In mid-September Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), the stellarator in Greifswald, Germany operated by Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics started its newest experimental campaign, OP2.4, which will run until mid-December. During those three months, more than 100 scientists from around the world, including researchers from ca. 20 European laboratories, will try to push the device beyond the results of its earlier campaigns and unravel new physics discoveries.
W7-X is a flagship for the fusion research based on the stellarator concept. Unlike a tokamak, it holds its plasma in a twisted, fully three-dimensional magnetic field. That geometry is the source of the stellarator’s main strength: the plasma stays stable without a strong electric current flowing through it. This comes at the price of physics being more complex, which is why each new experimental campaign is important for improving our understanding of magnetic fusion physics and validation of the physics models.
Unlike a tokamak, it holds its plasma in a twisted, fully three-dimensional magnetic field.
As usual, EUROfusion is strongly involved in shaping the Wendelstein 7-X research program, through the activities of the Work Package Stellarator. It also contributes to the machine’s operating costs and to the mission costs of the European scientists taking part. The unique feature of the W7-X team is that there is no distinction between domestic and external team. Instead, the device is exploited in the format of a “one-team approach”, which allows for more efficient use of the precious experimental time. From the scientific point of view, EUROfusion researchers will focus their efforts during the 2026 and 2027 campaigns on three key areas of physics.