A complex system like a hot confined plasma in a complicated magnetic field is a great laboratory for exploring basic physics concepts. One of the most spectacular examples of “deep physics at display” is the formation and persistence of a transport barrier (TB) that has, simultaneously, large gradients and highly reduced transport. We will identify the dynamic constraints that “forbid” the plasma from dissipating/destroying such highly non-thermodynamic states despite the enormous associated free energy. We will also examine the theoretical ideas by extensive numerical simulations. The constrained dynamics approach, In addition to providing deeper understanding of the “stability” of Transport Barriers, imparts us with the ability to find most efficient ways to optimally create and control fusion configurations.

Dr. Swadesh Mahajan is an internationally renowned scientist who has made seminal contributions in many areas of theoretical plasma physics ranging from basic plasma processes to fusion applications to astrophysical phenomena. His early work on the universal drift instability was path breaking and brought about a fundamental change in the paradigm for modeling anomalous transport in tokamak plasmas. Likewise, his sustained and elegant research work on Alfven waves, unraveling and discovering many new aspects of their dynamics, has contributed richly towards our understanding of their manifestations in various laboratory and astrophysical situations and has also stimulated a great many experimental investigations. His recent work on “fusion-fission” hybrid systems based on a novel divertor system that he and his collaborators have invented, offers much hope for the construction of a compact energy system in the future. Dr. Mahajan is also an excellent teacher and a promoter of plasma science activities worldwide through his contributions at ICTP, Trieste. He played a pioneering role in the founding of the national fusion program in India and in the establishment of the Institute for Plasma Research. He is a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences and an Adjunct Professor at the Shiv Nadar University.