Operation of a tokamak from a remote site has been demonstrated for th
e first time. The Alcator C-Mod tokamak, located at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, was operated over the Internet from a remote
control room set up at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Calfo
rnia. Prescription of the physics parameters such as plasma current, d
ensity, shape, heating power, and active diagnostics was accomplished
entirely from the remote site using the same interface as when operati
ng from the C-Mod control room. Engineering control of subsystems (e.g
., vacuum, cooling, and power supply limits) remained under local cont
rol, providing appropriate equipment and personnel security. Although
the principal purpose for running this experiment from a distance was
to demonstrate the remote operation, it was planned as a productive ph
ysics run. The operation was highly successful; important new physics
data were obtained, and valuable insight was gained into the potential
of remote operation as well as its limitations.