



The control of heat fluxes at the plasma edge, and particularly in the divertor — a dedicated volume where these fluxes are focused — is a major challenge in research on magnetic confinement fusion. In future devices, heat fluxes will need to be dissipated by radiation to reduce the heat conducted to the divertor. However, the operational window for these high-radiation regimes is quite narrow and requires precise control of the edge plasma. The PhD first objective is to develop a real-time measurement of the density and temperature profiles at the plasma edge from the Thomson scattering diagnostics. By leveraging a large experimental database and simulations performed with edge plasma modeling tools and plasma/wall interaction models, the student will then develop meta-models to create a real-time control algorithm for WEST scenarios, particularly for high radiation discharges. This development will rely on continuous iteration between simulations, experimental observations, and real-time control performance requirements. This thesis is part of a collaborative framework involving French universities and international collaborations, with a high level of expected scientific visibility.

