It is widely acknowledged that theory and computation are to play a key role in accelerating the development of fusion energy. In this context, the holy grail of fusion plasma theory is to create a virtual fusion plasma which provides a validated predictive capability. From a physics point of view, we are dealing with quintessential complex systems which are characterized by high dimensionality, nonlinearity, as well as omnipresent multi-scale and multi-physics couplings. This calls for a concerted interdisciplinary effort, involving applied mathematics, computer science, complex systems research, materials science, and of course plasma physics. The present talk will provide an overview of this topic, outlining some of the outstanding challenges and opportunities.

Speaker: Prof. Jenko, Director of Tokamak Theory Division at IPP Garching Germany