Michael Fitzgerald

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About
Michael Fitzgerald obtained his Ph.D in 2009 in the field of plasma physics at the University of Sydney. His Ph.D work involved plasma diagnostics and kinetic simulation of partially ionised fusion discharges. He was also involved with integrating the Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) Monte Carlo simulation NUBEAM into the tokamak transport code ASTRA.
Michael's current work focuses on the effects of fast particles on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium and stability in high performance magnetic confinement devices. He focuses on more extreme configurations such as highly rotating, highly anisotropic, non-Maxwellian and high beta scenarios. These are features characteristic of spherical tokamaks and burning plasmas.
Michael is interested in broadening Australian participation in the development of fusion energy through collaboration, remote participation in experimental campaigns and involvement with the Australian ITER forum.
Affiliations
- Fusion plasma theory and modelling, Researcher
Research interests
- nonlinear wave-particle interaction
- magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium and stability including pressure anisotropy and plasma rotation
- fast particle physics: neutral beam injection (NBI) and fusion alpha populations
- remote participation
Publications
- Qu Z, Hole M, Fitzgerald M
Energetic Geodesic Acoustic Modes Associated with Two-Stream-like Instabilities in Tokamak Plasmas
Physical Review Letters 116, 9(2016) 95004-95004 - Layden B, Qu Z, Fitzgerald M, Hole M
Impact of pressure anisotropy on magnetic configuration and stability
Nuclear Fusion 56, 11(2016) 11. - Fitzgerald M, Hole M, Qu Z
MHD normal mode analysis with equilibrium pressure anisotropy
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 57, 2(2015) 1-11 - Hole M, Fitzgerald M
Resolving the wave-particle-plasma interaction: advances in the diagnosis, interpretation and self-consistent modelling of waves, particles and the plasma configuration
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 56, 5(2014) 053001/1-21
- Qu Z, Fitzgerald M, Hole M
Analysing the impact of anisotropy pressure on tokamak equilibria
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 56, 7(2014) 1-10 - Hole M, von Nessi Jr. G, Fitzgerald M, MAST Team T
Fast particle modifications to equilibria and resulting changes to Alfvén wave modes in tokamaks
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 55, 1(2013) 1-7 - Fitzgerald M, Appel L, Hole M
EFIT tokamak equilibria with toroidal flow and anisotropic pressure using the two-temperature guiding-centre plasma
Nuclear Fusion 53, 11(2013) 113040 - Hole M, Ryu C, Woo M, Bak J, Sharapov S, Fitzgerald M, KSTAR Team T
First evidence of Alfvén wave activity in KSTAR plasmas
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 55, 4(2013) 7 - Fitzgerald M, Khachan J
A 2-D PIC/MC/Vlasov method for electrostatic fusion discharges
Computer Physics Communications 183, 4(2012) 971-979 - Hole M, von Nessi Jr. G, Fitzgerald M, McClements K, Svensson J
Identifying the impact of rotation, anisotropy, and energetic particle physics in tokamaks
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 53, 7(2011) 11 - Fitzgerald M, Sharapov S, Hole M
High-β equilibria in tokamaks with toroidal flow
Physics of Plasmas 18, 9(2011) 092508-8
Download full publication (PDF 0.7MB) - Hole M, McClements K, Dennis G, Fitzgerald M, Akers R
The impact of energetic particles and rotation on tokamak plasmas
Journal of Physics: Conference Series(online) 260(2010) 012013