org announces the call for experimental proposals for the next Research Campaign. Whether you are working in plasma science, engineering, computing and data science, or anything else in fusion energy, we are here to help you discover & advance. Learn more: d3dfusion.org/rof/ 🧪

banner graphic announcing the 2026 call for proposals to participate in the next Research Campaign at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. Information available at d3dfusion.org/rof

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 29/10/2025

That is a legitimate suspicion, but this is a real research tool. AI is trained on simulation codes that take days to run on supercomputers. The AI version completes in minutes. Users interactively change the device layout and rerun the simulations to test how a new configuration would behave.

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David C. Pace @fusion.energy · 29/10/2025

You have a valid point considering consumer applications at large scale. In this case, the AI tool is being used for research with the cost factored in to the resource assessment and the limits of applicability factored in to the research plan.

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