An approach to the plasma magnetic contour identification in presence of eddy currents

The research in the thermonuclear fusion area has entered the design phase of ITER, the first experimental Tokamak reactor. In the ITER device, the plasma shape and position are controlled by an active system on the basis of a real-time estimate of the plasma magnetic boundary. This identification process must be prompt and accurate enough to satisfy the tight control requirements. In this paper, a brief discussion about the reconstruction of the plasma boundary by means of the "equivalent currents" (EC) method, in presence of conducting structures, will be presented. Some hints about a possible way to include the differential equations describing the vessel eddy currents will be illustrated