2020, Rapporto statistico, ITA
De Vecchi L.; Lontano M.
Il lavoro aggiorna l'elaborato dello scorso anno relativo all'analisi, condotta con grafici e tabelle, dell'andamento temporale e della ripartizione per rivista della numerosità delle pubblicazioni dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma a partire dal 1990.
2014, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma
Theyear2013hasbeenparticularlysuccessfulforIFP-CNRsince,besidesthe continuationoftheresearchactivitiescarriedoutintheframeoftheEFDAWork Programme and under F4E Grants and ITER Service Contracts, we have performedthe firstsuccessfulexperimentalcampaignsonreal-timeMHDmode controlbymeansof thenewECwavepowerlauncherinstalledin theprevious year inFTU.ThisisparticularlyvaluablefortheIFPduetotheimportantefforts committedinthelastyearsintherealizationofthenewlaunchingsystem.This installation will enhance the flexibility of the ECRH system in FTU therefore openingthepossibilityofabroadersetofexperimentstobecarriedoutinITERlikeregimesofplasmadensityandmagneticfieldvalues. Moreover,in the past year alot of efforts at IFP-CNR have been devoted to identifythemostappropriatecompetencies,accordingto theRoadmap,tobeput forward in the Horizon 2020 era responding to the numerous calls for participation to the Work Plan of the EURATOM programme. A posteriori we believe that the outcome of the selection process has been quite successful for IFP-CNRdue to thekeyskills for the ITERproject,whichhavebeenpreviously fosteredunderEFDA,typicallyECRHphysicsandtechnologies,developmentand exploitation of fusion diagnostics, theory and modelling of fusion plasmas and datainterpretation,plasmaprocessingofmaterialsurfaces. IFP-CNRis therefore ready to carry out the challenging transition toH2020 andtothenewEUROfusionsystem,whichwebelievewillbecapitaltoproceed towardsthesuccessoftheITERprogramme. MaurizioLontano DirectorofIFP-CNR
2013, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma nonché i collaboratori esterni degli enti citati nel frontespizio
Non presente
2012, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti, associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma
The Plasma Physics Institute (Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, IFP) "Piero Caldirola", Milan, belongs to the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR). IFP is also a Euratom Research Unit of the EURATOM-ENEA Association, and coordinates the fusion activities of the Research Groups of the University of Milano-Bicocca, of the Milan Polytechnic, and of two other CNR Institutes, the Institute for Energetics and Interphases (IENI-Padua) and the Institute for Complex Systems (ISCFlorence), for specific research tasks. The primary mission of the IFP-CNR is to develop physics and technology activities for the implementation of the experimental prototype of the fusion reactor ITER, and to contribute actively to its success participating in the European accompanying programme. IFP-CNR promotes international collaboration in the field of fusion, as well During the last thirty years IFP-CNR has gained a recognized experience in the physics, modeling and technology of high-power high-frequency heating of magnetized fusion plasmas. This valuable know-how is at the basis of the strong commitment of IFP-CNR in the EU R&D programme aimed at providing the ECRH system for ITER. In collaboration with other EU associated laboratories and under F4E Grants IFP-CNR has continued its activities in the frame of the EGYC Consortium for the development of the EU gyrotron; has participated to the establishment of the EC-UL Consortium aimed at developing the ECRH Upper Launcher; is leading the R&D on ECRH assisted start-up. In addition, IFP has obtained one Service Contract from ITER IO on the beam tracing analysis for the equatorial launcher. IFPCNR has also entered into negotiations with other EU partners in order to apply to forthcoming F4E Calls for the development of ITER diagnostics. The commitment of IFP-CNR in the fusion accompanying programme has proceeded along several lines of action. First, in the frame of the traditional collaboration with ENEA-Frascati, the activities related to the installation of the new EC wave power launcher, of the new CTS line, and of the electrooptical probe for dust-detection in FTU have been continued. Moreover, the involvement of IFP-CNR in the development of the design of FAST has been carried on. Second, the participation of IFP-CNR personnel to the JET programme has also continued in the fields of diagnostic development, transport studies and with an important contribution to the Feasibility Study of an ECRH System. Third, collaborations with AUG and TCV groups have also enriched the spectrum of activities of IFP-CNR. Most of the physics research activities carried out at IFP-CNR have been accompanied by the development of theoretical models and computational tools. The IFP participation to the EU Fusion Programme consists also of activities in the field of fusion-related technologies. These activities, mainly devoted to material surface processing for different applications and dust dynamics, are carried out in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan, IENI-CNR, ENEAFrascati and other Actors, typically under EFDA Tasks. IFP-CNR has participated to important projects outside the fusion field, as well. Testing prototypes of passive components, like antenna arrays and orthomode transducers, for the low frequency instrument of the Planck mission was performed under an Italian Space Agency contract. In the frame of the national DANTE contribution to the ESS project, first tests of diamond detectors for measurements of fast neutrons have been carried out. Finally, the traditional commitment of IFP-CNR in formation and training of researchers in fusion physics and technologies has involved a few researchers in teaching at university courses and in tutoring Master, PhD students and young scientists at the IFP-CNR premises. Milano, October 2012 Maurizio Lontano Director of IFP-CNR
2011, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti, associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma
The Istituto di Fisica del Plasma (IFP) "Piero Caldirola", Milan, belongs to the Department of Energy & Transportation of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). IFP is also a Euratom Research Unit of the EURATOM-ENEA Association, coordinating the relevant fusion activities of the Research Groups of the University of Milano-Bicocca, of the Milan Polytechnic, and of two CNR Institutes, the Institute for Energetics and Interphases (IENI-Padua) and the Institute for Complex Systems (ISC-Florence), for specific research tasks. The primary mission of the IFP-CNR is to develop physics and technology activities for the implementation of the experimental prototype of the fusion reactor ITER, and to contribute to its success actively participating in the international accompanying programme. During the last thirty years IFP-CNR has gained a recognized experience in the physics, modeling and technology of high-power heating of magnetized fusion plasmas by means of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. This valuable know-how is at the basis of the strong commitment of IFP-CNR in the European R&D programme aimed at providing the ECRH system for ITER. In particular, in collaboration with other European associated laboratories, in 2010 IFP-CNR has continued its activities in the frame of the EGYC Consortium under the F4E Grant for the development of the EU gyrotron; has participated to the establishment of the EC-UL Consortium aimed at developing the ECRH Upper Launcher, still under F4E Grant; has obtained two Service Contracts from ITER IO on the subject. Moreover IFPCNR has entered into negotiation with other European partners in order to be ready to jointly apply to forthcoming Call for Proposals by F4E, in particular on diagnostic development. The commitment of IFP-CNR to the accompanying programme has proceeded along several lines of action. First, in the frame of the traditional collaboration with ENEA-Frascati, the activities related to the installation of the new EC wave power launcher, of the new CTS line, and of the electrooptical probe for dust-detection in FTU have been continued. Moreover, the involvement of IFP-CNR in the development of the design of FAST has been carried on. Second, the participation of IFP-CNR personnel to the JET programme has also continued in the fields of diagnostic development, transport studies and with an important contribution to the Feasibility Study of an ECRH System. Third, collaborations with AUG and Alcator C-Mod groups have also enriched the spectrum of activities of IFP-CNR. Most of the physics research activities carried out at IFP-CNR have been accompanied by the development of theoretical models and computational tools. The IFP participation to the EU Fusion Programme consists also of activities in the field of fusion-related technologies. These activities, mainly devoted to material surface processing for different applications and dust dynamics, are carried out in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan, IENI-CNR, ENEAFrascati and other Actors, typically under EFDA Tasks. Finally, the traditional commitment of IFP-CNR in formation and training of researchers in fusion physics and technologies has involved a few researchers in teaching at university courses and in tutoring Master, PhD students and young scientists at the IFP-CNR premises. Milano, October 2011 Maurizio Lontano Director of IFP-CNR
2010, Annual report, ENG
Gli allora dipendenti, associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma
The Istituto di Fisica del Plasma (IFP) "Piero Caldirola", Milan, belongs to the Department of Energy & Transportation of the Italian National Research Council of Italy (CNR). IFP is also a Euratom Research Unit of the EURATOM-ENEA Association in the frame of the European R&D Programme on Fusion. Its primary mission is to develop physics and technology activities for the implementation of the experimental prototype of the fusion reactor ITER, presently under construction in France. The Milan Research Unit consists, besides IFP-CNR, of the Research Groups of University of Milano-Bicocca, of the Milan Polytechnic, and of the two CNR Institutes IENI-Padua and ISC-Florence, collaborating on specific research tasks. During the last thirty years IFP has gained a recognized experience in the field of high-power heating of magnetized fusion plasmas by means of highfrequency electromagnetic (EM) radiation, based on the resonant waveplasma interaction at frequencies equal to the cyclotron frequency of the electrons (Electron Cyclotron Resonant Heating, or ECRH). IFP personnel is responsible of the ECRH system (4 gyrotrons, 0.6 MW each, 140 GHz, pulse duration up to 0.5 s) installed in the Frascati tokamak FTU, which is used to perform various kinds of experiments as bulk plasma heating, non-inductive current drive, plasma breakdown, stabilization of MHD modes, disruption mitigation applications, all issues of primary interest for the ITER programme. In 2009 the traditional collaboration between IFP-CNR and ENEA-Frascati has consisted in carrying out experiments in FTU on ECRH assisted plasma start-up, on ECRH sawtooth stabilization and in the realization of the new fast EC power launcher (in collaboration with Polytechnic of Milan), which is presently under installation in the tokamak. IFP personnel has been also involved in the "FAST Design Team" of the new European "satellite tokamak", proposed from the Italian Association to the European Fusion Community. The 2009 has seen an increasing involvement of IFP personnel into the scientific programme of JET, the world largest EU tokamak. Indeed, besides the traditional modelling activity on energy and momentum transport which has produced new important insights (influence of plasma rotation and of magnetic shear on ion stiffness, role of rotation, rotation gradients, and Te/Ti on ITG threshold, perturbative analysis of momentum transport), IFP has given a fundamental contribution to the scientific and technological assessment of the feasibility of an ECRH system for JET, providing its competences in the relevant physics studies and in the definition of the gyrotron frequency, transmission lines and power launcher, and in the overview of the available gyrotron technology. The participation of IFP to the JET programme comprises also the development of innovative fusion diagnostics like the measurement of the radiation emitted by electrons at their cyclotron harmonics (ECE), and neutron and gamma-ray spectrometry (these latter in collaboration with the University of Milano-Bicocca). In 2009 an experimental demonstration of the measurement of the !-particle energy distribution function from the observation of the "-ray spectra emitted by the fusion reactions in JET has been given. Among the actions specifically aimed at procuring components for the ITER ECRH system, IFP-CNR is actively committed in the development of the matched load for high power millimeter-wave and of the so-called Upper Launcher (UL) of EC power. The implementation of the CW matched calorimetric loads for millimeter-wave power up to 2MW has been carried out under a "Fusion for Energy" Grant awarded by the Consortium EGYC formed by CRPP-CH, FZK-D, HELLAS-GR, ENEA, and IFP-CNR, to develop the prototype of the EU gyrotron. The activity on the optimization of the ECRH UL for ITER, the relevant physics and the development of the automatic feedback control strategy to suppress NTM instabilities have been continued in the frame of a European collaboration. Moreover, experts from the IFP-CNR have participated to the Preliminary Design Review of the ECRH UL held at ITER IO. The IFP participation to the EU Fusion Programme consists also of activities in the field of fusion-related technologies. These activities are carried out in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan, IENI-CNR, and ENEA-Frascati, and have been the result of a reorientation of competences previously developed at IFP-CNR, towards ITER relevant problems and carried out under EFDA Tasks. Plasma-based coating techniques, previously developed at IFP for industrial applications, have been applied to thin Rhodium layer deposition on various substrates to investigate the possibility of producing high-reflectivity mirrors for fusion diagnostics. A new micro-jet device aimed at producing diamond-like-carbon films has been characterized and used in different gas atmospheres, Ar, H2, H2/CH4. Investigations on the "scavenging effect" of nitrogen molecules have been prosecuted in order to reduce the carbon re-deposition in remote areas of the first wall. The problems of carbon re-deposition and tritium retention are closely related to that of the dynamics of dust in plasmas. The understanding of the mechanisms of dust production and migration is of primary importance in order to mitigate such issues. Therefore, the experimental studies on dust dynamics and the development of dust diagnostics, based on the analysis of density fluctuation spectra, have been prosecuted in the magnetic cusp device working at IFP, in collaboration with the University of Stockholm, the University of Naples and ENEAFrascati. Finally, most of the research activities carried out at IFP-CNR have been accompanied by the development of theoretical models and computational tools. In the last year the traditional modelling activities on electromagnetic radiation transport in tokamak plasmas have been improved, including new physical effects, and have been used to make predictions on experimental observations. An empirical scaling criterium for plasma boundary in tokamaks has been elaborated and applied to a multi-machine database. The commitment of IFP-CNR in the ITM Task Force has also continued with an active participation to different Projects. In 2009, a collaboration with the Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi of the CNR, Florence, has started aimed at applying Hamiltonian formalisms in modeling of fusion plasmas. Milano, October 4th, 2010 Maurizio Lontano Director of IFP-CNR Head of EURATOM Research Unit
2009, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti, associati e assegnisti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma
The Istituto di Fisica del Plasma (IFP) 'Piero Caldirola' belongs to the Department of Energy & Transport of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). IFP is also a Euratom Research Unit of the Italian EURATOM-ENEA Association in the frame of the European R&D Program on Fusion. The primary mission of IFP is to develop physics and technology activities aimed at the implementation of the experimental prototype of the fusion reactor ITER presently under construction at Cadarache (France). During the last thirty years IFP has gained a widely recognized experience in the field of heating and current drive in fusion plasmas by means of high-power millimeter-wave beams that exploit the resonant wave-plasma interaction at the electron cyclotron frequency either to heat the plasma (ECRH) or to drive current in it (ECCD). IFP personnel is since long responsible of the ECRH&CD system of the tokamak FTU at ENEA-Frascati that includes four 140GHz gyrotrons delivering 0.6MW each and is extensively used to perform various kinds of experiments as ! ! besides plasma heating and non-inductive current drive, stabilization of MHD modes, disruption mitigation and plasma start-up. Unfortunately in 2008 practically no experimental campaign was carried out in FTU due to technical problems, but nevertheless the collaboration of IFP with ENEA-Frascati has profitably prosecuted. Extended data analyses have been carried out to interpret previous experiments and the design of the new fast ECRH launcher to be installed on FTU in year 2009 has been completed. A joint activity for the design of the new European 'satellite tokamak' FAST proposed by the Italian Association to the international fusion community has been also pursued. Casting a glance at a wider horizon, 2008 has seen an increasing involvement of IFP personnel in the experimental program of JET, the largest tokamak now in operation not only in the EU but all over the world. In addition to the traditional modeling activity on energy and momentum transport, which has produced new important results, a participation of IFP to the scientific and technological assessment of the feasibility of an ECRH system for JET has been also started, in which IFP provides broad competences both in the relevant physics studies and in the definition of the gyrotron frequency, the transmission lines, and the millimeter-wave launchers. The involvement of IFP in the JET program further included the development of innovative fusion diagnostics, as the oblique ECE diagnostic (OECE) aimed at the measurement of the radiation emitted obliquely by the electrons at their EC resonance, and neutron and gamma-ray spectrometry, this last carried out in collaboration with the University of Milano Bicocca. Worth being stressed is also that in 2008 an experimental program previously carried out in FTU and aimed at demonstrating the potential of ECRH in the mitigation of extremely dangerous phenomena as plasma disruptions was profitably extended to the AUG tokamak at IPP-Garching (Germany), with direct involvement of IFP personnel Among the actions more specifically focused on the procurement of ECRH components for ITER, in 2008 IFP prosecuted the work for the implementation of a millimeter-wave matched calorimetric load with a power handling capability of up to 2MW , an activity that will converge in the 'Fusion for Energy' Grant for the development of a prototype European gyrotron, awarded by the consortium EGYC formed by, besides IFP, CRPP-Lausanne (Switzerland), FZK-Karlsruhe (Germany), HELLAS (Greece) and ENEA. The activity for the optimization of the EC Upper Launcher of ITER and the definition of a strategy for automatic feedback control of neo-tearing modes (NTMs) was also prosecuted in the frame of a European collaboration purposely implemented to respond jointly to the incoming 'Fusion for Energy' Grants. The participation of IFP to the fusion program of the EU extends to the development of fusion-related technologies. In 2008 significant efforts were devoted to more directly orient these activities towards ITER-relevant issues, taking profit of skills previously acquired in applied plasma researches for industries, generally carried out under dedicated external contracts. For instance, plasma-based coating techniques previously developed for industrial applications were successfully applied to deposit thin rhodium layers on various substrates in view of producing highreflectivity mirrors for fusion diagnostics, a new micro-jet device aimed at producing diamond-like carbon films was procured and will be used to develop detectors for 14MeV neutrons, and preliminary investigations on the 'scavenging effect' of nitrogen molecules, aimed at reducing the carbon re-deposition in remote areas of the first wall of a tokamak, were started ! The issues of carbon re-deposition and tritium retention in an ignited plasma are closely related to the dynamics of the dust that progressively accumulates in it. Understanding the mechanisms of dust production and migration in a fusion plasma therefore is of paramount importance to develop tools for the mitigation of their negative effects. This gave new impulse to experimental studies on the dynamics of the plasma dust and for the development of dust diagnostics based on the analysis of density fluctuation spectra, these last carried out in the magnetic cusp device available at IFP in collaboration with the University of Stockholm, the Universita' di Napoli, and ENEA-Frascati. In the effort of reinforcing its role into ITER-relevant technologies, IFP also succeeded in attracting the interest of highly qualified personnel of IENI-CNR and of the Politecnico di Milano on these issues Most of the experimental activities are accompanied by the development of theoretical models and computational tools. In 2008 the traditional modeling studies on the transport of electromagnetic radiation in tokamak plasmas were extensively used to perform predictive studies for ITER scenarios. In addition, first-principle theoretical models describing the NTMs (Neo-classical Tearing Modes) and ITG (Ion Temperature Gradient) instabilities have been improved with the inclusion of new physical effects, which led to reliable predictions on experimental observations. In the field of plasma physics at high energy densities, the development of a first-principle analytical model for the ion acceleration produced by the interaction of an ultra-short relativistically intense laser pulse impinging on a thin solid layer allowed a satisfactory reproduction of the high-energy part of the ion spectra observed in a number of experiments. The implementation of the linear magnetized plasma device GyM, the main scope of which is providing IFP with modern instrumentation for the development of scientific and technological skills in plasma science, was completed in 2008 and the first plasma has been already produced. The design of an RF-excited high-density plasma source based on the use of a ! 28GHz gyrotron delivering ! 15kW CW and capable of providing relatively high fluxes of fully ionized plasma was also pursued in collaboration with IAP-Nizhny Novgorod (Russia). The new instrumentations will make possible plasma physics experiments under conditions of physical similarity with larger fusion devices. Experiments of plasma breakdown and ionization by means of millimeter-wave radiation and the production of energetic charged particles for ion implantation are other significant parts of the scientific program of GyM, together with the training of young researchers during their Master and PhD Thesis, preliminarily to their full involvement in fusion activities. Even more generally, in 2008 IFP has been steadily engaged in training and dissemination activities in the fields of plasma physics and fusion science tutoring Master and PhD students and delivering courses at the Universita' di Milano Bicocca and the Politecnico di Milano. The organization of the exhibition 'Fusion Expo' also relied mostly on IFP personnel. The rapidly evolving scenario that, following the start of the international undertaking ITER-DEMO, will have to be faced in the incoming years by all the fusion laboratories of the EU will deeply affect their life, their funding and their capability of growing qualified human resources. Meanwhile new strategies will be much likely also defined, both in the EU and all over the world, to afford the energy problem. Great opportunities of development will be counterbalanced by risky situations in case of failure of the efforts for taking profit of the chances of growth all this will offer. In this challenging path towards ITER and DEMO, IFP is fully engaged in better exploiting the scientific and technical competences acquired in several strategic fields, as well as the credit and appreciation repeatedly deserved to its personnel by the fusion community, to make still more trenchant its role. Milano, May 15-th 2009 Maurizio Lontano Head of Research Unit IFP-CNR
2008, Annual report, ENG
Tutti gli allora dipendenti dell'Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Associati e Assegnisti
Foreword of IFP Director In 2007 the role of IFP has strengthened through an increased committment both in international activities and in the national initiatives coordinated by the Dipartimento Energia e Trasporti of CNR. On the international front, since the start of the organization for the construction of ITER at Cadarache (France), the Euratom Research Units, such as IFP, have increasingly focused their efforts on the seven missions of research and development identified by EFDA (European Fusion Development Agency) as the mainframe of a long-term strategic plan aimed at affording in an integrated way the many problems of physics and technology rised by ITER. IFP is particularly well placed in the research fields comprised in missions 1 (Burning Plasma) and 2 (Reliable Tokamak Operation) especially as regards the application of high-power millimeter waves and the related advanced technologies to fusion-relevant plasmas with the aim of controlling their MHD stability. IFP can also contribute to some of the objectives of mission 3 (First Wall Materials) and is already contributing to some of the objectives of mission 5 (Predicting Fusion Performance) through both experimental and theoretical work of data anaysis and of development and validation of models for heat transport and turbulence based on first principles. This varied activity is carried out in different 'operation theaters': in Milano, where extended instrumentation is available for the development and testing of millimeterwave components and for experiments of plasma-materials technologies; on the FTU tokamak in operation at ENEA (Frascati), where IFP has a relevant role of scientific and technical management; at JET, the most important tokamak experiment active in the European Union, where IFP personnel contributes to programs for the development of diagnostics; and on ASDEX-U, the tokamak in operation at IPP Max Planck at Garching (Germany). Significant is also the activity of theoretical modeling carried on at home under a number of active contracts, for an amount of about 400.000 euro reimbursed at 20%, finalized to the design of the systems for the injection of high-power millimeter waves at the electron cyclotron frequency in ITER. The formation of young scientists in plasma physics is also continuing both through courses held by IFP staff at the Università Bicocca and at Politecnico of Milan and through fellowships and grants on Euratom funds. In 2007 IFP has also contributed to the organization of international scientific symposia. Among the several activities described in this Activity Report I wish to highlight some I consider especially representative of the characteristics of the Institute and of how we intend its mission. Concerning the Euratom activities I like to stress the strong commitment of IFP in initiatives under active ITER contracts, as TW6 ECHUL A-B. An extensive predictive analysis of the potential of the two systems considered of interest for the injection of high-power millimeter waves in ITER has led to a considerable number of proposals of design improvements, some of which have been already officially accepted. The work, carried out since 2006 in the frame of a collaboration with CFN-IST (Portugal), CIEMAT (Spain) and CEA (France), on the optimization of the antennas and the waveguides of the position reflectometer for ITER has also positively progressed. In 2007 the now traditional theoretical activity of IFP has been particularly focused on the support of the main experiments under way in the European Union. Very significant is in this respect the work done, both by IFP staff in mobility at JET and by staff at home, on the issues of heat and momentum transport in tokamaks, from which an exhaustive description of these phenomena in rotating plasma scenarios has followed. We also continued to give full support, in our sector of competences, to the preparation of the Phase 1 presentation of the ENEA project for a new tokamak named FAST (Fusion Advanced Studies Tokamak) aimed at filling the existing gap in the space of adimensional parameters relevant for fusion between present-day experiments and ITER. Another characteristics of IFP I like to mention is its involvement, in addition to the fusion-oriented research, in the development of plasma technologies applied to materials science and to problems of industrial interest. So, for instance, in the frame of the Hydrogen Project, and in collaboration with the IENI Institute of CNR, significant progress has been made in the study of the processes of plasma pyrolisis of hydrocarbides finalized to avoiding the production of CO2. Of special interest is also the installation, made possibile by a careful management of the resources and the help of international partners, of a new linear plasma device called GyM that will be dedicated both to researches of interest for fusion, with experiments based on principles of physical similarity, and to researches of technological interest, as the generation of multicharged ions for ion implantation processes. In conclusion, I believe that it is definitely appropriate to say that, starting from the core of its long-dated competence in the physics of wave-plasma interactions, IFP today contribuites very significatively to the maintenance and the development of the competences in plasma physics and thermonuclear fusion in Italy. This is further confirmed by the thick network of cultural and operative relations we since long maintain with prestigious scientific institutions as the Università degli Studi di Milano, the Università di Milano-Bicocca, the Politecnico di Milano, the universities of Padova, Pisa, Torino e Napoli-Federico II, the CFN-IST of Lisbon, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne, the Chalmers University of Technology of Goeteborg, the Uppsala University, the IAP of the Russian Accademy of Sciences, and the IPP Max Planck of Garching bei Muenchen. It is therefore highly desirable that the activity of IFP within the national and the European initiatives mentioned above may not only continue but also further grow in an organizative frame such as to allow its better and better define its objectives and priorities, including the long-term ones, and to make possibile an objective appraisal of the results achieved and a full ackowledgement of the value added by the human resources involved, as it should be. The IFP Director, Euratom HRU Enzo Lazzaro