Tharuka Hikkaduwa Gamage ’26, Mathematics

Tharuka Hikkaduwa Gamage ’26

Major

Mathematics

Project Title

Ion heating in FRCs by Non-standard RF Antenna Shapes: Single-particle Hamiltonian-code Simulations

Presentation Link

View Tharuka's Presentation

Minor(s): Italian Language and Culture

I investigated the orbital dynamics of ions within a Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) using a single-particle Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) simulation code. The primary aim of this project was to contribute to the design of small fusion reactors that could be deployed in remote locations or disaster sites. Specifically, I focused on new antenna designs for ion heating in FRC plasma, as fusion requires hot ions and there is a need for more maintainable and easily installable antennas. I tested two main designs: the current linear polarization antenna and the magnetic pumping antenna. To optimize running simulations on the RMF and data analysis, I created batch codes using Python. We defined “good heating” as when an ion was both confined for a minimum amount of time and reached a certain level of energy. My investigation demonstrated that while the current antenna design provides good heating, the magnetic pumping antenna also shows potential for great performance. I concluded the internship by suggesting further research into a new design aimed at improving particle confinement with stronger coils at the ends of the FRC.