Meet one of the researchers in TauEB project
Yurii Kovtun is one of the researchers contributing to the TauEB project. He has many years of experience in fusion research as an expert on radiofrequency wave applications to plasmas. Yurii recently visited KTH and the partner Novatron.
“In this project, I am going to focus on plasma heating processes for electrons and ions using Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating and Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating at Novatron tandem mirror system”, he says.
Earlier Yurii has researched Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF) plasma production in the stellarator Uragan-2M (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and the Large Helical Device (Toki, Japan), and Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) discharges in TOMAS device (Jülich, Germany). He also participates in the EUROfusion programme.
Sees hope in nuclear fusion
As everyone knows, there is currently also a war between Ukraine and Russia after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. So, how is it to work as a researcher while a war is going on in your country?
“Some parts are difficult; there are attacks by the Russians every day. I used to live and work in Kharkiv, but my apartment was destroyed by an artillery fire. I had to move to Lviv and have been working remotely for the past three years. I hope this war will be over soon.”
Despite the war and the difficulties, Yurii sees hope in nuclear fusion.
“It is the energy source of the future, and today, we see progress in different systems.”