Dr Boyd Blackwell
B.Sc. (Hons I) University of Sydney, PhD in Plasma Physics, University of Sydney
Director, Australian Plasma Fusion Research Facility, Senior Fellow, PRL, RSPE
ANU College of Science
Areas of expertise
- Analysis Of Algorithms And Complexity 080201
- Plasma Physics; Fusion Plasmas; Electrical Discharges 020204
- Optical Physics 0205
- Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle And Plasma Physics 0202
- Signal Processing 090609
- Renewable Power And Energy Systems Engineering (Excl. Solar Cells) 090608
Research interests
Plasma physics and applications to fusion power and materials interactions
Advanced geometries for the magentic confinement of plasma
MHD equilibrium and stability, plasma wave propagation and heating, plasma diagnostics
Numerical simulation and large scale computation, visualisation of complex phenomena
Signal/data processing and analysis
Power electronics and applications to energy efficiency and sustainability.
Publications
- Zhang, D, Burhenn, R, Feng, Y et al. 2021, 'Plasma radiation behavior approaching high-radiation scenarios in W7-X', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 61, no. 12, pp. 1-12.
- Cosfeld, J, Drews, P, Blackwell, B et al. 2020, 'Numerical estimate of multi-species ion sound speed of Langmuir probe interpretations in the edge plasmas of Wendelstein 7-X', Plasma Science and Technology, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. -.
- Rudischhauser, L, Endler, M, Hoefel, U et al. 2020, 'The Langmuir probe system in the Wendelstein 7-X test divertor', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 91, no. 6, pp. 1-18.
- Lazerson, S, Gao, Y, Hammond, K et al. 2019, 'Tuning of the rotational transform in Wendelstein 7-X', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 12, pp. 1-11.
- Hammond, K, Gao, Y, Jakubowski, M et al. 2019, 'Drift effects on W7-X divertor heat and particle fluxes', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 61, no. 125001.
- Killer, C, Gao, Y, Perseo, V et al. 2019, 'Effect of toroidal plasma currents on the Wendelstein 7-X Scrape-Off Layer', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 61, no. 125014, p. 10.
- Barbui, T, Effenberg, F, Konig, R et al 2019, 'Radiative edge cooling experiments in Wendelstein 7-X start-up limiter campaign', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 7, pp. 1-16.
- Wei, Y, Wang, E, Liang, Y et al 2019, 'Spectroscopic studies of fuel recycling and impurity behaviors in the divertor region of Wendelstein 7-X', Plasma Science and Technology, vol. 21, no. 10.
- Lazerson, S, Gao, Y, Hammond, K et al. 2019, 'Tuning of the rotational transform in Wendelstein 7-X ', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, pp. 1-11.
- Abramovic, I, Pavone, A, Moseev, D et al. 2019, 'Forward modeling of collective Thomson scattering for Wendelstein 7-X plasmas: Electrostatic approximation', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 1-12.
- Pedersen, T, König, R, Jakubowski, M et al 2019, 'First divertor physics studies in Wendelstein 7-X', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 9.
- Klinger, T, Bozhenkov, S, Buttenschön, B et al 2019, 'Overview of first Wendelstein 7-X high-performance operation', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 11.
- Rudischhauser, L, Hammon, K, Endler, M et al 2018, 'Characterisation of power flux reduction in the Wendelstein 7-X divertor plasma with Langmuir probes', 45th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2018, ed. C Michaut, J Berndt, M Mantsinen, S Coda, G Lapenta, S Weber, European Physical Society, TBC, pp. 653-656.
- Dinklage, A, Beidler, C, Helander, P et al 2018, 'Publisher Correction: Magnetic configuration effects on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator', Nature Physics, vol. 14, pp. 855-860.
- Wenzel, U, Biedermann, C, Kocsis, G et al 2018, 'Observation of Marfes in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator with inboard limiters', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 58, no. 9, pp. 1-11pp.
- Dinklage, A, Beidler, C, Helander, P et al 2018, 'Erratum to: Magnetic configuration effects on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (Nature Physics, (2018), 14, 8, (855-860), 10.1038/s41567-018-0141-9)', Nature Physics, vol. 14, no. 8, p. 867.
- Barbui, T, Barbui, T, Effenberg, F et al 2018, 'The He/Ne beam diagnostic for active emission spectroscopy in the island divertor of Wendelstein 7-X', 45th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2018, ed. C Michaut, J Berndt, M Mantsinen, S Coda, G Lapenta, S Weber, European Physical Society, TBC, pp. 1025-1027.
- Barbui, T, Barbui, T, Effenberg, F et al 2018, 'The He/Ne beam diagnostic for active emission spectroscopy in the island divertor of Wendelstein 7-X', 45th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2018, ed. C Michaut, J Berndt, M Mantsinen, S Coda, G Lapenta, S Weber, European Physical Society, TBC, pp. 1025-1027.
- Szepesi, T, Biedermann, C, Blackwell, B et al. 2017, 'Position and dynamics of the edge visible radiating belt at Wendelstein 7-X', 44th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2017, ed. M. Fajardo, E. Westerhof, C. Riconda, A. Melzer, A. Bret, B. Dromey, European Physical Society, United Kingdom, pp. 1-4.
- Wolf, R, Alonso, A, Baldzuhn, J et al 2017, 'Major results from the first plasma campaign of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 102020 (13pp).
- Hole, M, Blackwell, B, Bowden, G et al. 2017, 'Global Alfv�n eigenmodes in the H-1 heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 59, no. 12, pp. 12pp.
- Hole, M, Blackwell, B, Bowden, G et al. 2017, 'Global Alfv�n eigenmodes in the H-1 heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 59, no. 12, pp. 12pp.
- Michael, C, Zhao, F, Blackwell, B et al 2017, 'Influence of magnetic configuration on edge turbulence and transport in the H-1 Heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 1-11.
- Owen, L, Caneses, J, Canik, J et al. 2017, 'B2. 5-Eirene modeling of radial transport in the MAGPIE linear plasma device', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 9pp.
- Blackwell, B, Pretty, D & Haskey, S 2016, 'Datamining Applications in Plasma Physics', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 92, no. 5, pp. 342-346pp.
- Caneses, J & Blackwell, B 2016, 'Collisional damping of helicon waves in a high density hydrogen linear plasma device', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 15pp..
- Krychowiak, M, Adnan, A, Alonso, A et al 2016, 'Overview of diagnostic performance and results for the first operation phase in Wendelstein 7-X (invited)', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 87, no. 11, pp. -.
- Marushchenko, N, Dinklage, A, Alonso, A et al 2016, 'Main results of the first experimental campaign in the stellarator W7-X', Problems of Atomic Science and Technology, vol. 106, no. 6, pp. 3-8pp.
- Houry, M, Pedersen, T, Otte, M et al. 2016, 'Confirmation of the topology of the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic field to better than 1:100,000', Nature Communications, vol. 7, no. -, pp. 13493-13493.
- Dinklage, A, Alonso, A, Baldzuhn, J et al 2016, 'Core confinement in wendelstein 7-X limiter plasmas', 43rd European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2016, ed. P Mantica, G Giruzzi, M Fajardo, T Gans, S Poedts and N Vennekens, European Physical Society, TBC, pp. 086010 (8pp).
- Haskey, S, Lanctot, M, Liu, Y et al 2015, 'Effects of resistivity and rotation on the linear plasma response to non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on DIII-D', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 025015/1-11.
- Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Nuhrenberg, C et al 2015, 'Experiment-theory comparison for low frequency BAE modes in the strongly shaped H-1NF stellarator', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 57, no. 9, pp. 1-12.
- Caneses, J & Blackwell, B 2015, 'RF compensation of double Langmuir probes: modelling and experiment', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 24, no. 3.
- Blackwell, B, Terranova, D & Puiatti, M 2014, 'Joint 19th ISHW and 16th RFP workshop', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 56, no. 9, p. 090301.
- Haskey, S, Lanctot, M, Liu, Y et al 2014, 'Linear ideal MHD predictions for n = 2 non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on DIII-D', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 1-11.
- Haskey, S, Thapar, N, Blackwell, B et al 2014, 'Synchronous imaging of coherent plasma fluctuations', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 85, no. 3, pp. 1-6.
- Haskey, S, Blackwell, B & Pretty, D 2014, 'Clustering of periodic multichannel timeseries data with application to plasma fluctuations', Computer Physics Communications, vol. 185, no. 6, pp. 1669-1680.
- Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Seiwald, B et al 2014, 'Visible light tomography of MHD eigenmodes in the H-1NF stellarator using magnetic coordinates', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 54, no. 8, p. 083031.
- Pretty, D & Blackwell, B 2014, 'H1DS: A new web-based data access system', Fusion Engineering and Design, vol. 89, no. 5, pp. 731-735.
- Hole, M, Blackwell, B & Zarnstorff, M 2013, 'Selected papers from the Joint 18th International Stellarator Heliotron Workshop and the 10th Asia Pacific Plasma Theory Conference', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 55, no. 1, p. 010201.
- Samuell, C, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2013, 'Plasma parameters and electron energy distribution functions in a magnetically focused plasma', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 034502/1-4.
- Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Seiwald, B et al 2013, 'A multichannel magnetic probe system for analysing magnetic fluctuations in helical axis plasmas', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 84, no. 9.
- Deslandes, A, Guenette, M, Samuell, C et al 2013, 'Initial damage processes for diamond film exposure to hydrogen plasma', Fusion Engineering and Design, vol. 88, no. 12, pp. 3101-3107.
- Blackwell, B, Caneses, J, Samuell, C et al. 2012, 'Design and characterization of the Magnetized Plasma Interaction Experiment (MAGPIE): A new source for plasma-material interaction studies', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 1-7.
- Ma, S, Howard, J, Blackwell, B et al. 2012, 'Measurements of electron density and temperature in the H-1 heliac plasma by helium line intensity ratios', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 83, no. 3, pp. 33102-33102.
- Caneses, J, Blackwell, B & Corr, C 2012, 'Initial characterization of Argon plasmas in the "MAGnetized Plasma Interaction Experiment" (MAGPIE)', 39th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2012, EPS 2012 and the 16th International Congress on Plasma Physics, ed. S Ratynskaya, L Blomberg, A Fasoli, European Physical Society, Stockholm Sweden, pp. 2007-2010.
- Chang, L, Hole, M, Caneses, J et al. 2012, 'Wave modelling in a cylindrical non-uniform helicon discharge', 39th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2012, EPS 2012 and the 16th International Congress on Plasma Physics, ed. S Ratynskaya, L Blomberg, A Fasoli, European Physical Society, Stockholm Sweden, pp. 994-997.
- Bertram, J, Blackwell, B & Hole, M 2012, 'Ideal-magnetohydrodynamic theory of low-frequency Alfven waves in the H-1 Heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 54, no. 5, p. 055009.
- Chang, L, Hole, M, Caneses, J et al. 2012, 'Wave modeling in a cylindrical non-uniform helicon discharge', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 19, no. 8, p. 083511.
- Bertram, J, Hole, M, Pretty, D et al 2011, 'A reduced global Alfven eigenmodes model for Mirnov array data on the H-1NF heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 53, no. 8, p. 14.
- Nagasaki, K, Yamamoto, S, Yoshino, H et al 2011, 'Influence of trapped electrons on ECCD in Heliotron J', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 51, no. 10, pp. 103035-8.
- Kumar, S, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2011, 'Spontaneous transition of core radial electric field driven by magnetic islands in the H-1NF heliac', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 1-6.
- Kus, A, Dinklage, A, Ascasibar, E et al 2011, 'Identification of variables causing clustering in the global energy confinement data by use of discriminant analysis', 38th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2011, EPS 2011, IOP Publishing, Strasbourg France, pp. 1380-1383.
- Yamamoto, S, Pretty, D, Blackwell, B et al 2010, 'Studies of MHD Stability Using Data Mining Technique in Helical Plasmas', Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 5, p. 034.
- Sano, F, Mizuuchi, T, Nagasaki, K et al 2010, 'Physics of Heliotron J Confinement', Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 5, pp. S2003.
- Svensson, J, Ford, O, Werner, A et al 2010, 'Connecting physics models and diagnostic data using bayesian graphical models', 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010, IOP Publishing, Dublin Ireland, pp. 169-172.
- Hole, M, O'Connor, D, Blackwell, B et al 2008, Review of the National Innovation System: Australian ITER Forum submission.
- Hole, M, von Nessi Jr., G, Bertram, J et al 2010, 'Model Data Fusion: developing Bayesian inversion to constrain equilibrium and mode structure', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 9, pp. 479-486.
- Hole, M, von Nessi Jr., G, Pretty, D et al 2010, 'The use of Bayesian inversion to resolve plasma equilibrium', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 1E+128-1E+128.
- Kumar, S, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2010, 'Core magnetic islands and plasma confinement in the H-1NF heliac', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 082503,1-8.
- Nagasaki, K, Sakamoto, K, Minami, K et al 2010, 'ECCD Experiments Using the Upgraded Launching System in Heliotron J', Contributions to Plasma Physics, vol. 50, no. 6-7, pp. 656-660.
- Howard, J, Diallo, A, Creese, M et al. 2010, 'Doppler coherence imaging and tomography of flows in tokamak plasmas', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 10E528-10E528.
- Kumar, S, Blackwell, B & Harris, J 2009, 'Determination of error field sources by accurate mapping of the magnetic geometry of the H-1 heliac', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 49, pp. 035001 (12).
- Pretty, D & Blackwell, B 2009, 'A data mining algorithm for automated characterisation of fluctuations in multichannel timeseries', Computer Physics Communications, vol. 180, no. 10, pp. 1768-1776.
- Green, B, Hole, M, Blackwell, B et al 2009, Fusion Down Under, ITER Newsline.
- Blackwell, B, Pretty, D, Howard, J et al. 2008, 'Configurational Effects on Stability and Confinement in the H-1NF Heliac', International Atomic Energy Agency Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2008), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Geneva.
- Motojima, G, Yamamoto, S, Okada, H et al 2008, 'Effect of Toroidal Current on Rotational Transform Profile by MHD Activity Measurement in Heliotron J', Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 3, no. S1067, pp. 1-6.
- Blacksell, M, Wach, J, Anderson, D et al. 2008, 'Imaging photomultiplier array with integrated amplifiers and high-speed USB interface', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 79, pp. 10F506-1 - 10F506-3.
- Detering PhD, F, Blackwell, B, Hegland, M et al. 2008, 'Reduction of magnetic confinement fusion data for data mining', Computational Techniques and Applications Conference (CTAC 2008), ed. Conference Program Committee, Australia and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM), Canberra, pp. C729-C743.
- Yamamoto, S, Nagasaki, K, Suzuki, Y et al 2007, 'Observation of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in Heliotron J plasmas', Fusion Science and Technology, vol. 51, pp. 92-96.
- Kumar, S, Blackwell, B & Harris, J 2007, 'Wire tomography in the H-1NF heliac for investigation of fine structure of magnetic islands', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 78, pp. 013501-013508.
- Warr, G, Tarrant, R, Bilek, M et al 2007, 'Tomographic interferometry of a filtered high-current vacuum arc plasma', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 101, pp. 073302 /1-11.
- Blackwell, B, Pretty, D, Harris, J et al. 2006, 'Observations of Alfvenic MHD Activity in the H-1 Heliac', International Atomic Energy Agency Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2006), Conference Organising Committee, Website, p. 8.
- Oliver Esq, D, Howard, J, Kumar, S et al. 2006, 'Three view electronically scanned interferometer for plasma electron density measurements on the H-1 heliac', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 77, no. 10, pp. 10E907-1-3.
- Gesto, F, Blackwell, B, Charles, C et al. 2006, 'Ion Detachment in the Helicon Double-Layer Thruster Exhaust Beam', Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 24-30.
- Collis, S, Howard, J, Blackwell, B et al. 2006, 'A supersonic gas injection system for fueling and probing fusion plasmas', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 797-804.
- Glass, F, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2005, 'Visible Emission Tomography in the H-1NF Heliac', IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 472-473.
- Michael, C, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2004, 'Measurements and modeling of ion and neutral distribution functions in a partially ionized magnetically confined argon plasma', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 4008-17.
- Harris, J, Shats, M, Blackwell, B et al. 2004, 'Fluctuations and stability of plasmas in the H-lNF heliac', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 44, pp. 279-286.
- Collis, S, Howard, J, Warr, G et al. 2003, 'Studies of Resonantly Produced Plasmas in the H-1NF Heliac using a Far-infrared Scanning Interferometer', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 1629-1632.
- McMillan, B, Blackwell, B & Harris, J 2002, 'Iterative Optimization of Auxiliary Coils for Stellarators', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 42, no. April, pp. 383-387.
- Rudakov, D, Shats, M, Harris, J et al. 2001, 'Dynamic behaviour of the low-to-high confinement transitions in the H-1 heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 43, pp. 559-570.
- Blackwell, B 2001, 'Results from helical axis stellarators', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 2238-2244.
- Blackwell, B, McMillan, B, Searle, A et al. 2001, 'Algorithms for real time magnetic field tracing and optimization', Computer Physics Communications, vol. 142, pp. 243-247.
- Michael, C, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2001, 'The MOSS Camera on H-1NF', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 72, pp. 1034-1037.
- Reiman, A, Fu, G, Hirshman, S et al 1999, 'Physics Design of a High-B Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 41, pp. B273-B283.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Emergence and control of self–organisation in fusion plasmas: through the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and beyond (Secondary Investigator)
- From Stellarator to tokamaks: The effects of 3D structure on Alfven eigenmodes (Primary Investigator)
- Feasibility study of Australian-Korean research in fusion science centered on the KSTAR superconducting tokamak (Secondary Investigator)
- Model/data fusion: using Bayesian inversion to constrain equilibrium and stability theory of advanced magnetic confinement experiments ahead of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Secondary Investigator)
