{
  "abstract": "Conventional plasma shape control in tokamaks relies on virtual circuits (VCs) that are computed offline from linearisations around a small, tailored number of reference equilibria, and deployed as expertly prepared schedules during the discharge. Here, we report on the first experimental deployment of real-time VCs. We replace pre-set look up tables with VCs updated in real time using surrogates of the plasma response. Both the existing control architecture and the interpretability of VC-based control are retained. Previous work showed that neural network emulators can produce accurate VCs, and validated their performance in closed-loop shape control simulations. Here, we report their first experimental validation on MAST Upgrade (MAST-U). Dedicated experiments spanning different scenarios, including prescribed shape perturbations, feedback-driven divertor-leg motion, and strongly evolving plasma configurations, show that real-time VCs can realise plasma shape control tasks within the MAST-U plasma control system. These results establish the experimental feasibility of real-time linearisations as a practical extension of conventional plasma shape control in tokamaks. The present implementation demonstrates a central step towards a simpler control workflow, in which manually constructed, phased VC schedules are replaced by VCs generated automatically online from a trained surrogate model, without scenario-specific retraining.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2608.28468",
  "author_total": 15,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Nicola C. Amorisco"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kamran Pentland"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adriano Agnello"
    },
    {
      "name": "George K. Holt"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alasdair Ross"
    },
    {
      "name": "Matthew J. Marshall"
    },
    {
      "name": "Edward Jones"
    },
    {
      "name": "Graham J. McArdle"
    },
    {
      "name": "Charles Vincent"
    },
    {
      "name": "Timothy Nunn"
    },
    {
      "name": "Martin Kochan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pedro Cavestany"
    },
    {
      "name": "Aran Garrod"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stanislas Pamela"
    },
    {
      "name": "James Buchanan"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/35jreqajab351.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.28468",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "35jreqajab351",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.28468",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cs.AI"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.plasm-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Magnetic confinement fusion research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204850450",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.28468",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-28",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/35jreqajab351.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
      "native_id": "2608.28468",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.28468"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.plasm-ph",
      "subfield": "plasma"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Real-time virtual circuits for plasma shape control via neural network emulators: experimental demonstration on MAST Upgrade",
  "title_text": "Real-time virtual circuits for plasma shape control via neural network emulators: experimental demonstration on MAST Upgrade",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/35jreqajab351",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}