Magnetically confined fusion research is undergoing a period of rapid development, progressing from laboratory-scale experiments towards reactor-scale devices. ITER, currently under construction in France, will be the first fusion experiment of reactor size, designed to produce more fusion power than the external power used for plasma heating and confinement. At the same time, fusion has also become a major focus of private investment, further accelerating research and technology development worldwide. Despite this strong technological push, plasma physics remains central to the successful design and operation of future fusion devices. In particular, understanding particle and heat transport in high-temperature plasmas is one of the key challenges on the path towards fusion power plants.

A central area of present-day fusion research is the study of the high-confinement, or H-mode, regime. In H-mode, a transport barrier forms at the plasma edge, leading to improved confinement and reduced turbulence. However, this regime is often accompanied by edge-localised modes (ELMs), which can produce transient heat loads that are unacceptable for reactor-scale operation. Type-I ELMy H-mode is the baseline scenario for ITER, but alternative operating regimes with small ELMs or without ELMs are being actively developed within the EUROfusion programme. Their investigation requires a combination of advanced diagnostics, data analysis, and comparison with theoretical and modelling results.

The Fusion Plasma Physics Laboratory of the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research has developed and installed Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) and related turbulence imaging diagnostics on several major fusion experiments in Europe and Asia. Our group contributes both to the operation of these diagnostics and to the evaluation of the resulting data, providing an excellent opportunity for a PhD student to participate in front-line international fusion research.

The PhD student will investigate edge plasma turbulence and ELM behaviour using BES measurements from leading fusion experiments. The work will include the analysis and physical interpretation of experimental data, as well as the further development of a Python-based fluctuation analysis package created at CER. An important part of the project will be the implementation of improved numerical methods and analysis tools for turbulence studies. The results will be compared with theoretical predictions and modelling studies, primarily in collaboration with EUROfusion partners.

Depending on the student’s interests, the project may also include participation in the remote operation of BES diagnostics during experimental campaigns, as well as involvement in the technical development and optimisation of the diagnostic systems. The work therefore offers a combination of plasma physics research, advanced data analysis, software development, and diagnostic instrumentation, within a strong international collaboration network.