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Sample records for l-h confinement mode

L to H-mode Power Threshold and Confinement Characteristics of H-modes in KSTAR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, H. S.; Na, Y.S., E-mail: ftwalker.hyuns@gmail.com [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, J. W. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge (United States); Jeon, Y. M.; Yoon, S. W.; Lee, K. D.; Ko, W. H.; Bae, Y. S.; Kim, W. C.; Kwak, J. G. [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

Full text: Since KSTAR has obtained the H-mode in 2010 campaign, H-mode plasmas were routinely obtained with combined heating of NBI with maximum power of 1.5 MW and ECRH with maximum power of {approx} 0.3 MW and {approx} 0.6 MW for 110 GHz and 170 GHz, respectively. The L- to H-mode power threshold and confinement properties of KSTAR H-modes are investigated in this work. Firstly, the L- to H-mode power threshold and the power loss to the seperatrix are calculated by power balance analysis for about collected 400 shots. As a result, a trend of roll-over is observed in the power threshold of KSTAR H-mode compared with the multi-machine power threshold scaling in the low density regime. Dependence of the power threshold on other parameters are also investigated such as the X-point position and shaping parameters like as triangularity and elongation. In addition, the reason of reduction of power threshold in 2011 campaign compared with that in 2010 is addressed. Secondly, the confinement enhancement factors are calculated to evaluate the performance of KSTAR H-modes. The calculated H{sub 89-p} and H{sub 98} (y, 2) represent that the confinement is enhanced in most KSTAR H-mode discharges. Interestingly, even in L-mode phases, confinement is observed to be enhanced against the multi-machine scalings. H{sub exp} factor is newly introduced to evaluate the amount of confinement improvement in the H-mode phase compared with the L-mode phase in a single discharge. H{sub exp} exhibits that the global energy confinement time of the H-mode phase is improved about 1.3 - 2.0 times compared with that of the L-mode phase. Finally, interpretive and predictive numerical simulations are carried out using the ASTRA code for typical KSTAR H-mode discharges. The Weiland model and the GLF23 model are employed for calculating the anomalous contributions of both electron and ion heat transport in predictive simulations. For the H-mode phase, the Weiland model reproduces the experiment
High temperature L- and H-mode confinement in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balet, B.; Boyd, D.A.; Campbell, D.J.

1990-01-01

The energy confinement properties of low density, high ion temperature L- and H-mode plasmas are investigated. For L-mode plasmas it is shown that, although the global confinement is independent of density, the energy confinement in the central region is significantly better at low densities than at higher densities. The improved confinement appears to be associated with the steepness of the density gradient. For the H-mode phase, although the confinement at the edge is dramatically improved, which is once again associated with the steep density gradient in the edge region, the central confinement properties are essentially the same as for the standard L-mode. The results are compared in a qualitative manner with the predictions of the ion temperature gradient instability theory and appear to be in disagreement with some aspects of this theory. (author). 13 refs, 15 figs
An H minority heating regime in Tore Supra showing improved L mode confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, G.T.; Monier-Garbet, P.; Aniel, T.

2000-01-01

Tore Supra experiments are at present devoted to the study of high density regimes with radiofrequency heating. Recently, an improved L mode confinement regime has been observed in plasmas heated by ion cyclotron hydrogen minority heating, at relatively high densities up to 80% of the Greenwald limit. The quality of energy confinement is as good as that of ELMy H mode. The main physical mechanism of this regime has not been clearly identified. However, some features very similar to those of previous improved confinement modes using neutral beam heating in other tokamaks have been observed. (author)
H-mode and confinement studies in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suttrop, W.; Ryter, F.; Mertens, V.; Gruber, O.; Murmann, H.; Salzmann, H.; Schweinzer, J.

2001-01-01

H-mode operational boundaries and H-mode confinement are investigated on ASDEX Upgrade. The local edge parameter threshold for H-mode holds independent of divertor geometry and changes little with ion mass. The deviation of the H-mode power threshold at densities near the Greenwald limit can be understood as a consequence of a confinement deterioration, caused by 'stiff' temperature profiles and lack of core density gradients in gas puff fuelled discharges. Ion and electron temperature profiles can be described by a lower limit of gradient length L T =T/T'. (author)
Ohmic H-mode and confinement in TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moret, J.M.; Anton, M.; Barry, S.

1995-01-01

The unique flexibility of TCV for the creation of a wide variety of plasma shapes has been exploited to address some aspects of tokamak physics for which the shape may play an important role. The electron energy confinement time in limited ohmic L-mode plasmas whose elongation and triangularity have been varied, has been observed to improve with elongation as κ 0.5 but to degrade with triangularity as (1-0.8 δ), for fixed safety factor. Ohmic H-modes have been obtained in several diverted and limited configurations, with some of the diverted discharges featuring large ELMs whose effects on the global confinement have been quantified. These effects depend on the configuration: in double null (DN) equilibria, a single ELM expels on average 2%, 6% and 2.5% of the particle, impurity and thermal energy content respectively, whilst in single null (SN) configurations, the corresponding numbers are 3.5%, 7% and 9%, indicative of larger ELM effects. The presence or absence of large ELMs in DN discharges has been actively controlled in a single discharge by alternately forcing one or other of the two X-points to lie on the separatrix, permitting stationary density and impurity content (Z eff ≅1.6) in long H-modes (1.5 s). (author) 9 figs., 9 refs
Ohmic H-mode and confinement in TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moret, J.-M.; Anton, M.; Barry, S.

1995-01-01

The unique flexibility of TCV for the creation of a wide variety of plasma shapes has been exploited to address some aspects of tokamak physics for which the shape may play an important role. The electron energy confinement time in limited ohmic L-mode plasmas whose elongation and triangularity have been varied (κ = 1.3 - 1.9, δ 0.1 - 0.7) has been observed to improve with elongation as κ 0.5 but to degrade with triangularity as (1 - 0.8 δ), for fixed safety factor. Ohmic H-modes have been obtained in several diverted and limited configurations, with some of the diverted discharges featuring large ELMs whose effects on the global confinement have been quantified. These effects depend on the configuration: in double null (DN) equilibria, a single ELM expels on average 2%, 6% and 2.5% of the particle, impurity and thermal energy content respectively, whilst in single null (SN) configurations, the corresponding numbers are 3.5%, 7% and 9%, indicative of larger ELM effects. The presence of absence of large ELMs in DN discharges has been actively controlled in a single discharge by alternately forcing one or other of the two X-points to lie on the separatrix, permitting stationary density and impurity content (Z eff ∼ 1.6) in long H-modes (1.5 s). (Author)
Improved confinement in L-mode JET plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, T.T.C.; Balet, B.; Bhatnagar, V.; Bures, M.; Campbell, D.J.; Christiansen, J.P.; Cordey, J.G.; Core, W.F.; Corti, S.; Costley, A.E.; Cottrell, G.A.; Edwards, A.; Ehrenberg, J.; Jacquinot, J.; Lallia, P.; Lomas, P.J.; Lowry, C.; Malacarne, M.; Muir, D.G.; Nave, M.F.; Nielsen, P.; Sack, C.; Sadler, G.; Start, D.F.H.; Taroni, A.; Thomas, P.R.; Thomsen, K.

1989-01-01

The JET confinement data show considerable variations of stored plasma energy W (thermal + fast ions) at fixed input power P, plasma current I, toroidal field B and plasma configuration C. The data on confinement properties, e.g. the confinement time τ E or its incremental value τ E (inc), derived from variations of P at fixed I, B, C thus exhibit scatter which makes the scaling of τ E with P, I, B, C difficult to establish. The effects from sawteeth, from variations in the power deposition profiles and from plasma edge physics on confinement do not depend on P, I, B, C in any simple way which would permit a deduced scaling law to be identified with a single (or more) physics loss mechanism(s). In this paper we examine the response of confinement to variations in plasma configuration at fixed I and B (3 MA and 3 T). Results from global and local transport analysis are discussed in sections 2 and 3; section 4 describes the role of fast ions produced by ICRF and NBI heating. High confinement in the L-mode regime at increased plasma currents up to 6 MA is also studied, in particular the effects from sawteeth on stored energy W. Such effects increase with current and presently only predictive transport studies (section 5) can estimate what may be achieved at high current without sawteeth effects. The predictive studies also assess the benefits which may arise from an increase of the neutral beam energy at high plasma currents (section 6). The conclusions are based on extensive study of data from JET pulses with up to 14 MW of ICRH, 21 MW of NBI and 6 MW of ohmic power. None of the pulses included in the study show the sudden reduction of D α emission characteristic of the L to H mode transition of confinement. 7 refs., 4 figs
Energy confinement and transport of H-mode plasmas in tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urano, Hajime

2005-02-01

A characteristic feature of the high-confinement (H-mode) regime is the formation of a transport barrier near the plasma edge, where steepening of the density and temperature gradients is observed. The H-mode is expected to be a standard operation mode in a next-step fusion experimental reactor, called ITER-the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. However, energy confinement in the H-mode has been observed to degrade with increasing density. This is a critical constraint for the operation domain in the ITER. Investigation of the main cause of confinement degradation is an urgent issue in the ITER Physics Research and Development Activity. A key element for solving this problem is investigation of the energy confinement and transport properties of H-mode plasmas. However, the influence of the plasma boundary characterized by the transport barrier in H-modes on the energy transport of the plasma core has not been examined sufficiently in tokamak research. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the energy confinement properties of H-modes in a variety of density, plasma shape, seed impurity concentration, and conductive heat flux in the plasma core using the experimental results obtained in the JT-60U tokamak of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Comparison of the H-mode confinement properties with those of other tokamaks using an international multi-machine database for extrapolation to the next step device was also one of the main subjects in this study. Density dependence of the energy confinement properties has been examined systematically by separating the thermal stored energy into the H-mode pedestal component determined by MHD stability called the Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) and the core component governed by gyro-Bohm-like transport. It has been found that the pedestal pressure imposed by the destabilization of ELM activities led to a reduction in the pedestal temperature with increasing density. The core temperature for each
TFTR L mode energy confinement related to deuterium influx

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strachan, J.D.

1999-01-01

Tokamak energy confinement scaling in TFTR L mode and supershot regimes is discussed. The main result is that TFTR L mode plasmas fit the supershot scaling law for energy confinement. In both regimes, plasma transport coefficients increased with increased edge deuterium influx. The common L mode confinement scaling law on TFTR is also inversely proportional to the volume of wall material that is heated to a high temperature, possibly the temperature at which the deuterium sorbed in the material becomes detrapped and highly mobile. The deuterium influx is increased by: (a) increased beam power due to a deeper heated depth in the edge components and (b) decreased plasma current due to an increased wetted area as governed by the empirically observed dependence of the SOL width upon plasma current. (author). Letter-to-the-editor
Global energy confinement in JT-60 neutral beam heated L-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, O.; Hosogane, N.; Tsuji, S.; Ushigusa, K.; Yoshida, H.

1990-01-01

The global energy confinement characteristics of neutral beam heated JT-60 discharges are presented. There is a difference in the dependence of the energy confinement time on the plasma current between limiter and divertor discharges. For limiter discharges, the energy confinement increases with plasma current up to 3.2 MA, whereas for divertor discharges this improvement saturates when the safety factor drops below 3, independent of the location of the X-point. The JT-60 L-mode results indicate that the deterioration in energy confinement for q < 3, which is also found in H-mode regimes of other devices, may be a universal characteristic of divertor discharges. Regarding the scaling with plasma size, it is shown that the global/incremental confinement time increases with plasma minor radius. For sufficiently large plasmas, however, the global/incremental confinement time is no longer a function of minor radius. (author). 13 refs, 14 figs
A quantitative analysis of the effect of ELMs on H-mode thermal energy confinement in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schissel, D.P.; Osborne, T.H.; Carlstrom, T.N.; Zohm, H.

1992-06-01

The desire to reach ignition in future tokamaks the energy confinement time critical parameter. The most promising enhanced (over L-mode) confinement regime is the H-mode, discovered on ASDEX with neutral beam heating, and then confirmed with various auxiliary heating sources on numerous machines. The knowledge of how H-mode τ E depends on different parameters is of chemical importance to the performance predictions for next generation devices. Inter-machine H-mode total and thermal energy confinement (τ th ) scalings, which are being utilized to predict ITER thermal energy confinement, have been created for discharges where the Edge Localized Mode (ELM) instability has not been present. Confinement scaling research hm concentrated on this ELM-free H-mode phase mostly owing to the difficulty of characterizing ELM behavior. To date, long pulse H-mode operation has only been achieved by utilizing ELMs to flush out unpurities and prevent radiative collapse of the discharge. Unfortunately, accompanying the ELMS is a decrease of the plasma stored energy due to the expulsion of particles near the edge of the discharge resulting in a reduction of the steep edge electron density gradient. In order to predict ITER's H-mode τ th in the presence of ELMS, an estimated 25% confinement degradation factor has been applied to the ELM-free predictions. Our work, summarized in this paper, indicates that this 25% reduction factor is too large and instead a value of approximately 15% would be more appropriate
Power requirements for superior H-mode confinement on Alcator C-Mod: experiments in support of ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, J.W.; Reinke, M.L.; Terry, J.L.; Brunner, D.; Greenwald, M.; Hubbard, A.E.; LaBombard, B.; Lipschultz, B.; Ma, Y.; Wolfe, S.; Wukitch, S.J.; Loarte, A.

2011-01-01

Power requirements for maintaining sufficiently high confinement (i.e. normalized energy confinement time H 98 ≥ 1) in H-mode and its relation to H-mode threshold power scaling, P th , are of critical importance to ITER. In order to better characterize these power requirements, recent experiments on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have investigated H-mode properties, including the edge pedestal and global confinement, over a range of input powers near and above P th . In addition, we have examined the compatibility of impurity seeding with high performance operation, and the influence of plasma radiation and its spatial distribution on performance. Experiments were performed at 5.4 T at ITER relevant densities, utilizing bulk metal plasma facing surfaces and an ion cyclotron range of frequency waves for auxiliary heating. Input power was scanned both in stationary enhanced D α (EDA) H-modes with no large edge localized modes (ELMs) and in ELMy H-modes in order to relate the resulting pedestal and confinement to the amount of power flowing into the scrape-off layer, P net , and also to the divertor targets. In both EDA and ELMy H-mode, energy confinement is generally good, with H 98 near unity. As P net is reduced to levels approaching that in L-mode, pedestal temperature diminishes significantly and normalized confinement time drops. By seeding with low-Z impurities, such as Ne and N 2 , high total radiated power fractions are possible, along with substantial reductions in divertor heat flux (>4x), all while maintaining H 98 ∼ 1. When the power radiated from the confined versus unconfined plasma is examined, pedestal and confinement properties are clearly seen to be an increasing function of P net , helping to unify the results with those from unseeded H-modes. This provides increased confidence that the power flow across the separatrix is the correct physics basis for ITER extrapolation. The experiments show that P net /P th of one or greater is likely to lead to H
Radial transport in the far scrape-off layer of ASDEX upgrade during L-mode and ELMy H-mode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ionita, C.; Naulin, Volker; Mehlmann, F.

2013-01-01

The radial turbulent particle flux and the Reynolds stress in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of ASDEX Upgrade were investigated for two limited L-mode (low confinement) and one ELMy H-mode (high confinement) discharge. A fast reciprocating probe was used with a probe head containing five Langmuir...
Characteristics of the First H-mode Discharges in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.E.; Bush, C.E.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Gates, D.A.; Kaye, S.M.; Kugel, H.W.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Menard, J.E.; Mueller, D.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Stutman, D.; Taylor, G.; Johnson, D.W.; Kaita, R.; Maqueda, R.J.; Ono, M.; Paoletti, F.; Peng, Y-K.M.; Roquemore, A.L.; Skinner, C.H.; Soukhanovskii, V.A.; Synakowski, E.J.

2001-01-01

We report observations of the first low-to-high (L-H) confinement mode transitions in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The H-mode energy confinement time increased over reference L-mode discharges transiently by 100-300%, as high as ∼150 ms. This confinement time is ∼1.8-2.3 times higher than predicted by a multi-machine ELM-free H-mode scaling. This achievement extends the H-mode window of fusion devices down to a record low aspect ratio (R/a) ∼ 1.3, challenging both confinement and L-H power thresholds scalings based on conventional aspect ratio tokamaks
Energy confinement in Ohmic H-mode in TUMAN-3M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrejko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.; Golant, V.E.; Kornev, V.A.; Lebedev, S.V.; Levin, L.S.; Tukachinsky, A.S.

1997-01-01

The spontaneous transition from Ohmically heated limiter discharges into the regime with improved confinement termed as ''Ohmic H-mode'' has been investigated in ''TUMAN-3''. The typical signatures of H-mode in tokamaks with powerful auxiliary heating have been observed: sharp drop of D α radiation with simultaneous increase in the electron density and stored energy, suppression of the density fluctuations and establishing the steep gradient near the periphery. In 1994 new vacuum vessel had been installed in TUMAN-3 tokamak. The vessel has the same sizes as old one (R 0 =0.55 m, a 1 =0.24 m). New vessel was designed to reduce mechanical stresses in the walls during B T ramp phase of a shot. Therefore modified device - TUMAN-3M is able to produce higher B T and I p , up to 2 T and 0.2 MA respectively. During first experimental run device was operated in Ohmic Regime. In these experiments the possibility to achieve Ohmic H-mode was studied. The study of the parametric dependencies of the energy confinement time in both OH and Ohmic H-mode was performed. In Ohmic H-mode strong dependencies of τ E on plasma current and on input power and weak dependence on density were found. Energy confinement time in TUMAN-3/TUMAN-3M Ohmic H-mode has revealed good agreement with JET/DIII-D/ASDEX scaling for ELM-free H-mode, resulting in very long τ E at the high plasma current discharges. (author)
H-mode physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Sanae.

1991-06-01

After the discovery of the H-mode in ASDEX ( a tokamak in Germany ) the transition between the L-mode ( Low confinement mode ) and H-mode ( High confinement mode ) has been observed in many tokamaks in the world. The H-mode has made a breakthrough in improving the plasma parameters and has been recognized to be a universal phenomena. Since its discovery, the extensive studies both in experiments and in theory have been made. The research on H-mode has been casting new problems of an anomalous transport across the magnetic surface. This series of lectures will provide a brief review of experiments for explaining H-mode and a model theory of H-mode transition based on the electric field bifurcation. If the time is available, a new theoretical model of the temporal evolution of the H-mode will be given. (author)
QUIESCENT H-MODE, AN ELM-FREE HIGH-CONFINEMENT MODE ON DIII-D WITH POTENTIAL FOR STATIONARY STATE OPERATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WEST,WP; BURRELL,KH; deGRASSIE,JS; DOYLE,EJ; GREENFIELD,CM; LASNIER,CJ; SNYDER,PB; ZENG,L

2003-08-01

OAK-B135 The quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) is an ELM-free and stationary state mode of operation discovered on DIII-D. This mode achieves H-mode levels of confinement and pedestal pressure while maintaining constant density and radiated power. The elimination of edge localized modes (ELMs) and their large divertor loads while maintaining good confinement and good density control is of interest to next generation tokamaks. This paper reports on the correlations found between selected parameters in a QH-mode database developed from several hundred DIII-D counter injected discharges. Time traces of key plasma parameters from a QH-mode discharge are shown. On DIII-D the negative going plasma current (a) indicates that the beam injection direction is counter to the plasma current direction, a common feature of all QH-modes. The D{sub {alpha}} time behavior (c) shows that soon after high powered beam heating (b) is applied, the discharge makes a transition to ELMing H-mode, then the ELMs disappear, indicating the start of the QH period that lasts for the remainder of the high power beam heating (3.5 s). Previously published work showing density and temperature profiles indicates that long-pulse, high-triangularity QH discharges develop an internal transport barrier in combination with the QH edge barrier. These discharges are known as quiescent, double-barrier discharges (QDB). The H-factor (d) and stored energy (c) rise then saturate at a constant level and the measured axial and minimum safety factors remain above 1.0 for the entire QH duration. During QDB operation the performance of the plasma can be very good, with {beta}{sub N}*H{sub 89L} product reaching 7 for > 10 energy confinement times. These discharges show promise that a stationary state can be achieved.
QUIESCENT H-MODE, AN ELM-FREE HIGH-CONFINEMENT MODE ON DIII-D WITH POTENTIAL FOR STATIONARY STATE OPERATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WEST, WP; BURRELL, KH; DeGRASSIE, JS; DOYLE, EJ; GREENFIELD, CM; LASNIER, CJ; SNYDER, PB; ZENG, L.

2003-01-01

OAK-B135 The quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) is an ELM-free and stationary state mode of operation discovered on DIII-D. This mode achieves H-mode levels of confinement and pedestal pressure while maintaining constant density and radiated power. The elimination of edge localized modes (ELMs) and their large divertor loads while maintaining good confinement and good density control is of interest to next generation tokamaks. This paper reports on the correlations found between selected parameters in a QH-mode database developed from several hundred DIII-D counter injected discharges. Time traces of key plasma parameters from a QH-mode discharge are shown. On DIII-D the negative going plasma current (a) indicates that the beam injection direction is counter to the plasma current direction, a common feature of all QH-modes. The D α time behavior (c) shows that soon after high powered beam heating (b) is applied, the discharge makes a transition to ELMing H-mode, then the ELMs disappear, indicating the start of the QH period that lasts for the remainder of the high power beam heating (3.5 s). Previously published work showing density and temperature profiles indicates that long-pulse, high-triangularity QH discharges develop an internal transport barrier in combination with the QH edge barrier. These discharges are known as quiescent, double-barrier discharges (QDB). The H-factor (d) and stored energy (c) rise then saturate at a constant level and the measured axial and minimum safety factors remain above 1.0 for the entire QH duration. During QDB operation the performance of the plasma can be very good, with β N *H 89L product reaching 7 for > 10 energy confinement times. These discharges show promise that a stationary state can be achieved
Mean and oscillating plasma flows and turbulence interactions across the L-H confinement transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, G D; Angioni, C; Ryter, F; Sauter, P; Vicente, J

2011-02-11

A complex interaction between turbulence driven E × B zonal flow oscillations, i.e., geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs), the turbulence, and mean equilibrium flows is observed during the low to high (L-H) plasma confinement mode transition in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. Below the L-H threshold at low densities a limit-cycle oscillation forms with competition between the turbulence level and the GAM flow shearing. At higher densities the cycle is diminished, while in the H mode the cycle duration becomes too short to sustain the GAM, which is replaced by large amplitude broadband flow perturbations. Initially GAM amplitude increases as the H-mode transition is approached, but is then suppressed in the H mode by enhanced mean flow shear.
Offset linear scaling for H-mode confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Yukitoshi; Tamai, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Norio; Mori, Masahiro; Matsuda, Toshiaki; Maeda, Hikosuke; Takizuka, Tomonori; Itoh, Sanae; Itoh, Kimitaka.

1992-01-01

An offset linear scaling for the H-mode confinement time is examined based on single parameter scans on the JFT-2M experiment. Regression study is done for various devices with open divertor configuration such as JET, DIII-D, JFT-2M. The scaling law of the thermal energy is given in the MKSA unit as W th =0.0046R 1.9 I P 1.1 B T 0.91 √A+2.9x10 -8 I P 1.0 R 0.87 P√AP, where R is the major radius, I P is the plasma current, B T is the toroidal magnetic field, A is the average mass number of plasma and neutral beam particles, and P is the heating power. This fitting has a similar root mean square error (RMSE) compared to the power law scaling. The result is also compared with the H-mode in other configurations. The W th of closed divertor H-mode on ASDEX shows a little better values than that of open divertor H-mode. (author)

Intermittency in the Scrape-off Layer of the National Spherical Torus Experiment During H-mode Confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maqueda, R.J.; Stotler, D.P.; Zweben, S.J.

2010-01-01

A gas puff imaging diagnostic is used in the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment (M. Ono, et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)) to study the edge turbulence and intermittency present during H-mode discharges. In the case of low power Ohmic H-modes the suppression of turbulence/blobs is maintained through the duration of the (short lived) H-modes. Similar quiescent edges are seen during the early stages of H-modes created with the use of neutral beam injection. Nevertheless, as time progresses following the L-H transition, turbulence and blobs reappear although at a lower level than that typically seen during L-mode confinement. It is also seen that the time-averaged SOL emission profile broadens, as the power loss across the separatrix increases. These broad profiles are characterized by a large level of fluctuations and intermittent events.
H-mode confinement properties close to the power threshold in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F; Fuchs, J; Schneider, W; Sips, A; Staebler, A; Stober, J

2008-01-01

Confinement properties close to the H-mode power threshold are studied in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The results show that good confinement can be obtained close to the threshold with Type-I ELMs. The existence of Type-I ELMs does not necessarily require the heating power to be higher than the H-Mode power threshold, but it requires collisionality to be low enough. At higher collisionality Type-III ELMs replace the Type-I ELMs and confinement time is reduced by about 20%
Origin of the various beta dependences of ELMy H-mode confinement properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takizuka, T; Urano, H; Takenaga, H; Oyama, N

2006-01-01

Dependence of the energy confinement in ELMy H-mode tokamak on the beta has been investigated for a long time, but a common conclusion has not been obtained so far. Recent non-dimensional transport experiments in JT-60U demonstrated clearly the beta degradation. A database for JT-60U ELMy H-mode confinement was assembled. Analysis of this database is carried out, and the strong beta degradation consistent with the above experiments is confirmed. Two subsets of ASDEX Upgrade and JET data in the ITPA H-mode confinement database are analysed to find the origin of the various beta dependences. The shaping of the plasma cross section, as well as the fuelling condition, affects the confinement performance. The beta dependence is not identical for different devices and conditions. The shaping effect, as well as the fuelling effect, is a possible candidate for causing the variation of beta dependence
Turbulent edge transport in the Princeton Beta Experiment-Modified high confinement mode

Science.gov (United States)

Tynan, G. R.; Schmitz, L.; Blush, L.; Boedo, J. A.; Conn, R. W.; Doerner, R.; Lehmer, R.; Moyer, R.; Kugel, H.; Bell, R.; Kaye, S.; Okabayashi, M.; Sesnic, S.; Sun, Y.

1994-10-01

The first probe measurements of edge turbulence and transport in a neutral beam induced high confinement mode (H-mode) are reported. A strong negative radial electric field is directly observed in H-mode. A transient suppression of normalized ion saturation and floating potential fluctuation levels occurs at the low confinement mode to high confinement mode (L-H) transition, followed by a recovery to near low mode (L-mode) levels. The average poloidal wave number and the poloidal wave-number spectral width are decreased, and the correlation between fluctuating density and potential is reduced. A large-amplitude coherent oscillation, localized to the strong radial electric field region, is observed in H-mode but does not cause transport. In H-mode the effective turbulent diffusion coefficient is reduced by an order of magnitude inside the last closed flux surface and in the scrape-off layer. The results are compared with a heuristic model of turbulence suppression by velocity-shear stabilization.
Edge operational space for high density/high confinement ELMY H-modes in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartori, R.; Saibene, G.; Loarte, A.

2002-01-01

This paper discusses how the proximity to the L-H threshold affects the confinement of ELMy H-modes at high density. The largest reduction in confinement at high density is observed at the transition from the Type I to the Type III ELMy regime. At medium plasma triangularity, δ≅0.3 (where δ is the average triangularity at the separatrix), JET experiments show that by increasing the margin above the L-H threshold power and maintaining the edge temperature above the critical temperature for the transition to Type III ELMs, it is possible to avoid the degradation of the pedestal pressure with density, normally observed at lower power. As a result, the range of achievable densities (both in the core and in the pedestal) is increased. At high power above the L-H threshold power the core density was equal to the Greenwald limit with H97≅0.9. There is evidence that a mixed regime of Type I and Type II ELMs has been obtained at this intermediate triangularity, possibly as a result of this increase in density. At higher triangularity, δ≅0.5, the power required to achieve similar results is lower. (author)
L-H Power Threshold, Pedestal Stability and Confinement in JET with a Metallic Wall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beurskens, M.; Alper, B.; Challis, C.; Flanagan, J.; Giroud, C.; Kempenaars, M.; Lomas, P.; Maslov, M.; Matthews, G.; Mayoral, M. L.; Snyder, P. B.; Saarelma, S., E-mail: marc.beurskens@ccfe.ac.uk [EURATOM /CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Frassinetti, L. [Division of Fusion Plasma Physics, Association EURATOM-VR , Stockholm (Sweden); Maggi, C.; Angioni, C.; Hobirk, J.; Neu, R. [IPP Garching, Garching (Germany); Calabro, G.; Buratti, P.; Giovannozzi, E. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Frascati (Italy); Bourdelle, C.; Joffrin, E. [Association Euratom-CEA, IRFM, St-Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Brezinsek, S. [Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich (Germany); Groth, M. [Association EURATOM/Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo (Finland); Leyland, M. [Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York (United Kingdom); De la Luna, E. [Ciemat, Madrid (Spain); Mantica, P. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma ' P. Caldirola' , Milano (Italy); Nunes, I. [Centro de Fusao Nuclear, Associacao EURATOM-IST, Lisboa (Portugal); Osborne, T. [General Atomics, San Diego (United States); De Vries, P. [FOM DIFFER, Nieuwegein (Netherlands)

2012-09-15

Full text: After the change-over from the Carbon-Fibre Composite (CFC) wall to an ITER-like metallic wall (ILW) the baseline type I ELMy H-mode scenario has been re-established in JET with the new plasma-facing materials Be and W. A key finding for ITER is that the power required to enter H-mode has reduced with respect to that in JET with the CFC wall. In JET with the ILW the power threshold to enter H-mode (P{sub L-H}) is below the international L-H power threshold scaling P{sub Martin-08}. The minimum threshold is P{sub L-H} = 1.8 MW compared to P{sub Martin-08} = 4 MW with a pedestal density of n{sub ped} = 2 x 10{sup 19} m{sup -3} in plasmas with I{sub p} = 2.0 MA, B{sub t} = 2.4 T. However the threshold depends strongly on density; using slow ion cyclotron heating (ICRH) power ramps P{sub L-H} varies from 1.8 to 4.5 MW in a range of lower and upper plasma triangularity ({delta}{sub L} = 0.32 - 0.4, {delta}{sub U} = 0.19 - 0.38). Stationary Type I ELMy H-mode operation has been re-established at both low and high triangularity with I{sub p} {<=} 2.5 MA, q{sub 95} = 2.8 - 3.6 and H{sub 98} {<=} 1. The achieved plasma collisionality is relatively high, in the range of 1 < v{sub eff} < 4 due to the required strong gas dosing. Stability analysis with the linear MHD stability code ELITE show that the pedestal is marginally unstable with respect to the Peeling Ballooning boundary. Due to the stabilising effect of the global pressure on the pedestal stability, a strong coupling between core and edge confinement is expected. Indeed in an H-mode profile database comparison with 119 CFC- (0.1 < v{sub eff} < 1) and 40 ILW-H-modes a strong coupling of the core versus edge confinement is found, independent of wall material. In addition, the pedestal predictions using the EPED predictive pedestal code coincide with the measured pedestal height over a wide range of normalised pressure 1.5 < {beta}{sub N} < 3.5. Due to the strong core-edge coupling, beneficial effects of core
Expression for the thermal H-mode energy confinement time under ELM-free conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F.; Gruber, O.; Kardaun, O.J.W.F.; Menzler, H.P.; Wagner, F.; Schissel, D.P.; DeBoo, J.C.; Kaye, S.M.

1992-07-01

The design of future tokamaks, which are supposed to reach ignition with the H-mode, requires a reliable scaling expression for the H-mode energy confinement time. In the present work, an H-mode scaling expression for the thermal plasma energy confinement time has been developed by combining data from four existing divertor tokamaks, ASDEX, DIII-D, JET and PBX-M. The plasma conditions, which were as similar as possible to ensure a coherent set of data, were ELM-free deuterium discharges heated by deuterium neutral beam injection. By combining four tokamaks, the parametric dependence of the thermal energy confinement on the main plasma parameters, including the three main geometrical variables, was determined. (orig./WL)
The role of the radial electric field in confinement and transport in H-mode and VH-mode discharges in the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gohil, P.; Burrell, K.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Osborne, T.H.; Doyle, E.J.; Rettig, C.L.

1993-08-01

Measurements of the radial electric field, E r , with high spatial and high time resolution in H-mode and VH-mode discharges in the DIII-D tokamak have revealed the significant influence of the shear in E r on confinement and transport in these discharges. These measurements are made using the DIII-D Charge Exchange Recombination (CER) System. At the L-H transition in DIII-D plasmas, a negative well-like E r profile develops just within the magnetic separatrix. A region of shear in E r results, which extends 1 to 2 cm into the plasma from the separatrix. At the transition, this region of sheared E r exhibits the greatest increase in impurity ion poloidal rotation velocity and the greatest reduction in plasma fluctuations. A transport barrier is formed in this same region of E x B velocity shear as is signified by large increases in the observed gradients of the ion temperature, the carbon density, the electron temperature and electron density. The development of the region of sheared E r , the increase in impurity ion poloidal rotation, the reduction in plasma turbulence, and the transport barrier all occur simultaneously at the L-H transition. Measurements of the radial electric field, plasma turbulence, thermal transport, and energy confinement have been performed for a wide range of plasma conditions and configurations. The results support the supposition that the progression of improving confinement at the L-H transition, into the H-mode and then into the VH-mode can be explained by the hypothesis of the suppression of plasma turbulence by the increasing penetration of the region of sheared E x B velocity into the plasma interior
Dynamic behaviour of the high confinement mode of fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zohm, H.

1995-05-01

This paper describes the dynamic behaviour of the High Confinement mode (H-mode) of fusion plasmas, which is one of the most promising regimes of enhanced energy confinement in magnetic fusion research. The physics of the H-mode is not yet fully understood, and the detailed behaviour is complex. However, we establish a simple physics picture of the phenomenon. Although a first principles theory of the anomalous transport processes in a fusion plasma has not yet been given, we show that within the picture developed here, it is possible to describe the dynamic behaviour of the H-mode, namely the dynamics of the L-H transition and the occurrence of edge localized modes (ELMs). (orig.)
Role of zonal flow predator-prey oscillations in triggering the transition to H-mode confinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, L; Zeng, L; Rhodes, T L; Hillesheim, J C; Doyle, E J; Groebner, R J; Peebles, W A; Burrell, K H; Wang, G

2012-04-13

Direct evidence of zonal flow (ZF) predator-prey oscillations and the synergistic roles of ZF- and equilibrium E×B flow shear in triggering the low- to high-confinement (L- to H-mode) transition in the DIII-D tokamak is presented. Periodic turbulence suppression is first observed in a narrow layer at and just inside the separatrix when the shearing rate transiently exceeds the turbulence decorrelation rate. The final transition to H mode with sustained turbulence and transport reduction is controlled by equilibrium E×B shear due to the increasing ion pressure gradient.
Transport analysis of ohmic, L-mode and improved confinement discharges in FTU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esposito, B [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Marinucci, M [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Romanelli, M [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Bracco, G [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Castaldo, C [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Cocilovo, V [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Giovannozzi, E [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Leigheb, M [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Monari, G [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Nowak, S [IFP CNR, Via R. Cozzi, 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Sozzi, C [IFP CNR, Via R. Cozzi, 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Tudisco, O [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Cesario, R [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Frigione, D [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Gormezano, C [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Granucci, G [IFP CNR, Via R. Cozzi, 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Panaccione, L [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Pericoli-Ridolfini, V [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Pieroni, L [Associazione Euratom-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Italy)

2004-11-01

A thorough investigation of confinement in Frascati Tokamak Upgrade has been carried out on a new database of ohmic, L-mode and advanced scenario discharges (multiple pellet-fuelled, radiation improved and internal transport barriers (ITBs)) obtained with the available auxiliary heating systems, namely electron cyclotron resonant heating, lower hybrid and ion Bernstein wave. A general agreement of the measured {tau}{sub E} with ITER97 L-mode scaling is found in ohmic and L-mode discharges. An improvement of the energy confinement time ({tau}{sub E}) of up to about 60% over the ITER97 L-mode scaling has been obtained in ITB discharges, together with a reduction in local electron transport in the region of high pressure gradient, and up to about 30% in pellet-fuelled discharges (where {tau}{sub E} as large as {approx}120 ms have been reached). The linear density dependence of {tau}{sub E} in ohmic discharges has been found to extend above the saturation density threshold in pellet-fuelled plasmas.
Physics of the H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinton, F.L.; Chu, M.S.; Dominguez, R.R.

1985-01-01

A theoretical picture of the H-mode is proposed which explains some of the most important features of this good confinement mode in neutral beam heated plasmas with divertors. From consideration of the transport through the separatrix and along the open field lines outside the separatrix, as well as the stability of the plasma inside the separatrix, we show that a bifurcation in the operating parameters is possible. At high edge temperatures, very large particle confinement times are possible because of the Ware pinch. The transport of particles and heat along the open field lines to the divertor region depends on temperature in a non-monotonic way, and the bifurcation of the thermal equilibrium which is implied may correspond to the L- to H-mode transition. The improvement of the interior confinement in the H-mode, when the edge temperature is higher, is shown to follow from the tearing mode stability properties of current profiles with pedestals. (author)
Ohmic H-mode studies in TUMAN-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S.V.; Andrejko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.; Golant, V.E.; Kornev, V.A.; Levin, L.S.; Tukachinsky, A.S.; Tendler, M.

1994-01-01

The spontaneous transition from Ohmically heated limiter discharges into the regime with improved confinement termed as ''Ohmic H-mode'' has been investigated in ''TUMAN-3''. The typical signatures of H-mode in tokamaks with powerful auxiliary heating have been observed: sharp drop of D α radiation with simultaneous increase in the electron density and stored energy, suppression of the density fluctuations and establishing the steep gradient near the periphery. The crucial role of the radial electric field in the L-H transition was found in the experiments with boundary biasing. The possibility of initiating the H-mode using single pellet injection was demonstrated. In Ohmic H-mode strong dependencies of τ E on plasma current and on input power and weak dependence on density were found. Thermal energy confinement time enhanced by a factor of 10 compared to predictions of Neo-Alcator scaling. Longest energy confinement time (30 ms) was obtained in the small tokamak TUMAN-3. Absolute values of the energy confinement time are in agreement with scaling proposed for description of the ELM-free H-modes in devices with powerful auxiliary heating (''DIII-D/JET H-mode'' scaling). (author)
Dimensionally similar studies of confinement and H-mode transition in ASDEX Upgrade and JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F.; Stober, J.; Suttrop, W.

2001-01-01

Joint experiments on confinement and L-H transition were performed in ASDEX Upgrade and JET. The confinement experiments suggest that the invariance principle is not always fulfilled at high density. For the L-H transition studies, the dimensionless variables taken at the plasma edge can be in general only made identical per pair, due to the condition imposed by the L-H transition. This new approach to investigate the L-H physics suggests a weak dependence of the L-H transition mechanism on collisionality. (author)
Dimensionally similar studies of confinement and H-mode transition in ASDEX Upgrade and JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F.; Stober, J.; Suttrop, W.

1999-01-01

Joint experiments on confinement and L-H transition were performed in ASDEX Upgrade and JET. The confinement experiments suggest that the invariance principle is not always fulfilled at high density. For the L-H transition studies, the dimensionless variables taken at the plasma edge can be in general only made identical per pair, due to the condition imposed by the L-H transition. This new approach to investigate the L-H physics suggests a weak dependence of the L-H transition mechanism on collisionality. (author)
Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of the I-mode high confinement regime and comparisons with experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, A. E., E-mail: whitea@mit.edu; Howard, N. T.; Creely, A. J.; Chilenski, M. A.; Greenwald, M.; Hubbard, A. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Marmar, E.; Rice, J. E.; Sierchio, J. M.; Sung, C.; Walk, J. R.; Whyte, D. G. [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Mikkelsen, D. R.; Edlund, E. M.; Kung, C. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Holland, C. [University of California, San Diego (UCSD) San Diego, California 92093 (United States); Candy, J.; Petty, C. C. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186 (United States); Reinke, M. L. [York University, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom); and others

2015-05-15

For the first time, nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of I-mode plasmas are performed and compared with experiment. I-mode is a high confinement regime, featuring energy confinement similar to H-mode, but without enhanced particle and impurity particle confinement [D. G. Whyte et al., Nucl. Fusion 50, 105005 (2010)]. As a consequence of the separation between heat and particle transport, I-mode exhibits several favorable characteristics compared to H-mode. The nonlinear gyrokinetic code GYRO [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] is used to explore the effects of E × B shear and profile stiffness in I-mode and compare with L-mode. The nonlinear GYRO simulations show that I-mode core ion temperature and electron temperature profiles are more stiff than L-mode core plasmas. Scans of the input E × B shear in GYRO simulations show that E × B shearing of turbulence is a stronger effect in the core of I-mode than L-mode. The nonlinear simulations match the observed reductions in long wavelength density fluctuation levels across the L-I transition but underestimate the reduction of long wavelength electron temperature fluctuation levels. The comparisons between experiment and gyrokinetic simulations for I-mode suggest that increased E × B shearing of turbulence combined with increased profile stiffness are responsible for the reductions in core turbulence observed in the experiment, and that I-mode resembles H-mode plasmas more than L-mode plasmas with regards to marginal stability and temperature profile stiffness.
An emerging understanding of H-mode discharges in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.

1992-12-01

A remarkable degree of consistency of experimental results from tokamaks throughout the world has developed with regard to the phenomenology of the transition from L-mode to H-mode confinement in tokamaks. The transition is initiated in a narrow layer at the plasma periphery where density fluctuations are suppressed and steep gradients of temperature and density form in a region with large first and second radial derivatives in the υ E → = (E x B)/B 2 flow velocity. These results are qualitatively consistent with theories which predict suppression of fluctuations by shear or curvature in υE. The required υE flow is generated very rapidly when the magnitude of the heating power or of an externally imposed radial current exceed threshold values and several theoretical models have been developed to explain the observed changes in the υE flow. After the transition occurs, the altered boundary conditions enable the development of improved confinement in the plasma interior on a confinement time scale. The resulting H-mode discharge has typically twice the confinement of L-mode discharges and regimes of further improved confinement have been obtained in some H-mode scenarios
Theory of pseudo-classical confinement and transmutation to L-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.; Yagi, M.; Fukuyama, A.; Azumi, M.

1993-05-01

Theory of the self-sustained turbulence is developed for resistive plasma in toroidal devices. Pseudo-classical confinement is obtained in the low temperature limit. As temperature increases, the current-diffusivity prevails upon resistivity, and the turbulence nature changes so as to recover the L-mode transport. Comparison with experimental observation on this transition is made. Hartmann number is also given. (author)
Observation of the L-H confinement bifurcation triggered by a turbulence-driven shear flow in a tokamak plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Z; McKee, G R; Fonck, R; Gohil, P; Groebner, R J; Osborne, T H

2014-03-28

Comprehensive 2D turbulence and eddy flow velocity measurements on DIII-D demonstrate a rapidly increasing turbulence-driven shear flow that develops ∼100 μs prior to the low-confinement (L mode) to high-confinement (H mode) transition and appears to trigger it. These changes are localized to a narrow layer 1-2 cm inside the magnetic boundary. Increasing heating power increases the Reynolds stress, the energy transfer from turbulence to the poloidal flow, and the edge flow shearing rate that then exceeds the decorrelation rate, suppressing turbulence and triggering the transition.
Comparison of H-mode pedestals in different confinement regimes in DIII-D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groebner, R J [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Leonard, A W [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Luce, T C [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Fenstermacher, M E [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California (United States); Jackson, G L [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Osborne, T H [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Thomas, D M [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States); Wade, M R [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California, 92186-5608 (United States)

2006-05-15

A survey of global performance parameters and their correlation with pedestal parameters is performed for standard H-mode, QH-mode and the enhanced confinement regimes of VH-mode, hybrid and advanced tokamak in the DIII-D tokamak. This study shows that there is a trend for global confinement quality or global beta to increase as the pedestal electron pressure or beta increases. However, there are also improvements in core confinement and beta, observed at fixed pedestal pressure or beta, which indicate that factors other than pedestal parameters also contribute to the best core performance. Several other pedestal structure parameters are found to be similar among these regimes. The scale lengths for electron pressure in the pedestal are in the range 0.8-1.6 cm at the outer midplane, most {eta}{sub e} values are in the range 1-3 in the middle of the T{sub e} pedestal and the T{sub e} and n{sub e} pedestals tend to penetrate the same distance into the plasma.

Comparison of hybrid and baseline ELMy H-mode confinement in JET with the carbon wall

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beurskens, M. N. A.; Frassinetti, L.; Challis, C.; Osborne, T.; Snyder, P. B.; Alper, B.; Angioni, C.; Bourdelle, C.; Buratti, P.; Crisanti, F.; Giovannozzi, E.; Giroud, C.; Groebner, R.; Hobirk, J.; Jenkins, I.; Joffrin, E.; Leyland, M. J.; Lomas, P.; Mantica, P.; McDonald, D.; Nunes, I.; Rimini, F.; Saarelma, S.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; P. de Vries,; Zarzoso, D.

2013-01-01

The confinement in JET baseline type I ELMy H-mode plasmas is compared to that in so-called hybrid H-modes in a database study of 112 plasmas in JET with the carbon fibre composite (CFC) wall. The baseline plasmas typically have beta(Nu) similar to 1.5-2, H-98 similar to 1, whereas the hybrid
Analysis of the H-mode density limit in the ASDEX upgrade tokamak using bolometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernert, Matthias

2013-10-23

The high confinement mode (H-mode) is the operational scenario foreseen for ITER, DEMO and future fusion power plants. At high densities, which are favourable in order to maximize the fusion power, a back transition from the H-mode to the low confinement mode (L-mode) is observed. This H-mode density limit (HDL) occurs at densities on the order of, but below, the Greenwald density. In this thesis, the HDL is revisited in the fully tungsten walled ASDEX Upgrade tokamak (AUG). In AUG discharges, four distinct operational phases were identified in the approach towards the HDL. First, there is a stable H-mode, where the plasma density increases at steady confinement, followed by a degrading H-mode, where the core electron density is fixed and the confinement, expressed as the energy confinement time, reduces. In the third phase, the breakdown of the H-mode and transition to the L-mode, the overall electron density is fixed and the confinement decreases further, leading, finally, to an L-mode, where the density increases again at a steady confinement at typical L-mode values until the disruptive Greenwald limit is reached. These four phases are reproducible, quasi-stable plasma regimes and provide a framework in which the HDL can be further analysed. Radiation losses and several other mechanisms, that were proposed as explanations for the HDL, are ruled out for the current set of AUG experiments with tungsten walls. In addition, a threshold of the radial electric field or of the power flux into the divertor appears to be responsible for the final transition back to L-mode, however, it does not determine the onset of the HDL. The observation of the four phases is explained by the combination of two mechanisms: a fueling limit due to an outward shift of the ionization profile and an additional energy loss channel, which decreases the confinement. The latter is most likely created by an increased radial convective transport at the edge of the plasma. It is shown that the
Analysis of the H-mode density limit in the ASDEX upgrade tokamak using bolometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernert, Matthias

2013-01-01

The high confinement mode (H-mode) is the operational scenario foreseen for ITER, DEMO and future fusion power plants. At high densities, which are favourable in order to maximize the fusion power, a back transition from the H-mode to the low confinement mode (L-mode) is observed. This H-mode density limit (HDL) occurs at densities on the order of, but below, the Greenwald density. In this thesis, the HDL is revisited in the fully tungsten walled ASDEX Upgrade tokamak (AUG). In AUG discharges, four distinct operational phases were identified in the approach towards the HDL. First, there is a stable H-mode, where the plasma density increases at steady confinement, followed by a degrading H-mode, where the core electron density is fixed and the confinement, expressed as the energy confinement time, reduces. In the third phase, the breakdown of the H-mode and transition to the L-mode, the overall electron density is fixed and the confinement decreases further, leading, finally, to an L-mode, where the density increases again at a steady confinement at typical L-mode values until the disruptive Greenwald limit is reached. These four phases are reproducible, quasi-stable plasma regimes and provide a framework in which the HDL can be further analysed. Radiation losses and several other mechanisms, that were proposed as explanations for the HDL, are ruled out for the current set of AUG experiments with tungsten walls. In addition, a threshold of the radial electric field or of the power flux into the divertor appears to be responsible for the final transition back to L-mode, however, it does not determine the onset of the HDL. The observation of the four phases is explained by the combination of two mechanisms: a fueling limit due to an outward shift of the ionization profile and an additional energy loss channel, which decreases the confinement. The latter is most likely created by an increased radial convective transport at the edge of the plasma. It is shown that the
Impurity confinement and transport in high confinement regimes without edge localized modes on DIII-D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grierson, B. A., E-mail: bgriers@pppl.gov; Nazikian, R. M.; Solomon, W. M. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Burrell, K. H.; Garofalo, A. M.; Belli, E. A.; Staebler, G. M.; Evans, T. E.; Smith, S. P.; Chrobak, C. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Fenstermacher, M. E. [Lawerence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); McKee, G. R. [Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53796 (United States); Orlov, D. M. [Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0417 (United States); Chrystal, C. [University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0417 (United States)

2015-05-15

Impurity transport in the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] is investigated in stationary high confinement (H-mode) regimes without edge localized modes (ELMs). In plasmas maintained by resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP), ELM-suppression, and QH-mode, the confinement time of fluorine (Z = 9) is equivalent to that in ELMing discharges with 40 Hz ELMs. For selected discharges with impurity injection, the impurity particle confinement time compared to the energy confinement time is in the range of τ{sub p}/τ{sub e}≈2−3. In QH-mode operation, the impurity confinement time is shown to be smaller for intense, coherent magnetic, and density fluctuations of the edge harmonic oscillation than weaker fluctuations. Transport coefficients are derived from the time evolution of the impurity density profile and compared to neoclassical and turbulent transport models NEO and TGLF. Neoclassical transport of fluorine is found to be small compared to the experimental values. In the ELMing and RMP ELM-suppressed plasma, the impurity transport is affected by the presence of tearing modes. For radii larger than the mode radius, the TGLF diffusion coefficient is smaller than the experimental value by a factor of 2–3, while the convective velocity is within error estimates. Low levels of diffusion are observed for radii smaller than the tearing mode radius. In the QH-mode plasma investigated, the TGLF diffusion coefficient is higher inside of ρ=0.4 and lower outside of 0.4 than the experiment, and the TGLF convective velocity is more negative by a factor of approximately 1.7.
Local Physics Basis of Confinement Degradation in JET ELMy H-Mode Plasmas and Implications for Tokamak Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budny, R.V.; Alper, B.; Borba, D.; Cordey, J.G.; Ernst, D.R.; Gowers, C.

2001-01-01

First results of gyrokinetic analysis of JET [Joint European Torus] ELMy [Edge Localized Modes] H-mode [high-confinement modes] plasmas are presented. ELMy H-mode plasmas form the basis of conservative performance predictions for tokamak reactors of the size of ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor]. Relatively high performance for long duration has been achieved and the scaling appears to be favorable. It will be necessary to sustain low Z(subscript eff) and high density for high fusion yield. This paper studies the degradation in confinement and increase in the anomalous heat transport observed in two JET plasmas: one with an intense gas puff and the other with a spontaneous transition between Type I to III ELMs at the heating power threshold. Linear gyrokinetic analysis gives the growth rate, gamma(subscript lin) of the fastest growing modes. The flow-shearing rate omega(subscript ExB) and gamma(subscript lin) are large near the top of the pedestal. Their ratio decreases approximately when the confinement degrades and the transport increases. This suggests that tokamak reactors may require intense toroidal or poloidal torque input to maintain sufficiently high |gamma(subscript ExB)|/gamma(subscript lin) near the top of the pedestal for high confinement
Effects of triangularity on confinement, density limit and profile stiffness of H-modes on ASDEX upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stober, J.; Gruber, O.; Kallenbach, A.; Mertens, V.; Ryter, F.; Staebler, A.; Suttrop, W.; Treutterer, W.

2000-01-01

At ASDEX Upgrade the influence of triangularity on the H-mode performance has been studied intensively. It has been found that confinement increases with δ for a fixed line-averaged density. Though confinement decreases with increasing density for all analysed values of δ, H-factors (ITERH-98P) at the Greenwald density could be raised to 1 for the highest δ values achieved so far. The H-mode density limit could be increased by approx. 20%. There is a scatter of about 30% on the confinement data, which is anti-correlated to the average density in the scrape-off layer or the neutral fluxes outside the plasma. For nearly all discharges analysed so far, the temperature profiles are self-similar. This indication of profile stiffness could be verified by changing the heat-flux profile by changing the beam-voltage of the neutral-beam injection (NBI) at high density. At low density, first results indicate a deviation from this stiff behaviour. (author)
Transport modeling of L- and H-mode discharges with LHCD on EAST

Science.gov (United States)

Li, M. H.; Ding, B. J.; Imbeaux, F.; Decker, J.; Zhang, X. J.; Kong, E. H.; Zhang, L.; Wei, W.; Shan, J. F.; Liu, F. K.; Wang, M.; Xu, H. D.; Yang, Y.; Peysson, Y.; Basiuk, V.; Artaud, J.-F.; Yuynh, P.; Wan, B. N.

2013-04-01

High-confinement (H-mode) discharges with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) as the only heating source are obtained on EAST. In this paper, an empirical transport model of mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm for electron and ion heat transport was first calibrated against a database of 3 L-mode shots on EAST. The electron and ion temperature profiles are well reproduced in the predictive modeling with the calibrated model coupled to the suite of codes CRONOS. CRONOS calculations with experimental profiles are also performed for electron power balance analysis. In addition, the time evolutions of LHCD are calculated by the C3PO/LUKE code involving current diffusion, and the results are compared with experimental observations.
Radiofrequency-heated enhanced confinement modes in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takase, Y.; Boivin, R.L.; Bombarda, F.; Bonoli, P.T.; Christensen, C.; Fiore, C.; Garnier, D.; Goetz, J.A.; Golovato, S.N.; Granetz, R.; Greenwald, M.; Horne, S.F.; Hubbard, A.; Hutchinson, I.H.; Irby, J.; LaBombard, B.; Lipschultz, B.; Marmar, E.; May, M.; Mazurenko, A.; McCracken, G.; OShea, P.; Porkolab, M.; Reardon, J.; Rice, J.; Rost, C.; Schachter, J.; Snipes, J.A.; Stek, P.; Terry, J.; Watterson, R.; Welch, B.; Wolfe, S.

1997-01-01

Enhanced confinement modes up to a toroidal field of B T =8T have been studied with up to 3.5 MW of radiofrequency (rf) heating power in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) at 80 MHz. H-mode is observed when the edge temperature exceeds a threshold value. The high confinement mode (H-mode) with higher confinement enhancement factors (H) and longer duration became possible after boronization by reducing the radiated power from the main plasma. A quasi-steady state with high confinement (H=2.0), high normalized beta (β N =1.5), low radiated power fraction (P rad main /P loss =0.3), and low effective charge (Z eff =1.5) has been obtained in Enhanced D α H-mode. This type of H-mode has enhanced levels of continuous D α emission and very little or no edge localized mode (ELM) activity, and reduced core particle confinement time relative to ELM-free H-mode. The pellet enhanced performance (PEP) mode is obtained by combining core fueling with pellet injection and core heating. A highly peaked pressure profile with a central value of 8 atmospheres was observed. The steep pressure gradient drives off-axis bootstrap current, resulting in a shear reversed safety factor (q) profile. Suppression of sawteeth appears to be important in maintaining the highly peaked pressure profile. Lithium pellets were found to be more effective than deuterium pellets in raising q 0 . copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics
Progress in quantifying the edge physics of the H mode regime in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Baker, D.R.; Burrell, K.H.

2001-01-01

Edge conditions in DIII-D are being quantified in order to provide insight into the physics of the H mode regime. Several studies show that electron temperature is not the key parameter that controls the L-H transition. Gradients of edge temperature and pressure are much more promising candidates for elements of such parameters. They systematically increase during the L phases of discharges which make a transition to H mode, and these increases are typically larger than the increases in the underlying quantities. The quality of H mode confinement is strongly correlated with the height of the H mode pedestal for the pressure. The gradient of the pressure is limited by MHD modes, in particular by ideal kink ballooning modes with finite mode number n. For a wide variety of discharges, the width of the barrier for electron pressure is well described by a relationship that is proportional to (β p ped ) 1/2 . A new regime of confinement, called the quiescent H mode, which provides steady state operation with no ELMs, low radiated power and normal H mode confinement, has been discovered. A coherent edge MHD mode provides adequate particle transport to control the plasma density while permitting the pressure pedestal to remain almost identical to that observed in ELMing discharges. (author)
Limiter H-mode experiments on TFTR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bush, C [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Bretz, N L; Fredrickson, E D; McGuire, K M; Nazikian, R; Park, H K; Schivell, J; Taylor, G; Bitter, B; Budny, R; Cohen, S A; Kilpatrick, S J; LeBlanc, B; Manos, D M; Meade, D; Paul, S F; Scott, S D; Stratton, B C; Synakowski, E J; Towner, H H; Weiland, R M; Arunasalam, V; Bateman, G; Bell, M G; Bell, R; Boivin, R; Cavallo, A; Cheng, C Z; Chu, T K; Cowl,

1990-12-15

Limiter H-modes with centrally peaked density profiles have been obtained in TFTR using a highly conditioned graphite limiter. The transition to these centrally peaked H-modes takes place from the supershot to the H-mode rather than the usual L- to H-mode transition observed on other tokamaks. Bi-directional beam heating is required to induce the transition. Density peaking factors, n{sub e}(0)/{l angle}n{sub e}{r angle}, >2.3 are obtained and at the same time the H-mode characteristics are similar to those of limiter H-modes on other tokamaks and the global confinement, {tau}{sub E}, can be >2.5 times L-mode scaling. The TRANSP analysis shows that transport in these H-modes is similar to that of supershots within the inner 60 cm of the plasma, but the stored electron energy (calculated using measured values of T{sub e} and n{sub e}) is higher for the H-mode at the plasma edge. Microwave scattering near the edge shows broad spectra at k = 5.5 cm{sup {minus}1} which begin at the drop in D{sub {alpha}} radiation and are strongly shifted in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. At the same time beam emission spectroscopy shows a coherent mode near the boundary with m = 15--20 at 20--30 kHz which is propagating in the ion direction. During an ELM event these apparent rotations cease and Mirnov fluctuations in the 50--500 kHz increase in intensity.
Pellet fuelling and ELMy H-mode physics at JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, L.D.

2001-01-01

As the reference operating regime for ITER, investigations of the ELMy H-mode have received high priority in the JET experimental programme. Recent experiments have concentrated in particular on operation simultaneously at high density and high confinement using high field side (HFS) pellet launch. The enhanced fuelling efficiency of HFS pellet fuelling is found to scale favourably to a large machine such as JET. The achievable density of ELMy H-mode plasmas in JET has been significantly increased using HFS fuelling although at the expense of confinement degradation back to L-mode levels. Initial experiments using control of the pellet injection frequency have shown that density and confinement can simultaneously be increased close to the values necessary for ITER. The boundaries of the available ELMy H-mode operational space have also been extensively explored. The power necessary to maintain the high confinement normally associated with ELMy H-mode operation is found to be substantially higher than the H-mode threshold power. The compatibility of ELMy H-modes with divertor operation acceptable for a fusion device has been studied. Narrow energy scrape-off widths are measured which place stringent limits on divertor power handling. Deuterium and tritium codeposition profiles are measured to be strongly in/out asymmetric. Successful modelling of these profiles requires the inclusion of the (measured) scrape-off layer flows and of the production in the divertor of hydrocarbon molecules with sticking coefficients below unity. Helium exhaust and compression are found to be within the limits sufficient for a reactor. (author)
Improved confinement mode induced by the MARFE on the HT-7 superconducting tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, X.; Zhao, Y.P.; Luo, J.R.; Jie, Y.X.; Gong, X.Z.; Wan, B.N.; Li, J.G.; Yin, F.X.; Kuang, G.L.; Zhang, X.D.; Zhang, S.Y.; Qiu, N.; Liu, X.N.; Zhao, J.Y.; Yang, Y.; Bao, Y.; Lin, B.L.; Wu, Z.W.; Li, Y.D.; Xu, Y.H.; Yang, K.; Wang, G.X.; Ye, W.W.; Chen, L.; Shi, Y.J.; Song, M.; Zhang, X.M.; Qin, P.J.; Gu, X.M.; Cui, N.Z.; Fan, H.Y.; Liu, S.X.; Chen, Y.F.; Hu, L.Q.; Hu, J.S.; Xia, C.Y.; Ruan, H.L.; Tong, X.D.; Mao, J.S.; Xie, J.K.; Wan, Y.X.

1999-01-01

In the HT-7 superconducting tokamak, the onset of a multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) usually occurs in the early ohmic discharges of each experimental campaign before wall conditioning. The occurrence and location of a MARFE is identified by different diagnostic systems. An improved confinement mode plasma which was induced by the MARFE is observed, and the global particle confinement time increases 1.9 times. The relaxation time between the MARFE event trigger and the L-H transition is about 1.4 ms, the following L-H transition time is 1.9 ms, and the improved confinement mode phase is maintained for about 40 ms. The MARFE cools the plasma edge, and the electron density profile is observed to become more narrow and peaked. The occurrence of a MARFE is strongly correlated with Z eff but not with the density, and it always occurs at Z eff = 3-8 ohmic discharges. In the case of a good wall condition (Z eff = 1-2), the onset of MARFEs has not been observed before reaching the Greenwald density limit. (author)
Confinement mechanisms in the radiatively improved mode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tokar, M. Z.; R. Jaspers,; Koslowski, H. R.; Kramer-Flecken, A.; Messiaen, A. M.; Ongena, J.; Rogister, A. A.; Unterberg, B.; Weynants, R. R.

1999-01-01

The characteristics of the toroidal ion temperature gradient (ITG) instability, considered as the main source of anomalous transport in the low (L) confinement mode of tokamaks, are analysed for the conditions of the radiatively improved (RI) mode triggered by seeding of impurities. Based on
Self-sustained turbulence and L-mode confinement in toroidal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.; Fukuyama, A.; Yagi, M.; Azumi, M.

1993-04-01

Theory of the L-mode confinement in toroidal plasmas is developed. The quantitative effect of the anomalous transport, which is caused by microscopic fluctuations, on the pressure-gradient- driven modes is analyzed. The ExB nonlinearity is renormalized in a form of the transport coefficient such as the thermal diffusivity, the ion viscosity and the current diffusivity. The destabilization by the current-diffusivity and the stabilization by the thermal transport and ion viscosity are analyzed. By use of the mean-field approximations, the nonlinear dispersion relation is solved. Growth rate and stability condition are expressed in terms of the renormalized transport coefficients. The transport coefficients in the steady state are obtained by the marginal stability condition for the least stable mode. This method is applied to the microscopic ballooning mode for the toroidal plasma with the magnetic well (such as tokamak). The comparison with experimental observations are made. A good agreement is found in a various aspects of the L-mode plasmas; The typical wavenumber and level of the fluctuations for the self-sustained turbulence is also obtained. The analysis is also made for the plasma with magnetic hill and shear (such as torsatron/Heliotron devices). This method is applied to the interchange modes. Formula of the anomalous transport is obtained. Also investigated is the case of the magnetic well and low magnetic shear (conventional stellarator). The roles of the pressure gradient and the collisionless skin depth in determining the anomalous transport are found to be generic in toroidal plasmas. The difference in the magnetic configuration affects the transport coefficient. These formula explain major experimental observations. (J.P.N.)
Confinement improvement in H-mode-like plasmas in helical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Sanuki, H.; Itoh, S.; Fukuyama, A.; Yagi, M.

1993-06-01

The reduction of the anomalous transport due to the inhomogeneous radial electric field is theoretically studied for toroidal helical plasmas. The self-sustained interchange-mode turbulence is analysed for the system with magnetic shear and magnetic hill. For the system with magnetic well like conventional stellarators, the ballooning mode turbulence is studied. Influence of the radial electric field inhomogeneity on the transport coefficients and fluctuations are quantitatively shown. Unified theory of the transport coefficients in the L-mode and H-mode-like plasmas are presented. (author)
H-mode pedestal characteristics, ELMs, and energy confinement in ITER shape discharges on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborne, T.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Lao, L.L.; Leonard, A.W.; Miller, R.L.; Thomas, D.M.; Waltz, R.E.; Maingi, R.; Porter, G.D.

1997-12-01

The H-mode confinement enhancement factor, H, is found to be strongly correlated with the height of the edge pressure pedestal in ITER shape discharges. In discharges with Type I ELMs the pedestal pressure is set by the maximum pressure gradient before the ELM and the width of the H-mode transport barrier. The pressure gradient before Type I ELMs is found to scale as would be expected for a stability limit set by ideal ballooning modes, but with values significantly in excess of that predicted by stability code calculations. The width of the H-mode transport barrier is found to scale equally well with pedestal P(POL)(2/3) or B(POL)(1/2). The improved H value in high B(POL) discharges may be due to a larger edge pressure gradient and wider H-mode transport barrier consistent with their higher edge ballooning mode limit. Deuterium puffing is found to reduce H consistent with the smaller pedestal pressure which results from the reduced barrier width and critical pressure gradient. Type I ELM energy loss is found to be proportional to the change in the pedestal energy
Pedestal formation during L-H transitions in H-1 heliac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punzmann, H.; Shats, M.G.

2003-01-01

In this work we present experimental results on the spatial structure of the particle transport during spontaneous confinement bifurcations in H-1 heliac. We performed parameter scans in both L- and H-modes to investigate the relation between the particle flux and the density gradient. (orig.)
Reciprocating Probe Measurements of L-H Transition in LHCD H-mode on EAST

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peng, Liu; Guosheng, Xu; Huiqian, Wang

2013-01-01

that the power loss P loss was comparable during the L-H transition, by comparing the adjacent L-mode and H-mode discharge. The Dα emission, Te and ne decreased rapidly in the time scale of about 1 ms, and the radial electric field Er turned positive in this process near the last closed flux surface. Multiple L......-H-L transitions were observed during a single shot when the applied LHW power was marginal to the threshold. The floating potential (Vf) had negative spikes corresponding with the Dα signal, and Er oscillation evolved into several intermittent negative spikes just before the L-H transition. In some shots......, dithering was observed just before the L-H transition....
Repetitive 'snakes' and their damping effect on core toroidal rotation in EAST plasmas with multiple H-L-H transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Liqing; Hu Liqun

2015-01-01

Repetitive impurity snake-modes have been observed after H-L mode transitions (high to low confinement modes) in EAST plasmas exhibiting multiple H-L-H transitions. Such snake-modes have been observed to lower the core plasma toroidal rotation. A critical impurity strength factor associated with snake-mode formation has been estimated to be as high as α_Z_,_c =n_Z_,_cZ"2 / n_e ∼0.75. These observations have implications for ITER H-mode sustainability when the heating power is only slightly above the H-mode power threshold. (author)
Progress in qualifying the edge physics of the H-mode regime in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Baker, D.R.; Boedo, J.A.

2001-01-01

Edge conditions in DIII-D are being quantified in order to provide insight into the physics of the H-mode regime. Electron temperature is not the key parameter that controls the L-H transition. Gradients of edge temperature and pressure are much more promising candidates for such parameters. The quality of H-mode confinement is strongly correlated with the height of the H-mode pedestal for the pressure. The gradient of the pressure appears to be controlled by MHD modes, in particular by kink-ballooning modes with finite mode number n. For a wide variety of discharges, the width of the barrier is well described with a relationship that is proportional to (β p ped ) 1/2 . An attractive regime of confinement has been discovered which provides steady-state operation with no ELMs, low impurity content and normal H-mode confinement. A coherent edge MHD-mode evidently provides adequate particle transport to control the plasma density and impurity content while permitting the pressure pedestal to remain almost identical to that observed in ELMing discharges. (author)

Change of transport at L- and H-mode transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Sanae-I; Itoh, Kimitaka.

1990-01-01

A new refined model of the L-mode and H-mode transition in tokamaks is presented based on the bifurcation of the radial electric field, E r , near edge. The radial gradient of E r is newly introduced to explain the sudden change of fluctuations as well as plasma fluxes at the onset of transition. This model predicts that the L-to H-mode transition is associated with the decrease of dE r /dr causing reduction of particle and energy fluxes at critical gradient. (author)
On global H-mode scaling laws for JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kardaun, O.; Lackner, K.; Thomsen, K.; Christiansen, J.; Cordey, J.; Gottardi, N.; Keilhacker, M.; Smeulders, P.

1989-01-01

Investigation of the scaling of the energy confinement time τ E with various plasma parameters has since long been an interesting, albeit not uncontroversial topic in plasma physics. Various global scaling laws have been derived for ohmic as well as (NBI and/or RF heated) L-mode discharges. Due to the scarce availability of computerised, extensive and validated H-mode datasets, systematic statistical analysis of H-mode scaling behaviour has hitherto been limited. A common approach is to fit the available H-mode data by an L-mode scaling law (e.g., Kaye-Goldston, Rebut-Lallia) with one or two adjustable constant terms. In this contribution we will consider the alternative approach of fitting all free parameters of various simple scaling models to two recently compiled datasets consisting of about 140 ELM-free and 40 ELMy H-mode discharges, measured at JET in the period 1986-1988. From this period, approximately all known H-mode shots have been included that satisfy the following criteria: D-injected D + discharges with no RF heating, a sufficiently long (≥300 ms) and regular P NBI flat-top, and validated main diagnostics. (author) 13 refs., 1 tab
New features of L-H transition in limiter H-modes of JIPP T-IIU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, K.; Morita, S.; Kawahata, K.

1992-09-01

In limiter H-modes of JIPP T-IIU, a new type of L-H transition preceded by an ELM is observed. The preceding ELM (pre-ELM) appears just prior to the L-H transition. This type of transition is usually observed in H-modes of JIPP T-IIU. The L-H transition without the pre-ELM is triggered only in the case when a sufficiently large rapid current ramp down is emploied. In H-modes with constant q(a)∼3.5-4.5, coherent magnetic oscillations with m=3/n=1 destabilized during L-phase are further enhanced at the pre-ELM, and suppressed suddenly at the transition. This mode is situated in the region of the transport barrier. Propagation frequency of the m=3/n=1 mode, which may be affected by plasma mass rotation, rises appreciably (by ∼ 10 %) during H-phase with frequent ELMs, but remains unchanged for at least 200 μs after the transition. Behaviours of the m=3/n=1 and m=2/n=1 modes are well explained by quasi-linear resistive tearing mode analysis for modelled toroidal current density profiles slightly detached from the limiter. These experimental results suggest that the transition is controlled by the change of a magnetic field structure relating to the modification of a toroidal current density profile near the edge. The possibility for the development of edge radial electric field as a consequence of the transition is discussed. (author)
The role of electric field shear stabilization of turbulence in the H-mode to VH-mode transition in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.; Osborne, T.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Rettig, C.L.

1993-01-01

VH-mode plasma exhibit energy confinement times up to 2.4 times the DIII-D/JET H-mode scaling relation and up to 3.9 times the value given by ITER89-P L-mode scaling. If this confinement improvement can be exploited in reactor plasmas, smaller prototype reactors with significantly lower unit cost can be produced. Accordingly, understanding and optimizing the confinement improvement is of significant interest. One of the possible explanations for this bulk confinement improvement is stabilization of turbulence by shear in the radial electric field, similar to the present explanation for the confinement improvement at the extreme plasma edge at the L to H transition. Preliminary measurements have shown that the region of the plasma where the electric field gradient is steepest broadens when the plasma goes from H-mode to VH-mode. More recent measurements have confirmed this broadening and have shown that the change in the electric field gradient occurs prior to the change in the thermal transport. In addition, transport analysis shows that the electric field shear increases in the same region between magnetic flux coordinate p=0.6 and 0.9 where the local thermal transport decreases. Furthermore, far infra-red (FIR) scattering measurements have detected density fluctuations in the region around p=0.8 which could be responsible for enhanced transport and which disappear at the time that the electric shear increases. These fluctuations appear as bursts of density fluctuations in the 0.5 to 1.5 MHz range. The time between bursts increases as the electric field shear increases. Once these bursts disappear, the major change in confinement takes place in most discharges. When isolated bursts occur, the heat and angular momentum pulse connected with the burst are detectable on the plasma profile diagnostics. (author) 13 refs., 4 figs
Discovery of stationary operation of quiescent H-mode plasmas with net-zero neutral beam injection torque and high energy confinement on DIII-D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burrell, K. H.; Chen, X.; Garofalo, A. M.; Groebner, R. J.; Muscatello, C. M.; Osborne, T. H.; Petty, C. C.; Snyder, P. B. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Barada, K.; Rhodes, T. L.; Zeng, L. [University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024 (United States); Solomon, W. M. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Yan, Z. [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2016-05-15

Recent experiments in DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., in Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1996 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] have led to the discovery of a means of modifying edge turbulence to achieve stationary, high confinement operation without Edge Localized Mode (ELM) instabilities and with no net external torque input. Eliminating the ELM-induced heat bursts and controlling plasma stability at low rotation represent two of the great challenges for fusion energy. By exploiting edge turbulence in a novel manner, we achieved excellent tokamak performance, well above the H{sub 98y2} international tokamak energy confinement scaling (H{sub 98y2} = 1.25), thus meeting an additional confinement challenge that is usually difficult at low torque. The new regime is triggered in double null plasmas by ramping the injected torque to zero and then maintaining it there. This lowers E × B rotation shear in the plasma edge, allowing low-k, broadband, electromagnetic turbulence to increase. In the H-mode edge, a narrow transport barrier usually grows until MHD instability (a peeling ballooning mode) leads to the ELM heat burst. However, the increased turbulence reduces the pressure gradient, allowing the development of a broader and thus higher transport barrier. A 60% increase in pedestal pressure and 40% increase in energy confinement result. An increase in the E × B shearing rate inside of the edge pedestal is a key factor in the confinement increase. Strong double-null plasma shaping raises the threshold for the ELM instability, allowing the plasma to reach a transport-limited state near but below the explosive ELM stability boundary. The resulting plasmas have burning-plasma-relevant β{sub N} = 1.6–1.8 and run without the need for extra torque from 3D magnetic fields. To date, stationary conditions have been produced for 2 s or 12 energy confinement times, limited only by external hardware constraints
H-modes studies in PDX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonck, R.J.; Beirsdorfer, P.; Bell, M.

1984-07-01

A regime of enhanced energy confinement during neutral beam heating has been obtained routinely in the PDX tokamak after modifications to form a closed divertor geometry. Plasma density profiles were broad and the electron temperature at the plasma edge reached values of approx. 400 eV in the H-mode phase of a discharge. A comparison of closed divertor discharges with moderate and intense gas puffing indicates that a requirement for obtaining high confinement times is the localization of the plasma fueling source in the divertor throat region. While high confinement was attained at moderate injected powers (P/sub INJ/ less than or equal to 3 MW), confinement was degraded at higher powers due to both increased edge instabilities and, especially, the intense gas puffing needed to prevent disruptions. Initial results with a particle scoop limiter indicate high particle confinement times and energy confinement times approaching those of diverted H-mode plasmas
The H-mode of ASDEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The paper is a review of investigations of the H-mode on ASDEX performed since its discovery in 1982. The topics discussed are: (1) the development of the plasma profiles, with steep gradients in the edge region and flat profiles in the bulk plasma, (2) the MHD properties resulting from the profile changes, including an extensive stability analysis, (3) the impurity development, with special emphasis on the MHD aspects and on neoclassical impurity transport effects in quiescent H-phases, and (4) the properties of the edge plasma, including the evidence of three-dimensional distortions at the edge. The part on confinement includes scaling studies and the results of transport analysis. The power threshold of the H-mode is found to depend weakly on the density, but there is probably no dependence on the toroidal field or the current. For the operational range of the H-mode, new results for the limiter H-mode on ASDEX and the development of the H-mode under beam current drive conditions are included. A number of experiments are described which demonstrate the crucial role of the edge electron temperature in the L-H transition. New results of magnetic and density fluctuation studies at the plasma edge within the edge transport barrier are presented. Finally, the findings on ASDEX are compared with results obtained on other machines and are used to test various H-mode theories. (author). 131 refs, 103 figs, 1 tab
L-H transition in the mega-Amp spherical tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akers, R.J.; Counsell, G.F.; Sykes, A.

2002-01-01

H-mode plasmas have been achieved on the MAST spherical tokamak at input power considerably higher than predicted by conventional threshold scalings. Following L-H transition, a clear improvement in energy confinement is obtained, exceeding recent international scalings even at densities approach...
Overview of H-mode studies in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Baker, D.R,; Allen, S.L.

1994-01-01

A major portion of the DIII-D program includes studies of the L-H transition, of the VH-mode, of particle transport and control and of the power-handling capability of a diverter. Significant progress has been made in all of these areas and the purpose of this paper is to summarize the major results obtained during the last two years. An increased understanding of the origin of improved confinement in H-mode and in VH-mode discharges has been obtained, good impurity control has been achieved in several operating scenarios, studies of helium transport provide encouraging results from the point of view of reactor design, an actively pumped diverter chamber has controlled the density in H-mode discharges and a radiative diverter is a promising technique for controlling the heat flux from the main plasma
The H-mode Pedestal and Edge Localized Modes in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Menard, J.E.; Nishino, N.; Roquemore, A.L.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Tritz, K.

2004-01-01

The research program of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) routinely utilizes the H-mode confinement regime to test and extend beta and pulse length limits. As in conventional aspect ratio tokamaks, NSTX observes a variety of edge localized modes (ELMs) in H-mode. Hence a significant part of the research program is dedicated to ELMs studies
Physics of the L-mode to H-mode transition in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.; Carlstrom, T.N.; Gohil, P.; Groebner, R.J.; Kim, J.; Osborne, T.H.; St. John, H.; Stambaugh, R.D.; Doyle, E.J.; Moyer, R.A.; Rettig, C.L.; Peebles, W.A.; Rhodes, T.L.; Finkenthal, D.; Hillis, D.L.; Wade, M.R.; Matsumoto, H.; Watkins, J.G.

1992-07-01

Combined theoretical and experimental work has resulted in the creation of a paradigm which has allowed semi-quantitative understanding of the edge confinement improvement that occurs in the H-mode. Shear in the E x B flow of the fluctuations in the plasma edge can lead to decorrelation of the fluctuations, decreased radial correlation lengths and reduced turbulent transport. Changes in the radial electric field, the density fluctuations and the edge transport consistent with shear stabilization of turbulence have been seen in several tokamaks. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the most recent data in the light of the basic paradigm of electric field shear stabilization and to critically compare the experimental results with various theories
H-Mode Turbulence, Power Threshold, ELM, and Pedestal Studies in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Bush, C.E.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Gates, D.A.; Kaye, S.M.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Menard, J.E.; Meyer, H.; Mueller, D.; Nishino, N.; Roquemore, A.L.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Tritz, K.; Zweben, S.J.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.E.; Biewer, T.; Boedo, J.A.; Johnson, D.W.; Kaita, R.; Kugel, H.W.; Maqueda, R.J.; Munsat, T.; Raman, R.; Soukhanovskii, V.A.; Stevenson, T.; Stutman, D.

2004-01-01

High-confinement mode (H-mode) operation plays a crucial role in NSTX [National Spherical Torus Experiment] research, allowing higher beta limits due to reduced plasma pressure peaking, and long-pulse operation due to high bootstrap current fraction. Here, new results are presented in the areas of edge localized modes (ELMs), H-mode pedestal physics, L-H turbulence, and power threshold studies. ELMs of several other types (as observed in conventional aspect ratio tokamaks) are often observed: (1) large, Type I ELMs, (2) ''medium'' Type II/III ELMs, and (3) giant ELMs which can reduce stored energy by up to 30% in certain conditions. In addition, many high-performance discharges in NSTX have tiny ELMs (newly termed Type V), which have some differences as compared with ELM types in the published literature. The H-mode pedestal typically contains between 25-33% of the total stored energy, and the NSTX pedestal energy agrees reasonably well with a recent international multi-machine scaling. We find that the L-H transition occurs on a ∼100 (micro)sec timescale as viewed by a gas puff imaging diagnostic, and that intermittent quiescent periods precede the final transition. A power threshold identity experiment between NSTX and MAST shows comparable loss power at the L-H transition in balanced double-null discharges. Both machines require more power for the L-H transition as the balance is shifted toward lower single null. High field side gas fueling enables more reliable H-mode access, but does not always lead to a lower power threshold e.g., with a reduction of the duration of early heating. Finally the edge plasma parameters just before the L-H transition were compared with theories of the transition. It was found that while some theories can separate well-developed L- and H-mode data, they have little predictive value
Comparison of L- and H-mode plasma edge fluctuations in MAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudson, B D; Dendy, R O; Kirk, A; Meyer, H; Counsell, G F

2005-01-01

Edge turbulence measurements from a reciprocating Langmuir probe in MAST are presented. A comparison of the range/standard deviation (R/S), growth of range, first moment and differencing and rescaling methods for calculating the Hurst exponent is made. The differencing and rescaling method is found to be the most useful for identifying scaling over long time-periods. A comparison is made between L-mode, dithering H-mode and H-mode plasma edge turbulence and evidence for self-similarity is found. Tests are performed and it is demonstrated that the results are due to properties of the data, and are not artefacts of the methods. A comparison of Hurst exponent methods with the autocorrelation function and power spectrum is used to demonstrate the presence of long-time correlation in L-mode data, and the absence of long-time correlation in the case of dithering H-mode
Impurity toroidal rotation and transport in Alcator C-Mod ohmic high confinement mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, J. E.; Goetz, J. A.; Granetz, R. S.; Greenwald, M. J.; Hubbard, A. E.; Hutchinson, I. H.; Marmar, E. S.; Mossessian, D.; Pedersen, T. Sunn; Snipes, J. A.

2000-01-01

Central toroidal rotation and impurity transport coefficients have been determined in Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] Ohmic high confinement mode (H-mode) plasmas from observations of x-ray emission following impurity injection. Rotation velocities up to 3x10 4 m/sec in the co-current direction have been observed in the center of the best Ohmic H-mode plasmas. Purely ohmic H-mode plasmas display many characteristics similar to ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heated H-mode plasmas, including the scaling of the rotation velocity with plasma parameters and the formation of edge pedestals in the electron density and temperature profiles. Very long impurity confinement times (∼1 sec) are seen in edge localized mode-free (ELM-free) Ohmic H-modes and the inward impurity convection velocity profile has been determined to be close to the calculated neoclassical profile. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics
Dependence of L-mode confinement on the electron cyclotron power deposition profile in the TCV tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Kirneva, N. A.; Razumova, K. A.; Pochelon, A.; Behn, R.; Coda, S.; Curchod, L.; Duval, B. P.; Goodman, T. P.; Labit, B.; Karpushov, A. N.; Rancic, M.; Sauter, O.; Silva, M.; TCV Team

2012-01-01

Scenarios with different electron cyclotron heating power profile distributions and widths were compared for the first time in experiments on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). The heating profile was changed from shot to shot over a wide range from localized on-axis, with normalized minor radius half-width at half maximum σ1/2 ~ 0.1, up to a widely distributed heating power profile with σ1/2 ~ 0.4 and finally to a profile peaked far off-axis. The global confinement, MHD activity, density, temperature and electron pressure profile evolution were compared. In particular, the energy confinement properties of discharges with localized on-axis heating and distributed on-axis heating were very similar, with degradation close to that predicted by the ITER L-mode scaling; in the case of off-axis heating, on the other hand, the confinement degradation was even stronger.
Suppression of large edge-localized modes in high-confinement DIII-D plasmas with a stochastic magnetic boundary.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, T E; Moyer, R A; Thomas, P R; Watkins, J G; Osborne, T H; Boedo, J A; Doyle, E J; Fenstermacher, M E; Finken, K H; Groebner, R J; Groth, M; Harris, J H; La Haye, R J; Lasnier, C J; Masuzaki, S; Ohyabu, N; Pretty, D G; Rhodes, T L; Reimerdes, H; Rudakov, D L; Schaffer, M J; Wang, G; Zeng, L

2004-06-11

A stochastic magnetic boundary, produced by an applied edge resonant magnetic perturbation, is used to suppress most large edge-localized modes (ELMs) in high confinement (H-mode) plasmas. The resulting H mode displays rapid, small oscillations with a bursty character modulated by a coherent 130 Hz envelope. The H mode transport barrier and core confinement are unaffected by the stochastic boundary, despite a threefold drop in the toroidal rotation. These results demonstrate that stochastic boundaries are compatible with H modes and may be attractive for ELM control in next-step fusion tokamaks.
SUPPESSION OF LARGE EDGE LOCALIZED MODES IN HIGH CONFINEMENT DIII-D PLASMAS WITH A STOCHASTIC MAGNETIC BOUNDARY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EVANS, TE; MOYER, RA; THOMAS, PR; WATKINS, JG; OSBORNE, TH; BOEDO, JA; FENSTERMACHER, ME; FINKEN, KH; GROEBNER, RJ; GROTH, M; HARRIS, JH; LAHAYE, RJ; LASNIER, CJ; MASUZAKI, S; OHYABU, N; PRETTY, D; RHODES, TL; REIMERDES, H; RUDAKOV, DL; SCHAFFER, MJ; WANG, G; ZENG, L.

2003-01-01

OAK-B135 A stochastic magnetic boundary, produced by an externally applied edge resonant magnetic perturbation, is used to suppress large edge localized modes (ELMs) in high confinement (H-mode) plasmas. The resulting H-mode displays rapid, small oscillations with a bursty character modulated by a coherent 130 Hz envelope. The H-mode transport barrier is unaffected by the stochastic boundary. The core confinement of these discharges is unaffected, despite a three-fold drop in the toroidal rotation in the plasma core. These results demonstrate that stochastic boundaries are compatible with H-modes and may be attractive for ELM control in next-step burning fusion tokamaks
The role of MHD instabilities in the improved H-mode scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flaws, Asher

2009-01-01

Recently a regime of tokamak operation has been discovered, dubbed the improved H-mode scenario, which simultaneously achieves increased energy confinement and stability with respect to standard H-mode discharges. It has been suggested that magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities play some role in establishing this regime. In this thesis MHD instabilities were identified, characterised, and catalogued into a database of improved H-mode discharges in order to statistically examine their behaviour. The onset conditions of MHD instabilities were compared to existing models based on previous H-mode studies. Slight differences were found, most notably a reduced β N onset threshold for the frequently interrupted regime for neoclassical tearing modes (NTM). This reduced threshold is due to the relatively low magnetic shear of the improved H-mode regime. This study also provided a first-time estimate for the seed island size of spontaneous onset NTMs, a phenomenon characteristic of the improved H-mode scenario. Energy confinement investigations found that, although the NTM impact on confinement follows the same model applicable to other operating regimes, the improved H-mode regime acts to mitigate the impact of NTMs by limiting the saturated island sizes for NTMs with toroidal mode number n ≥ 2. Surprisingly, although a significant loss in energy confinement is observed during the sawtooth envelope, it has been found that discharges containing fishbones and low frequency sawteeth achieve higher energy confinement than those without. This suggests that fishbone and sawtooth reconnection may indeed play a role in establishing the high confinement regime. It was found that the time evolution of the central magnetic shear consistently locks in the presence of sawtooth and fishbone reconnection. Presumably this is due to the periodic redistribution of the central plasma current, an effect which is believed to help establish and maintain the characteristic current profile
The role of MHD instabilities in the improved H-mode scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaws, Asher

2009-02-16

Recently a regime of tokamak operation has been discovered, dubbed the improved H-mode scenario, which simultaneously achieves increased energy confinement and stability with respect to standard H-mode discharges. It has been suggested that magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities play some role in establishing this regime. In this thesis MHD instabilities were identified, characterised, and catalogued into a database of improved H-mode discharges in order to statistically examine their behaviour. The onset conditions of MHD instabilities were compared to existing models based on previous H-mode studies. Slight differences were found, most notably a reduced {beta}{sub N} onset threshold for the frequently interrupted regime for neoclassical tearing modes (NTM). This reduced threshold is due to the relatively low magnetic shear of the improved H-mode regime. This study also provided a first-time estimate for the seed island size of spontaneous onset NTMs, a phenomenon characteristic of the improved H-mode scenario. Energy confinement investigations found that, although the NTM impact on confinement follows the same model applicable to other operating regimes, the improved H-mode regime acts to mitigate the impact of NTMs by limiting the saturated island sizes for NTMs with toroidal mode number n {>=} 2. Surprisingly, although a significant loss in energy confinement is observed during the sawtooth envelope, it has been found that discharges containing fishbones and low frequency sawteeth achieve higher energy confinement than those without. This suggests that fishbone and sawtooth reconnection may indeed play a role in establishing the high confinement regime. It was found that the time evolution of the central magnetic shear consistently locks in the presence of sawtooth and fishbone reconnection. Presumably this is due to the periodic redistribution of the central plasma current, an effect which is believed to help establish and maintain the characteristic current
H-mode pedestal and threshold studies over an expanded operating space on Alcator C-Moda)

Science.gov (United States)

Hubbard, A. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Bespamyatnov, I. O.; Biewer, T.; Cziegler, I.; LaBombard, B.; Lin, Y.; McDermott, R.; Rice, J. E.; Rowan, W. L.; Snipes, J. A.; Terry, J. L.; Wolfe, S. M.; Wukitch, S.

2007-05-01

This paper reports on studies of the edge transport barrier and transition threshold of the high confinement (H) mode of operation on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)], over a wide range of toroidal field (2.6-7.86T) and plasma current (0.4-1.7MA). The H-mode power threshold and edge temperature at the transition increase with field. Barrier widths, pressure limits, and confinement are nearly independent of field at constant current, but the operational space at high B shifts toward higher temperature and lower density and collisionality. Experiments with reversed field and current show that scrape-off-layer flows in the high-field side depend primarily on configuration. In configurations with the B ×∇B drift away from the active X-point, these flows lead to more countercurrent core rotation, which apparently contributes to higher H-mode thresholds. In the unfavorable case, edge temperature thresholds are higher, and slow evolution of profiles indicates a reduction in thermal transport prior to the transition in particle confinement. Pedestal temperatures in this case are also higher than in the favorable configuration. Both high-field and reversed-field results suggest that parameters at the L-H transition are influencing the evolution and parameters of the H-mode pedestal.

JET Radiative Mantle Experiments in ELMy H-Mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budny, R.; Coffey, I.; Dumortier, P.; Grisolia, C.; Strachan, J.D.

1999-01-01

Radiative mantle experiments were performed on JET ELMy H-mode plasmas. The Septum configuration was used where the X-point is embedded into the top of the Septum. Argon radiated 50% of the input power from the bulk plasma while Z eff rose from an intrinsic level of 1.5 to about 1.7 due to the injected Argon. The total energy content and global energy confinement time decreased 15% when the impurities were introduced. In contrast, the effective thermal diffusivity in the core confinement region (r/a = .4--.8) decreased by 30%. Usually, JET ELMy H-mode plasmas have confinement that is correlated to the edge pedestal pressure. The radiation lowered the edge pedestal and consequently lowered the global confinement. Thus the confinement was changed by a competition between the edge pedestal reduction lowering the confinement and the weaker RI effect upon the core transport coefficients raising the confinement. The ELM frequency increased from 10 Hz Type I ELMs, to 200 Hz type III ELMs. The energy lost by each ELM reduced to 0.5% of the plasma energy content
H/L transition time estimation in JET using conformal predictors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez, S., E-mail: sergio.gonzalez@ciemat.es [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid 28040 (Spain); Vega, J. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid 28040 (Spain); Murari, A. [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM/ENEA per la Fusione, Padova 4-25127 (Italy); Pereira, A. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid 28040 (Spain); Dormido-Canto, S.; Ramirez, J.M. [Departamento de Informatica y Automatica, UNED, Madrid 28040 (Spain)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer H/L transitions have been predicted using H/L and L/H models. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Models have been built using conformal predictors to hedge the prediction with confidence and credibility measures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Models have been trained using linear and radial basis function kernels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Conformal measures have proven their usefulness to validate data-driven models. - Abstract: Recent advances in data mining allow the automatic recognition of physical phenomena in the databases of fusion devices without human intervention. This is important to create large databases of physical events (thereby increasing the statistical relevance) in an unattended manner. Important examples are the L/H and H/L transitions. In this contribution, a novel technique is introduced to automatically locate H/L transitions in JET by using conformal predictors. The focus is on H/L transitions because typically there is not a clear signature in the time series of the most widely available signals to recognize the change of confinement. Conformal predictors hedge their prediction by means of two parameters: confidence and credibility. The technique has been based on binary supervised classifiers to separate the samples of the respective confinement modes. Results with several underlying classifiers are presented.
Behaviour of impurities during the H-mode in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gianella, R.; Behringer, K.; Denne, B.; Gottardi, N.; Hellermann, M. von; Morgan, P.D.; Pasini, D.; Stamp, M.F.

1989-01-01

In additionally-heated tokamak discharges, the H-mode phases are reported to display, together with a better energy confinement, a longer global containment time for particles. In particular, steep gradients of electron density and temperature are sustained in the outer region of the plasma column. This enhanced performance is observed especially in discharges in which the activity of edge localized modes (ELMs) is low or absent. High confinement and accumulation of metallic impurities, which quickly give raise to terminal disruptions have been described under similar conditions. In JET H-modes very long impurity confinement times are also observed. However the experimental condition is somewhat more favourable since quiescent H-modes are obtained lasting much longer than the energy confinement times and the radiation from metals is generally negligible. The dominant impurities are normally carbon and oxygen, the latter generally accounting for half or more of the power radiated from the bulk plasma. During the X-point operation the effective influx of carbon into the discharge, which is normally in close correlation with that of deuterium, is substantially reduced while the influx of oxygen, whose production mechanisms is believed to be of a chemical nature, does not show significant variations. (author) 5 refs., 4 figs
Ball-Pen Probe Measurements in L-Mode and H-Mode on ASDEX Upgrade

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Adámek, Jiří; Horáček, Jan; Müller, H. W.; Rohde, V.; Ionita, C.; Schrittwieser, R.; Mehlmann, F.; Kurzan, B.; Stöckel, Jan; Dejarnac, Renaud; Weinzettl, Vladimír; Seidl, Jakub; Peterka, M.

2010-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 9 (2010), s. 854-859 ISSN 0863-1042. [International Workshop on Electric Probes in Magnetized Plasmas/8th./. Innsbruck, 21.09.2009-24.09.2009] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB100430901; GA ČR GA202/09/1467 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Tokamak * ball- pen probe * electron temperature * L-mode * H-mode * ELMs Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.006, year: 2010 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ctpp.201010145/pdf
Improved H-mode access in connected DND in MAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, H; Carolan, P G; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Cunningham, G; Field, A R; Kirk, A; McClements, K G; Price, M; Taylor, D

2005-01-01

In the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak, MAST, the formation of the edge transport barrier leading to the high-confinement (H-mode) regime is greatly facilitated by operating in a double null diverted (DND) configuration where both X-points are practically on the same flux surface. Ohmic H-modes are presently only obtained in these connected double null diverted (CDND) configurations. The ease of H-mode access is lost if the two flux surfaces passing through the X-points are radially separated by more than one ion Larmor radius (ρ i ∼ 6 mm) at the low-field-side mid-plane. The change of the magnetic configuration from disconnected to CDND is accompanied by a change in the radial electric field of about ΔE ψ ∼ -1 kV m -1 and a reduction of the electron temperature decay length in the high-field-side scrape-off-layer. Other parameters at the plasma edge, in particular those affecting the H-mode access criteria of common L/H transition theories, are not affected by the slight changes to the magnetic configuration. It is believed that the observed change in E ψ , which may result from differences in ion orbit losses, leads to a higher initial E x B flow shear in CDND configurations which could lead to the easier H-mode access
High efficiency confinement mode by electron cyclotron heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funahashi, Akimasa

1987-01-01

In the medium size nuclear fusion experiment facility JFT-2M in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, the research on the high efficiency plasma confinement mode has been advanced, and in the experiment in June, 1987, the formation of a high efficiency confinement mode was successfully controlled by electron cyclotron heating, for the first time in the world. This result further advanced the control of the formation of a high efficiency plasma confinement mode and the elucidation of the physical mechanism of that mode, and promoted the research and development of the plasma heating by electron cyclotron heating. In this paper, the recent results of the research on a high efficiency confinement mode at the JFT-2M are reported, and the role of the JFT-2M and the experiment on the improvement of core plasma performance are outlined. Now the plasma temperature exceeding 100 million deg C has been attained in large tokamaks, and in medium size facilities, the various measures for improving confinement performance are to be brought forth and their scientific basis is elucidated to assist large facilities. The JFT-2M started the operation in April, 1983, and has accumulated the results smoothly since then. (Kako, I.)
Studies of improved electron confinement in low density L-mode National Spherical Torus Experiment discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stutman, D.; Finkenthal, M.; Tritz, K.; Redi, M. H.; Kaye, S. M.; Bell, M. G.; Bell, R. E.; LeBlanc, B. P.; Hill, K. W.; Medley, S. S.; Menard, J. E.; Rewoldt, G.; Wang, W. X.; Synakowski, E. J.; Levinton, F.; Kubota, S.; Bourdelle, C.; Dorland, W.; The NSTX Team

2006-01-01

Electron transport is rapid in most National Spherical Torus Experiment, M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000) beam heated plasmas. A regime of improved electron confinement is nevertheless observed in low density L-mode (''low-confinement'') discharges heated by early beam injection. Experiments were performed in this regime to study the role of the current profile on thermal transport. Variations in the magnetic shear profile were produced by changing the current ramp rate and onset of neutral beam heating. An increased electron temperature gradient and local minimum in the electron thermal diffusivity were observed at early times in plasmas with the fastest current ramp and earliest beam injection. In addition, an increased ion temperature gradient associated with a region of reduced ion transport is observed at slightly larger radii. Ultrasoft x-ray measurements of double-tearing magnetohydrodynamic activity, together with current diffusion calculations, point to the existence of negative magnetic shear in the core of these plasmas. Discharges with slower current ramp and delayed beam onset, which are estimated to have more monotonic q-profiles, do not exhibit regions of reduced transport. The results are discussed in the light of the initial linear microstability assessment of these plasmas, which suggests that the growth rate of all instabilities, including microtearing modes, can be reduced by negative or low magnetic shear in the temperature gradient region. Several puzzles arising from the present experiments are also highlighted
The quiescent H-mode regime for high performance edge localized mode-stable operation in future burning plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garofalo, A. M., E-mail: garofalo@fusion.gat.com; Burrell, K. H.; Meneghini, O.; Osborne, T. H.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Smith, S. P.; Snyder, P. B.; Turnbull, A. D. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Eldon, D.; Grierson, B. A.; Solomon, W. M. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-0451 (United States); Hanson, J. M. [Columbia University, 2960 Broadway, New York, New York 10027-6900 (United States); Holland, C. [University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0417 (United States); Huijsmans, G. T. A.; Liu, F.; Loarte, A. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance (France); Zeng, L. [University of California Los Angeles, P.O. Box 957099, Los Angeles, California 90095-7099 (United States)

2015-05-15

For the first time, DIII-D experiments have achieved stationary quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) operation for many energy confinement times at simultaneous ITER-relevant values of beta, confinement, and safety factor, in an ITER-like shape. QH-mode provides excellent energy confinement, even at very low plasma rotation, while operating without edge localized modes (ELMs) and with strong impurity transport via the benign edge harmonic oscillation (EHO). By tailoring the plasma shape to improve the edge stability, the QH-mode operating space has also been extended to densities exceeding 80% of the Greenwald limit, overcoming the long-standing low-density limit of QH-mode operation. In the theory, the density range over which the plasma encounters the kink-peeling boundary widens as the plasma cross-section shaping is increased, thus increasing the QH-mode density threshold. The DIII-D results are in excellent agreement with these predictions, and nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic analysis of reconstructed QH-mode equilibria shows unstable low n kink-peeling modes growing to a saturated level, consistent with the theoretical picture of the EHO. Furthermore, high density operation in the QH-mode regime has opened a path to a new, previously predicted region of parameter space, named “Super H-mode” because it is characterized by very high pedestals that can be more than a factor of two above the peeling-ballooning stability limit for similar ELMing H-mode discharges at the same density.
Energy confinement scaling from the international stellarator database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stroth, U [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany); Murakami, M; Dory, R A; Yamada, H; Okamura, S; Sano, F; Obiki, T

1995-09-01

An international stellarator database on global energy confinement is presented comprising data from the ATF, CHS and Heliotron E heliotron/torsatrons and the W7-A and W7-AS shearless stellarators. Regression expressions for the energy confinement time are given for the individual devices and the combined dataset. A comparison with tokamak L mode confinement is discussed on the basis of various scaling expressions. In order to make this database available to interested colleagues, the structure of the database and the parameter list are explained in detail. More recent confinement results incorporating data from enhanced confinement regimes such as H mode are reported elsewhere. (author).
Confinement properties of JET plasmas with different temperature and density profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watkins, M.L.; Balet, B.; Bhatnagar, V.P.

1989-01-01

The confinement properties of plasmas with substantially different temperature and density profiles have been analysed. The effects of fast particles and energy pedestals on the overall confinement of plasma energy in limiter (L-mode) and X-point (L- and H-modes) discharges heated by NBI or ICRF or both are determined. The importance of the bootstrap current when such energy pedestals are formed is noted. Using sets of consistent experimental data, including ion temperature profile measurements, the local transport properties are compared in the L- and H-phases of a single null X-point medium density NBI heated discharge, the ''enhanced'' confinement phase of a limiter high density pellet-fuelled and ICRF heated discharge, the hot-ion phase of a double null X-point low density NBI heated discharge and the hot-ion and H-phases of a double null X-point low density high temperature NBI heated discharge. (author)
Simulation of transition dynamics to high confinement in fusion plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anders Henry; Xu, G. S.; Madsen, Jens

2015-01-01

The transition dynamics from the low (L) to the high (H) confinement mode in magnetically confined plasmas is investigated using a first-principles four-field fluid model. Numerical results are in agreement with measurements from the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak - EAST...
VH mode accessibility and global H-mode properties in previous and present JET configurations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, T T.C.; Ali-Arshad, S; Bures, M; Christiansen, J P; Esch, H P.L. de; Fishpool, G; Jarvis, O N; Koenig, R; Lawson, K D; Lomas, P J; Marcus, F B; Sartori, R; Schunke, B; Smeulders, P; Stork, D; Taroni, A; Thomas, P R; Thomsen, K [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

In JET VH modes, there is a distinct confinement transition following the cessation of ELMs, observed in a wide variety of tokamak operating conditions, using both NBI and ICRF heating methods. Important factors which influence VH mode accessibility such as magnetic configuration and vessel conditions have been identified. The new JET pumped divertor configuration has much improved plasma shaping control and power and particle exhaust capability and should permit exploitation of plasmas with VH confinement properties over an even wider range of operating regimes, particularly at high plasma current; first H-modes have been obtained in the 1994 JET operating period and initial results are reported. (authors). 7 refs., 6 figs.
L to H mode transitions and associated phenomena in divertor tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punjabi, A.

1990-09-01

This is the final report for the research project titled ''L to H Mode Transitions and Associated Phenomena in Divertor Tokamaks.'' The period covered by this project is the fiscal year 1990. This report covers the development of Advanced Two Chamber Model
The simulation of L-H transition in tokamak plasma using MMM95 transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intharat, P; Poolyarat, N; Chatthong, B; Onjun, T; Picha, R

2015-01-01

BALDUR integrative predictive modelling code together with a Multimode (MMM95) anomalous transport model is used to simulate the evolution profiles, including plasma current, temperature, density and energy in a tokamak reactor. It is found that a self - transition from low confinement mode (L-mode) to high confinement mode (H-mode) regimes can be achieved once a sufficient auxiliary heating applied to the plasma is reached. The result agrees with experimental observations from various tokamaks. A strong reduction of turbulent transport near the edge of plasma is also observed, which is related to the formation of steep radial electric field near the edge regime. From transport analysis, it appears that the resistive ballooning mode is the dominant term near the plasma edge regime, which is significantly reduced during the transition. (paper)
Gyrokinetic Calculations of Microturbulence and Transport for NSTX and Alcator-CMOD H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redi, M.H.; Dorland, W.; Bell, R.; Bonoli, P.; Bourdelle, C.; Candy, J.; Ernst, D.; Fiore, C.; Gates, D.; Hammett, G.; Hill, K.; Kaye, S.; LeBlanc, B.; Menard, J.; Mikkelsen, D.; Rewoldt, G.; Rice, J.; Waltz, R.; Wukitch, S.

2003-01-01

Recent H-mode experiments on NSTX [National Spherical Torus Experiment] and experiments on Alcator-CMOD, which also exhibit internal transport barriers (ITB), have been examined with gyrokinetic simulations with the GS2 and GYRO codes to identify the underlying key plasma parameters for control of plasma performance and, ultimately, the successful operation of future reactors such as ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor]. On NSTX the H-mode is characterized by remarkably good ion confinement and electron temperature profiles highly resilient in time. On CMOD, an ITB with a very steep electron density profile develops following off-axis radio-frequency heating and establishment of H-mode. Both experiments exhibit ion thermal confinement at the neoclassical level. Electron confinement is also good in the CMOD core
Investigation of peeling-ballooning stability prior to transient outbursts accompanying transitions out of H-mode in DIII-D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eldon, D., E-mail: deldon@princeton.edu [University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0964 (United States); Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Boivin, R. L.; Groebner, R. J.; Osborne, T. H.; Snyder, P. B.; Turnbull, A. D.; Burrell, K. H. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Tynan, G. R.; Boedo, J. A. [University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0964 (United States); Kolemen, E. [Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Schmitz, L. [University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-7099 (United States); Wilson, H. R. [University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)

2015-05-15

The H-mode transport barrier allows confinement of roughly twice as much energy as in an L-mode plasma. Termination of H-mode necessarily requires release of this energy, and the timescale of that release is of critical importance for the lifetimes of plasma facing components in next step tokamaks such as ITER. H-L transition sequences in modern tokamaks often begin with a transient outburst which appears to be superficially similar to and has sometimes been referred to as a type-I edge localized mode (ELM). Type-I ELMs have been shown to be consistent with ideal peeling ballooning instability and are characterized by significant (up to ∼50%) reduction of pedestal height on short (∼1 ms) timescales. Knowing whether or not this type of instability is present during H-L back transitions will be important of planning for plasma ramp-down in ITER. This paper presents tests of pre-transition experimental data against ideal peeling-ballooning stability calculations with the ELITE code and supports those results with secondary experiments that together show that the transient associated with the H-L transition is not triggered by the same physics as are type-I ELMs.
Ignition in net for different energy confinement time scalings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johner, J.; Prevot, F.

1988-06-01

A zero-dimensional profile dependent model is used to assess the feasibility of ignition in the extended version of NET. Five recent scalings for the energy confinement time (Goldston, Kaye All, Kaye Big, Shimomura-Odajima, Rebut-Lallia) are compared in the frame of two different scenarii, i.e., H-mode with a flat density profile or L-mode with a peaked density profile. For the flat density H-mode case, ignition is accessible with none of the scalings except Rebut-Lallia's. For the peaked density L-mode case, ignition is accessible with none of the scalings except Rebut-Lallia's. For the two Kaye's scalings, ignition is forbidden in H-mode even with the peaked density profile. For the Rebut-Lallia scaling, ignition is allowed in L-mode even with the flat density profile
Papers presented at the IAEA technical committee meeting on H-mode physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

TCV team

1995-11-01

The two papers contained in this report deal with ohmic H-modes and effect on confinement of edge localized modes in the TCV tokamak. They were presented by the TCV team at the 1995 IAEA technical committee meeting on H-mode physics. figs., tabs., refs
Core-SOL simulations of L-mode tokamak plasma discharges using BALDUR code

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yutthapong Pinanroj

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Core-SOL simulations were carried out of plasma in tokamak reactors operating in a low confinement mode (L-mode, for various conditions that match available experimental data. The simulation results were quantitatively compared against experimental data, showing that the average RMS errors for electron temperature, ion temperature, and electron density were lower than 16% or less for 14 L-mode discharges from two tokamaks named DIII-D and TFTR. In the simulations, the core plasma transport was described using a combination of neoclassical transport calculated by NCLASS module and anomalous transport by Multi-Mode-Model version 2001 (MMM2001. The scrape-off-layer (SOL is the small amount of residual plasma that interacts with the tokamak vessel, and was simulated by integrating the fluid equations, including sources, along open field lines. The SOL solution provided the boundary conditions of core plasma region on low confinement mode (L-mode. The experimental data were for 14 L-mode discharges and from two tokamaks, named DIII-D and TFTR.
Comparison of particle confinement in the high confinement mode plasmas with the edge localized mode of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Tokamak-60 Upgrade and the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaga, H.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Baker, D.R.

2001-01-01

Particle confinement was compared for the high confinement mode plasmas with the edge localized mode in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Tokamak-60 Upgrade (JT-60U) [S. Ishida, JT-60 Team, Nucl. Fusion 39, 1211 (1999)] and the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. 1, p. 159] considering separate confinement times for particles supplied by neutral beam injection (NBI) (center fueling) and by recycling and gas-puffing (edge fueling). Similar dependence on the NBI power was obtained in JT-60U and DIII-D. The particle confinement time for center fueling in DIII-D was smaller by a factor of 4 in the low density discharges and by a factor of 1.8 in the high density discharges than JT-60U scaling, respectively, suggesting the stronger dependence on the density in DIII-D. The particle confinement time for edge fueling in DIII-D was comparable with JT-60U scaling in the low density discharges. However, it decreased to a much smaller value in the high density discharges

The H-mode operational window as determined from the ITER H-mode database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F.; Kardaun, O.J.W.F.; Stroth, U.

1994-01-01

The H-mode is a promising regime for fusion reactors and it is essential to be able to predict its operational window in future devices. The 'H-Mode Database Working Group' started in 1992 to gather, analyze and compare H-mode threshold data from several divertor tokamaks so that predictions could be made. The database and first results were presented and the threshold database has been improved and extended since. The work has two objectives: 1) to predict the minimum heating power necessary to reach the H-mode in future devices, 2) to contribute to physics studies of the L-H transition. (author) 11 refs., 2 figs
Role of magnetic flux perturbations in confinement bifurcations in TUMAN-3M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S.V.; Andreiko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.

2003-01-01

Poloidal magnetic flux variations in the small tokamak TUMAN-3M allowed observation of transitions between different confinement modes. The possibility of switching on/off the ohmic H-mode by edge poloidal magnetic flux perturbations has been found. The flux perturbations were created by fast current ramp up/down or by magnetic compression/decompression produced by fast increase/decrease in the toroidal magnetic field. It was found that positive flux perturbations (current ramp-up and magnetic compression scenarios) are useful means of H-mode triggering. If a negative flux perturbation (current ramp-down or magnetic decompression) is applied, the H-mode terminated. Various mechanisms involved in the L-H and H-L transition physics in the flux perturbation experiments were analyzed. The experimental observations of the transitions between confinement modes might be understood in terms of the model of a sheared radial electric field generation, which takes into account the electron Ware drift in a perturbed longitudinal electric field. Another scenario of improved confinement was observed in the initial phase of an ohmic discharge, when change in the poloidal flux is associated with current ramp-up. Variation of the rates of current ramp-up and working gas puffing in the beginning of a discharge resulted in a fast increase in the electron temperature near the axis. The increase correlates with low m/n MHD mode growth. The observed core electron confinement improvement is apparently connected with the rate of current ramp. Deviation from the optimal rate results in disappearance of the improvement. The role of magnetic shear profile and rational magnetic surfaces in the core electron confinement improvement in the initial phase of ohmic discharges is discussed. (author)
Coupling of an ICRF compact loop antenna to H-mode plasmas in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayberry, M.J.; Baity, F.W.; Hoffman, D.J.; Luxon, J.L.; Owens, T.L.; Prater, R.

1987-01-01

Low power coupling tests have been carried out with a prototype ICRF compact loop antenna on the DIII-D tokamak. During neutral-beam-heated L-mode discharges the antenna loading is typically R≅1-2Ω for an rf frequency of 32 MHz (B/sub T/ = 21 kG, ω = 2Ω/sub D/(0)). When a transition into the H-mode regime of improved confinement occurs, the loading drops to R≅0.5-1.0Ω. During ELMs, transient increases in loading up to several Ohms are observed. The apparent sensitivity of ICRF antenna coupling to changes in the edge plasma profiles associated with the H-mode regime could have important implications for the design of future high power systems
Local transport analysis of L-mode plasmas in JT-60 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirayama, Toshio; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Shirai, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Katsuhiro; Yagi, Masatoshi; Koide, Yoshihiko; Ishida, Shinichi; Azumi, Masafumi.

1991-03-01

Local heat transport has been studied in auxiliary heated JT-60 plasmas with emphasis on understanding the deteriorated confinement observed in L-mode plasmas. The systematic experiment and analysis have been carried out in L-mode phase of divertor (single null, lower X-point), and limiter discharges with hydrogen neutral beam heating into hydrogen plasmas, based on sets of consistent experimental data including ion temperature profiles from CXR measurements. The deterioration in the energy confinement time with increasing the auxiliary heating power, so-called the power scaling, is mainly due to the degradation in ion energy transport. The confinement improvement as the plasma current increases is followed by both improvement in ion and electron transport properties. It is found that the ion thermal diffusivity has an approval dependence on the density. High ion temperature (T i (0) ≤ 12 keV) L-mode plasmas are attained at high β p up to 3.5. The centrally peaked ion temperature is significantly due to the improvement in ion transport property, which is reduced to the level of the electron thermal diffusivities. (author)
Impact of hydrogen fuelling on confinement properties in radiative improved mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalupin, D; Dumortier, P; Messiaen, A; Tokar, M Z; Unterberg, B; Verdoolaege, Geert; Wassenhove, G Van; Weynants, R

2003-01-01

The radiative improved (RI) mode at TEXTOR is a high confinement regime, which is obtained by the seeding of neon into deuterium plasmas. Recent experiments were aimed to study the influence of external gas fuelling on the confinement properties of the RI mode. In particular, it was found that a hydrogen puff into such plasmas leads to lower confinement compared with the discharges fuelled with the same amount of deuterium gas. This paper attempts to explain the reduction of confinement in RI plasmas with an external hydrogen puff and its relation to the level of impurity concentration, which is a critical parameter for RI mode confinement
Analysis of tokamak plasma confinement modes using the fast

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Fourier analysis is a satisfactory technique for detecting plasma confinement modes in tokamaks. The confinement mode of tokamak plasma was analysed using the fast Fourier transformation (FFT). For this purpose, we used the data of Mirnov coils that is one of the identifying tools in the IR-T1 tokamak, with and ...
Inhibited emission of electromagnetic modes confined in subwavelength cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Thomas, N.; Houdre, R.

2011-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate the active inhibition of subwavelength confined cavity modes emission and quality factor enhancement by controlling the cavity optical surrounding. The intrinsic radiation angular spectrum of modes confined in planar photonics crystal cavities as well as its modifications depending on the environment are inferred via a transfer matrix modeling and k-space imaging.
Study of density fluctuation in L-mode and H-mode plasmas on JFT-2M by microwave reflectometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinohara, Kouji

1997-08-01

We propose the model which can explain the runaway phase. The model takes account of the scattered wave which is caused by the density fluctuation near the cut-off layer. We should take a new approach instead of the conventional phase measurement in order to derive the information of the density fluctuation from the data with the runaway phase. The complex spectrum and the rotary spectrum analyses are useful tools to analyze such data. The density fluctuation in L-mode and H-mode plasmas is discussed by using this new approach. We have observed that the reduction of the density fluctuation is localized in the edge region where the sheared electric field is produced. The fluctuations in the range of frequency lower than 100 kHz are mainly reduced. Two interesting features have been observed. One is the detection of the coherent mode around 100 kHz in H-mode. This mode appears about 10 ms after L to H transition. The timing corresponds to the formation of a steep density and temperature gradient in the edge region. The other is the enhancement of the fluctuations with the frequency higher than 300 kHz in H-mode in contrast to the reduction of the fluctuations with the frequency lower than 100 kHz. The Doppler shift is observed in the complex auto-power spectrum of the reflected wave when the plasma is actively moved. We have confirmed that the movement of the plasma is appropriately measured by using the low pass filter. The reflectometer can be used to measure the density profile by using a low pass filter even when the runaway phase phenomenon occurs. (author). 150 refs
High performance H-mode plasmas at densities above the Greenwald limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahdavi, M.A.; Osborne, T.H.; Leonard, A.W.

2001-01-01

Densities up to 40 percent above the Greenwald limit are reproducibly achieved in high confinement (H ITER89p =2) ELMing H-mode discharges. Simultaneous gas fueling and divertor pumping were used to obtain these results. Confinement of these discharges, similar to moderate density H-mode, is characterized by a stiff temperature profile, and therefore sensitive to the density profile. A particle transport model is presented that explains the roles of divertor pumping and geometry for access to high densities. Energy loss per ELM at high density is a factor of five lower than predictions of an earlier scaling, based on data from lower density discharges. (author)
Influence of an external gas puff on the RI-mode confinement properties in TEXTOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalupin, D.

2002-06-01

An actual subject of experimental and theoretical studies in present day fusion research is the development of an operational scenario combining simultaneously high confinement, with at least H-mode quality, and high densities, around or above the empirical Greenwald limit. Recently, this subject was studied in TEXTOR radiative improved (RI) mode discharges, in which the seeding of a small amount of impurities is helpful in a transition to the improved confinement stage. It was found that by the careful tailoring of external fuelling and optimisation of the wall conditions it is possible to maintain the H-mode or even higher quality confinement at densities much above Greenwald density limit. However, more intense fuelling, aimed to extend maximal achievable densities, led to the progressive confinement deterioration. The theory explains the transition to the RI-mode as a bifurcation into the stage where the transport governed by the ion temperature gradient (ITG) instability is significantly reduced due to a high density gradient and high value of the effective charge. The numerical studies of an influence of the gas puff intensity on confinement properties of plasma, done with the help of the 1-D transport code RITM, show that the same theory can be used for an explanation of the confinement rollover triggered by a strong gas puff. The code was modified in order to simulate the effect of the gas puff on the confinement properties. The anomalous transport coefficients in the plasma core include contributions from the ITG and dissipative trapped electron (DTE) instabilities. The transport at the plasma edge under RI-mode conditions might be described by the electrostatic turbulence caused by electric currents in the scrape-off layer of the limiter. The present computations show that this assumption for the edge transport does not allow the modeling of an effect of the gas puff intensity on the profiles evolution in agreement with experimental observations. The
Dynamic Confinement of ITER Plasma by O-Mode Driver at Electron Cyclotron Frequency Range

Science.gov (United States)

Stefan, V. Alexander

2009-05-01

A low B-field side launched electron cyclotron O-Mode driver leads to the dynamic rf confinement, in addition to rf turbulent heating, of ITER plasma. The scaling law for the local energy confinement time τE is evaluated (τE ˜ 3neTe/2Q, where (3/2) neTe is the local plasma thermal energy density and Q is the local rf turbulent heating rate). The dynamics of unstable dissipative trapped particle modes (DTPM) strongly coupled to Trivelpiece-Gould (T-G) modes is studied for gyrotron frequency 170GHz; power˜24 MW CW; and on-axis B-field ˜ 10T. In the case of dynamic stabilization of DTPM turbulence and for the heavily damped T-G modes, the energy confinement time scales as τE˜(I0)-2, whereby I0(W/m^2) is the O-Mode driver irradiance. R. Prater et. al., Nucl. Fusion 48, No 3 (March 2008). E. P. Velikhov, History of the Russian Tokamak and the Tokamak Thermonuclear Fusion Research Worldwide That Led to ITER (Documentary movie; Stefan Studios Int'l, La Jolla, CA, 2008; E. P. Velikhov, V. Stefan.) M N Rosenbluth, Phys. Scr. T2A 104-109 1982 B. B. Kadomtsev and O. P. Pogutse, Nucl. Fusion 11, 67 (1971).
High-confinement-mode edge stability of Alcator C-mod plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossessian, D.A.; Snyder, P.; Hubbard, A.; Hughes, J.W.; Greenwald, M.; La Bombard, B.; Snipes, J.A.; Wolfe, S.; Wilson, H.

2003-01-01

For steady state high-confinement-mode (H-mode) operation, a relaxation mechanism is required to limit build-up of the edge gradient and impurity content. Alcator C-Mod [Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] sees two such mechanisms--EDA (enhanced D-alpha H mode) and grassy ELMs (edge localized modes), but not large type I ELMs. In EDA the edge relaxation is provided by an edge localized quasicoherent (QC) electromagnetic mode that exists at moderate pedestal temperature T 95 >3.5, and does not limit the buildup of the edge pressure gradient. The q boundary of the operational space of the mode depends on plasma shape, with the q 95 limit moving down with increasing plasma triangularity. At high edge pressure gradients and temperatures the mode is replaced by broadband fluctuations ( f<50 kHz) and small irregular ELMs are observed. Ideal MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) stability analysis that includes both pressure and current driven edge modes shows that the discharges where the QC mode is observed are stable. The ELMs are identified as medium n (10< n<50) coupled peeling/ballooning modes. The predicted stability boundary of the modes as a function of pedestal current and pressure gradient is reproduced in experimental observations. The measured dependence of the ELMs' threshold and amplitude on plasma triangularity is consistent with the results of ideal MHD analysis performed with the linear stability code ELITE [Wilson et al., Phys. Plasmas 9, 1277 (2002)
Transport simulation of EAST long-pulse H-mode discharge with integrated modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, M. Q.; Li, G. Q.; Chen, J. L.; Du, H. F.; Gao, X.; Ren, Q. L.; Li, K.; Chan, Vincent; Pan, C. K.; Ding, S. Y.; Jian, X.; Zhu, X.; Lian, H.; Qian, J. P.; Gong, X. Z.; Zang, Q.; Duan, Y. M.; Liu, H. Q.; Lyu, B.

2018-04-01

In the 2017 EAST experimental campaign, a steady-state long-pulse H-mode discharge lasting longer than 100 s has been obtained using only radio frequency heating and current drive, and the confinement quality is slightly better than standard H-mode, H98y2 ~ 1.1, with stationary peaked electron temperature profiles. Integrated modeling of one long-pulse H-mode discharge in the 2016 EAST experimental campaign has been performed with equilibrium code EFIT, and transport codes TGYRO and ONETWO under integrated modeling framework OMFIT. The plasma current is fully-noninductively driven with a combination of ~2.2 MW LHW, ~0.3 MW ECH and ~1.1 MW ICRF. Time evolution of the predicted electron and ion temperature profiles through integrated modeling agree closely with that from measurements. The plasma current (I p ~ 0.45 MA) and electron density are kept constantly. A steady-state is achieved using integrated modeling, and the bootstrap current fraction is ~28%, the RF drive current fraction is ~72%. The predicted current density profile matches the experimental one well. Analysis shows that electron cyclotron heating (ECH) makes large contribution to the plasma confinement when heating in the core region while heating in large radius does smaller improvement, also a more peaked LHW driven current profile is got when heating in the core. Linear analysis shows that the high-k modes instability (electron temperature gradient driven modes) is suppressed in the core region where exists weak electron internal transport barriers. The trapped electron modes dominates in the low-k region, which is mainly responsible for driving the electron energy flux. It is found that the ECH heating effect is very local and not the main cause to sustained the good confinement, the peaked current density profile has the most important effect on plasma confinement improvement. Transport analysis of the long-pulse H-mode experiments on EAST will be helpful to build future experiments.
Numerical modeling of the transition from low to high confinement in magnetically confined plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens Juul; Nielsen, Anders Henry; Madsen, Jens

2016-01-01

The transition dynamics from low (L) to high (H) mode confinement in magnetically confined plasmas is investigated using a four-field drift fluid model—HESEL (Hot Edge-Sol-Electrostatic). The model includes profile evolution and is solved in a 2D domain at the out-board mid-plane of a tokamak......–I–H transition with an intermediate I-phase displaying limit-cycle oscillations (LCO). The model recovers the power threshold for the L–H transition, the scaling of the threshold with the density and with the loss-rate in the SOL, indicating a decrease in power threshold when switching from single to double null...... including both open and closed field lines. The results reveal different types of L–H-like transitions in response to ramping up the input power by increasing the ion temperature in the edge region. For a fast rising input power we obtain an abrupt transition, and for a slow rising power we obtain a L...
Overview of long pulse H-mode operation on EAST

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, X.; Garofalo, A. M.; Wan, B.; Li, J.; Qian, J.; Li, E.; Liu, F.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, M.; Xu, H.; EAST Team

2017-10-01

The EAST research program aims to demonstrate steady-state long-pulse high-performance H-mode operations with ITER-like poloidal configuration and RF-dominated heating schemes. In the recent experimental campaign, a long pulse fully non-inductive H-mode discharge lasting over 100 seconds using the upper ITER-like tungsten divertor has been achieved in EAST. This scenario used only RF heating and current drive, but also benefitted from an integrated control of the wall conditioning, plasma configuration, divertor heat flux, particle exhaust, impurity management and superconducting coils safety. Maintaining effective coupling of multiple RF heating and current drive sources on EAST is a critical ingredient. This long pulse discharge had good energy confinement, H98,y2 1.1-1.2, and all of the plasma parameters reach a true steady-state. Power balance indicates that the confinement improvement is due partly to a significantly reduced core electron transport inside minor radius rho<0.4. This work was supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program of China Contract No. 2015GB10200 and the US Department of Energy Contract No. DE-SC0010685.
H-mode edge rotation in W7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsch, M.; Baldzuhn, J.; Ehmler, H.; Grigull, P.; Maassberg, H.; McCormick, K.; Wagner, F.; Wobig, H.

2005-01-01

In W7-AS three regimes of improved confinement exist which base on negative radial electric fields at the plasma edge resulting there from ion-root conditions of the ambipolar radial fluxes. Experimental control besides the magnetic configuration is given via the edge density profile i.e. the recycling and fuelling conditions. However, the ordering element seems to be the radial electric field profile (respectively its shear) and its interplay with the gradients of ion temperature and density. At low to medium densities the so called optimum confinement regime occurs with maximum density gradients located well inside the plasma boundary and large negative values of E r extending deep in the bulk plasma. For a large inner fraction of the bulk the ion temperature can be sufficiently high that ion transport conditions already can be explained by neoclassics. This regime delivers maximum values of T i , τ e and n τ e T i . Density gradients located right inside the plasma boundary result in the classical H-mode phenomena reminiscent to other toroidal devices with the capability of an edge layer with nearly complete suppression of turbulence either quasi stationary (in a quiescent H-mode) or intermittently (in between ELMs). At even higher densities and highly collisional plasmas with the maximum of ∇n shifted to or even out of the plasma boundary the High Density H-mode (HDH) opens access to steady state conditions with no measurable impurity accumulation. These improved confinement regimes are accessed and left via significant transitions of the transport properties albeit these transitions occur on rather different timescales. A comprehensive picture of improved edge confinement regimes in W7-AS is drawn based on the assumption that a weak edge bounded transport barrier resulting from the ion root conditions (thus E r <0) is the ground state of the (turbulent) edge plasma and already behaves as a barrier for anomalous transport. On top of that the classical H-mode
Studies of energy transport in Jet H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keilhacker, M.; Balet, B.; Cordey, J.; Gottardi, N.; Muir, D.; Thomsen, K.; Watkins, M.

1989-01-01

The local heat transport properties in the interior of ohmic, L- and H-phases of 2MA discharges, are determined. Time dependent energy balance code, TRANSP, and timeslice code, QFLUX are used. The global confinement properties of higher current discharges (≤ 3.8MA) are analyzed. The results indicate that during the L-phase of JET single null X-point discharges, the total heat transport coefficient in the plasma decreases to a level close to the ohmic value. Moreover, confinement during the H-phase continues to improve with current (up to 3.8MA), but degrades with increasing neutral beam power
Advances in measurement and modeling of the high-confinement-mode pedestal on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, J.W.; LaBombard, B.; Mossessian, D.A.; Hubbard, A.E.; Terry, J.; Biewer, T.

2006-01-01

Edge transport barrier (ETB) studies on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] investigate pedestal scalings and the radial transport of plasma and neutrals. Pedestal profiles show trends with plasma operational parameters such as total current I P . A ballooning-like I P 2 dependence is seen in the pressure gradient, despite calculated stability to ideal ballooning modes. A similar scaling is seen in the near scrape-off layer for both low-confinement (L-mode) and H-mode discharges, possibly due to electromagnetic fluid drift turbulence setting transport near the separatrix. Neutral density diagnosis allows an examination of D 0 fueling in H-modes, yielding profiles of effective particle diffusivity in the ETB, which vary as I P is changed. Edge neutral transport is studied using a one-dimensional kinetic treatment. In both experiment and modeling, the C-Mod density pedestal exhibits a weakly increasing pedestal density and a nearly invariant density pedestal width as the D 0 source rate increases. Identical modeling performed on pedestal profiles typical of DIII-D [Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] reveal differences in pedestal scalings qualitatively similar to experimental results
A two term model of the confinement in Elmy H-modes using the global confinement and pedestal databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Two different physical models of the H-mode pedestal are tested against the joint pedestal-core database. These models are then combined with models for the core and shown to give a good fit to the ELMy H-mode database. Predictions are made for the next step tokamaks ITER and FIRE. (author)
Confinement and stability in JET: recent results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.J.

1990-01-01

The versatility of the JET device allows a wide range of tokamak operating regimes to be explored and plasmas bounded both by material limiters and by a magnetic separatrix have been investigated extensively. This has permitted the confinement and mhd stability properties of plasmas heated to temperatures above 10keV by neutral beam injection or ion cyclotron resonance heating to be studied in detail. The results of recent analyses of transport and confinement in the L- and H-mode regimes in JET are discussed and the properties of H-mode plasmas produced by both major forms of heating are compared. Several aspects of the mhd stability of such plasmas, particularly at high toroidal beta, β θ , and at the density limit, are reviewed. (author)

L-H power threshold studies with tungsten/carbon divertor on the EAST tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, L.; Xu, G. S.; Gao, W.

2016-01-01

The power threshold for low (L) to high (H) confinement mode transition achieved by radio-frequency heating and molybdenum first wall with lithium coating has been experimentally investigated on the EAST tokamak for two sets of divertor geometries and materials: tungsten/carbon divertor and full...... carbon divertor. For both sets of divertors, the power threshold was found to decrease with gradual accumulation of the lithium wall coating, suggesting the important role played by the low Z impurities and/or the edge neutral density on the L-H power threshold. When operating in the upper single null...
A model for a scrape-off-layer low-high (L-H) mode transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.; Xu, X.

1995-01-01

Increasing the radial mode number has a stabilizing effect on the conducting-wall and curvature-driven interchange modes in a tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL), arising from the increased polarization response. Such an effect is naturally imposed as the SOL width is decreased, and for a narrow-enough SOL, the stabilizing effect is stronger than the increase in the instability drives. By combining a mixing-length estimate for the thermal diffusivity with energy conservation and heat conduction equations and the condition of continuity of the heat flux at the separatrix, it is found that the resultant turbulence-transport system admits two solutions, one stable and one unstable, at different SOL widths; the inclusion of additional physics can add a second stable root at lower width. These roots are plausibly identified with SOL behavior in low (L) and high (H) modes. Particularly when a model is introduced for finite-β, finite-k parallel effects on the modes, a power threshold for transition to the narrower root is obtained, suggesting a possible L-H transition mechanism. The non-monotonic dependence of the turbulent heat flux vs SOL width and the possibility of multiple solutions for the equilibrium SOL width are verified with nonlinear simulations. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics
Transport-driven scrape-off layer flows and the x-point dependence of the L-H power threshold in Alcator C-Moda)

Science.gov (United States)

LaBombard, B.; Rice, J. E.; Hubbard, A. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Greenwald, M.; Granetz, R. S.; Irby, J. H.; Lin, Y.; Lipschultz, B.; Marmar, E. S.; Marr, K.; Mossessian, D.; Parker, R.; Rowan, W.; Smick, N.; Snipes, J. A.; Terry, J. L.; Wolfe, S. M.; Wukitch, S. J.

2005-05-01

Factor of ˜2 higher power thresholds for low- to high-confinement mode transitions (L-H) with unfavorable x-point topologies in Alcator C-Mod [Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] are linked to flow boundary conditions imposed by the scrape-off layer (SOL). Ballooning-like transport drives flow along magnetic field lines from low- to high-field regions with toroidal direction dependent on upper/lower x-point balance; the toroidal rotation of the confined plasma responds, exhibiting a strong counter-current rotation when B ×∇B points away from the x point. Increased auxiliary heating power (rf, no momentum input) leads to an L-H transition at approximately twice the edge electron pressure gradient when B ×∇B points away. As gradients rise prior to the transition, toroidal rotation ramps toward the co-current direction; the H mode is seen when the counter-current rotation imposed by the SOL flow becomes compensated. Remarkably, L-H thresholds in lower-limited discharges are identical to lower x-point discharges; SOL flows are also found similar, suggesting a connection.
Turbulence at the transition to the high density H-mode in Wendelstein 7-AS plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basse, N.P.; Zoletnik, S.; Baumel, S.

2003-01-01

Recently a new improved confinement regime was found in the Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-AS) stellarator (Renner H. et al 1989 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 31 1579). The discovery of this high density high confinement mode (HDH-mode) was facilitated by the installation of divertor modules. In this paper,...
Dispersion of strongly confined channel plasmon polariton modes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zenin, Vladimir; Volkov, Valentyn S.; Han, Zhanghua

2011-01-01

We report on experimental (by use of scanning near-field optical microscopy) and theoretical investigations of strongly confined (∼λ/5) channel plasmon polariton (CPP) modes propagating at telecom wavelengths (1425–1630 nm) along V-grooves cut in a gold film. The main CPP characteristics (mode in...
H-mode development in TEXT-U limiter plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, D.R.; Bravenec, R.V.; Bengtson, R.D.

1996-01-01

H-mode transitions in TEXT-U limiter plasmas have been observed at q a ∼ 3 and I p ∼ 250 kA (P OH ∼ 300 kW) with at least 300 kW of central electron-cyclotron heating (ECH). These are dithering transitions which are induced by sawtooth crashes and display the typical signatures of H-modes (D α drop, spontaneous density increase, evidence of a transport barrier). However, they show only a slight improvement over L-mode energy confinement. The vessel walls are boronized and conditioned prior to experiments to achieve low-impurity influx and particle recycling. Discharges which undergo transitions are fuelled almost entirely on residual recycling. Transitions are observed when limited on a toroidally localized top or bottom limiter and, more often, when the limiter surface is 'fresh', which is achieved by alternating between top and bottom limiters on successive shots. No strong dependence upon the distance from the low-field-side limiter has been found. Transitions are not yet observed when limited on the high-field-side wall tiles or in the case of TEXT-U diverted configurations. Preliminary measurements with the 2 MeV heavy-ion beam probe (HIBP) (in the core) and Langmuir probes (in the edge) indicate that the plasma potential drops outside the q = 1 radius while only small changes are observed in the density fluctuations level. (author)
Comparison of low confinement mode transport simulations using the mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm and the Multi-Mode-95 transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onjun, Thawatchai; Bateman, Glenn; Kritz, Arnold H.; Hannum, David

2001-01-01

Predictive transport simulations using the mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm (JET) transport model [M. Erba , Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 39, 261 (1997)] are compared with simulations using the Multi-Mode-95 (MMM95) transport model [G. Bateman , Phys. Plasmas 5, 1793 (1998)]. Temperature and density profiles from these simulations are compared with experimental data for 13 low confinement mode (L-mode) discharges from the Doublet III-D Tokamak (DIII-D) [J. L. Luxon and L. G. Davis, Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)] and the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [D. Grove and D. M. Meade, Nucl. Fusion 25, 1167 (1985)]. The selected discharges include systematic scans over gyro-radius, plasma power, current, and density. It is found that simulations using the two models match experimental data equally well, in spite of the fact that the JET model has predominantly Bohm scaling (proportional to gyro-radius) while the MMM95 model has a purely gyro-Bohm scaling (proportional to gyro-radius squared)
Transition from L mode to high ion temperature mode in CHS heliotron/torsatron plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, K.; Osakabe, M.; Tanaka, K.

2001-01-01

A high ion temperature mode (high T i mode) is observed for neutral beam heated plasmas in the Compact Helical System (CHS) Heliotron/torsatron. The high T i mode plasma is characterized by a high central ion temperature, T i (0), and is associated with a peaked electron density profile produced by neutral beam fueling with low wall recycling. Transition from L mode to high T i mode has been studied in CHS. The central ion temperature in the high T i mode discharges reaches to 1 keV which is 2.5 times higher than that in the L mode discharges. The ion thermal diffusivity is significantly reduced by a factor of more than 2-3 in the high T i mode plasma. The ion loss cone is observed in neutral particle flux in the energy range of 1-6 keV with a narrow range of pitch angle (90±10 degree) in the high T i mode. However, the degradation of ion energy confinement due to this loss cone is negligible. (author)
Sustainment of high confinement in JT-60U reversed shear plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, T.; Kamada, Y.; Ide, S.; Takeji, S.; Sakamoto, Y.; Isayama, A.; Suzuki, T.; Oikawa, T.; Fukuda, T.

2001-01-01

confinement is achieved owing to strong internal transport barriers (ITBs), are reported. In a high current plasma with an L-mode edge, deuterium-tritium-equivalent fusion power gain, Q DT eq =0.5 was sustained for 0.8 s (∼ energy confinement time) by adjusting plasma beta precisely using feedback control of stored energy. In a high triangularity plasma with an ELMy H-mode edge, the shrinkage of reversed shear region was suppressed and quasi steady sustainment of high confinement was achieved by raising the poloidal beta and enhancing the bootstrap current peaked at the ITB layer. High bootstrap current fraction (∼80%) was obtained in a high q regime (q 95 ∼9), which leaded to full non-inductive current drive condition. The normalized beta (β N ) of ∼ 2 and H-factor of H 89 ∼3.5 (HH 98y2 ∼2.2) were sustained for 2.7 s (∼ 6 times energy confinement time). (author)
Extremely confined gap surface-plasmon modes excited by electrons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raza, Søren; Stenger, Nicolas; Pors, Anders Lambertus

2014-01-01

High-spatial and energy resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be used for detailed characterization of localized and propagating surface-plasmon excitations in metal nanostructures, giving insight into fundamental physical phenomena and various plasmonic effects. Here, applying...... EELS to ultra-sharp convex grooves in gold, we directly probe extremely confined gap surface-plasmon (GSP) modes excited by swift electrons in nanometre-wide gaps. We reveal the resonance behaviour associated with the excitation of the antisymmetric GSP mode for extremely small gap widths, down to ~5...... mode exploited in plasmonic waveguides with extreme light confinement is a very important factor that should be taken into account in the design of nanoplasmonic circuits and devices....
Energy exchange dynamics across L-H transitions in NSTX

Science.gov (United States)

Diallo, A.; Banerjee, S.; Zweben, S. J.; Stoltzfus-Dueck, T.

2017-06-01

We studied the energy exchange dynamics across the low-to-high-confinement (L-H) transition in NSTX discharges using the gas-puff imaging (GPI) diagnostic. The investigation focused on the energy exchange between flows and turbulence to help clarify the mechanism of the L-H transition. We applied this study to three types of heating schemes, including a total of 17 shots from the NSTX 2010 campaign run. Results show that the edge fluctuation characteristics (fluctuation levels, radial and poloidal correlation lengths) measured using GPI do not vary just prior to the H-mode transition, but change after the transition. Using a velocimetry approach (orthogonal-dynamics programming), velocity fields of a 24× 30 cm GPI view during the L-H transition were obtained with good spatial (˜1 cm) and temporal (˜2.5 μs) resolutions. Analysis using these velocity fields shows that the production term is systematically negative just prior to the L-H transition, indicating a transfer from mean flows to turbulence, which is inconsistent with the predator-prey paradigm. Moreover, the inferred absolute value of the production term is two orders of magnitude too small to explain the observed rapid L-H transition. These discrepancies are further reinforced by consideration of the ratio between the kinetic energy in the mean flow to the thermal free energy, which is estimated to be much less than 1, suggesting again that the turbulence depletion mechanism may not play an important role in the transition to the H-mode. Although the Reynolds work therefore appears to be too small to directly deplete the turbulent free energy reservoir, order-of-magnitude analysis shows that the Reynolds stress may still make a non-negligible contribution to the observed poloidal flows.
Effect of ELMs on rotation and momentum confinement in H-mode discharges in JET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Versloot, T.W.; de Vries, P.C.; Giroud, C.

2010-01-01

. An increase in profile peaking of ion temperature and angular frequency is observed. At the same time the plasma confinement is reduced while the ratio of confinement times (Rτ = τE/τ) increases noticeably with ELM frequency. This change could be explained by the relatively larger ELM induced losses......The loss of plasma toroidal angular momentum and thermal energy by edge localized modes (ELMs) has been studied in JET. The analysis shows a consistently larger drop in momentum in comparison with the energy loss associated with the ELMs. This difference originates from the large reduction...... in angular frequency at the plasma edge, observed to penetrate into the plasma up to r/a ~ 0.65 during large type-I ELMs. As a result, the time averaged angular frequency is lowered near the top of the pedestal with increasing ELM frequency, resulting in a significant drop in thermal Mach number at the edge...
On L to H-mode transitions of the tokamak and entropy reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rastović Danilo

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In an ideal case, it is assumed that the models for tokamak and stellarator plasma behaviour lead to the theory of invariant manifolds by Rastović [Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2007]. But, at the present state of knowledge a more realistic concept for describing L to H transitions and edge localized modes is the reduction of entropy and appropriate methods.
Influence of the wall material on the H-mode performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.

1994-06-01

Theory on the influence of the wall material on the level of the enhanced confinement in H-mode is discussed. When the high-Z material is employed as the wall, the reflection of the neutral particles causes the higher neutral particle density in the plasma. The increased neutral particles lead to the loss of the ion momentum, decrease the radial electric field and degrade the confinement improvement. (author)
Application of divertor cryopumping to H-mode density control in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahdavi, M.A.; Ferron, J.R.; Hyatt, A.W.

1993-11-01

In this paper we describe the method and the results of experiments where a unique in-vessel cryopump-baffle system was used to control density of H-mode plasmas. We were able to independently regulate current and density of ELMing H-mode plasmas, each over a range of factor two, and measure the H-mode confinement scaling with plasma density and current. With a modest pumping speed of ∼40 kl/s, particle exhaust rates as high as 2 x 10 22 atom/s -1 have been observed
Local transport in Joint European Tokamak edge-localized, high-confinement mode plasmas with H, D, DT, and T isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budny, R. V.; Ernst, D. R.; Hahm, T. S.; McCune, D. C.; Christiansen, J. P.; Cordey, J. G.; Gowers, C. G.; Guenther, K.; Hawkes, N.; Jarvis, O. N.

2000-01-01

The edge-localized, high-confinement mode regime is of interest for future Tokamak reactors since high performance has been sustained for long durations. Experiments in the Joint European Tokamak [M. Keilhacker , Nuclear Fusion 39, 209 (1999)] have studied this regime using scans with the toroidal field and plasma current varied together in H, D, DT, and T isotopes. The local energy transport in more than fifty of these plasmas is analyzed, and empirical scaling relations are derived for energy transport coefficients during quasi-steady state conditions using dimensionless parameters. Neither the Bohm nor gyro-Bohm expressions give the shapes of the profiles. The scalings with β and ν * are in qualitative agreement with Ion Temperature Gradient theory
Theory of self-sustained turbulence in confined plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.-I.; Fukuyama, A.; Yagi, M.

1996-01-01

This article reviews some aspects of recent theoretical activities in Japan on the problem of turbulent transport in confined plasmas. The method of self-sustained turbulence is discussed. The process of the renormalization is shown and the turbulent Prandtl number is introduced. Nonlinear destabilization by the electron momentum diffusion is explained. The nonlinear eigenmode equation is derived for the dressed-test-mode for the inhomogeneous plasma in the shear magnetic field. The eigenvalue equation is solved, and the least stable mode determines the anomalous transport coefficient. The formula of the thermal conductivity is presented for the system of bad average magnetic curvature (current diffusive interchange mode (CDIM) turbulence) and that for the average good magnetic curvature (current diffusive ballooning mode (CDBM) turbulence). The transport coefficient, scale length of fluctuations and fluctuation level are shown to be an increasing function of the pressure gradient. Verification by use of the nonlinear simulation is shown. The bifurcation of the electric field and improved confinement are addressed, in order to explain the H-mode physics. The improved confinement and dynamics such as ELMs are explained. Application to the transport analysis of tokamaks is also presented, including explanations of the L-mode confinement, internal transport barrier, and the role of the current profile control
Effect of ripple-induced transport on H-mode performance in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parail, V.; Vries, P. de; Lonnroth, J.; Kiviniemi, T.; Johnson, T.; Loarte, A.; Saibene, G.; Hatae, T.; Kamada, Y.; Konovalov, S.; Oyama, N.; Shinohara, K.; Tobita, K.; Urano, H.

2005-01-01

A number of experiments have shown that ripple-induced transport influences performance of ELMy H-modes in the tokamak. A noticeable difference in confinement, ELM frequency and amplitude was found between JET (with ripple amplitude δ∼0.1%) and JT-60U (with δ∼1%) in otherwise identical discharges. It was previously shown in JET experiments with enhanced ripple that a gradual increase in the ripple amplitude first leads to a modest improvement in plasma confinement, which is followed by the degradation of edge pedestal and further transition to the L-mode regime if δ increases further. The DIII-D team recently reported a marginal increase in confinement in experiments with an edge transport enhanced by the externally driven resonant magnetic perturbation. Numerical predictive modelling of the dynamics of ELMy H-mode JET plasma relevant to a JET/JT-60U similarity experiment has been conducted taking into account ripple-induced ion transport, which was computed using the orbit following code ASCOT. This predictive modelling reveals that, depending on plasma parameters, ripple amplitude and localisation (the latter depending on the toroidal coil design), this additional transport can either improve global plasma confinement or reduce it. These controlled ripple losses might be used as an effective tool for ELM mitigation and may provide an explanation for the difference between JET and JT-60U observed in the similarity experiments. A detailed comparison between ripple- induced transport and the alternative method of ELM mitigation by an externally driven edge magnetic perturbation is discussed. The fact that ripple losses mainly increase ion transport, while a stochastic magnetic layer increases electron transport indicates that it might be beneficial to use a combination of both methods in future experiments. This work was funded partly by the United Kingdom Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and by the European Communities under the contract of
Enhancement of mode-converted electron Bernstein wave emission during National Spherical Torus Experiment H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, G.; Efthimion, P.C.; Jones, B.; Le Blanc, B.P.; Maingi, R.

2002-01-01

A sudden, threefold increase in emission from fundamental electrostatic electron Bernstein waves (EBW) which mode convert and tunnel to the electromagnetic X-mode has been observed during high energy and particle confinement (H-mode) transitions in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) plasma [M. Ono, S. Kaye, M. Peng et al., in Proceedings of the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (IAEA, Vienna, Austria, 1999), Vol. 3, p. 1135]. The mode-converted EBW emission viewed normal to the magnetic field on the plasma midplane increases when the density profile steepens in the vicinity of the mode conversion layer, which is located in the plasma scrape off. The measured conversion efficiency during the H-mode is consistent with the calculated EBW to X-mode conversion efficiency derived using edge density data. Calculations indicate that there may also be a small residual contribution to the measured X-mode electromagnetic radiation from polarization-scrambled, O-mode emission, converted from EBWs
Electron heat transport in shaped TCV L-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camenen, Y; Pochelon, A; Bottino, A; Coda, S; Ryter, F; Sauter, O; Behn, R; Goodman, T P; Henderson, M A; Karpushov, A; Porte, L; Zhuang, G

2005-01-01

Electron heat transport experiments are performed in L-mode discharges at various plasma triangularities, using radially localized electron cyclotron heating to vary independently both the electron temperature T e and the normalized electron temperature gradient R/L T e over a large range. Local gyro-fluid (GLF23) and global collisionless gyro-kinetic (LORB5) linear simulations show that, in the present experiments, trapped electron mode (TEM) is the most unstable mode. Experimentally, the electron heat diffusivity χ e is shown to decrease with increasing collisionality, and no dependence of χ e on R/L T e is observed at high R/L T e values. These two observations are consistent with the predictions of TEM simulations, which supports the fact that TEM plays a crucial role in electron heat transport. In addition, over the broad range of positive and negative triangularities investigated, the electron heat diffusivity is observed to decrease with decreasing plasma triangularity, leading to a strong increase of plasma confinement at negative triangularity

H-mode regimes and observators of central toroidal rotation in Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenwald, M.; Rice, J.; Boivin, R.

1999-01-01

The Enhanced D α or EDA H-mode regime in Alcator C-Mod has been investigated and compared in detail to ELM-free plasmas. (In this paper, ELM-free will refer to discharges with no type I ELMs and with no sign of EDA, though technically, most EDA plasmas are ELM-free as well.) EDA discharges have only slightly lower energy confinement than comparable ELM-free ones, but show markedly reduced impurity confinement. Thus EDA discharges do not accumulate impurities and typically have a lower fraction of radiated power. EDA plasmas are seen to be more likely at low plasma current (q > 3.7 - 4), for moderate plasma shaping (0.35 - 0.55), and for high neutral pressures. No obvious trends were observed with input power or pressure (β). In both H-mode regimes, and in ICRF heated L-modes, central impurity toroidal rotation has been deduced, from the Doppler shifts of argon x-ray lines. Rotation velocities up to 1.3 x 10 5 m/s in the co-current direction have been observed in H-mode discharges that had no direct momentum input. There is a strong correlation between the increase in the central impurity rotation velocity and the increase in the plasma stored energy, induced by ICRF heating. In otherwise similar discharges with the same stored energy increase, plasmas with lower current rotate faster. The ion pressure gradient is an unimportant contributor to the central impurity rotation and the presence of a substantial core radial electric field is inferred during the ICRF pulse. An inward shift of ions induced by ICRF waves could give rise to a non-ambipolar electric field in the plasma core. Comparisons with a neo-classical ion orbit shift model show good agreement with the observations, both in magnitude, and in the scaling with plasma current. (author)
Collective oscillations and coupled modes in confined microfluidic droplet arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Ulf D.; Fleury, Jean-Baptiste; Seemann, Ralf; Gompper, Gerhard

Microfluidic droplets have a wide range of applications ranging from analytic assays in cellular biology to controlled mixing in chemical engineering. Ensembles of microfluidic droplets are interesting model systems for non-equilibrium many-body phenomena. When flowing in a microchannel, trains of droplets can form microfluidic crystals whose dynamics are governed by long-range hydrodynamic interactions and boundary effects. In this contribution, excitation mechanisms for collective waves in dense and confined microfluidic droplet arrays are investigated by experiments and computer simulations. We demonstrate that distinct modes can be excited by creating specific `defect' patterns in flowing droplet trains. While longitudinal modes exhibit a short-lived cascade of pairs of laterally displacing droplets, transversely excited modes form propagating waves that behave like microfluidic phonons. We show that the confinement induces a coupling between longitudinal and transverse modes. We also investigate the life time of the collective oscillations and discuss possible mechanisms for the onset of instabilities. Our results demonstrate that microfluidic phonons can exhibit effects beyond the linear theory, which can be studied particularly well in dense and confined systems. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under Grant No. SE 1118/4.
Confinement studies of helical-axis Heliotron plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sano, F.; Mizuuchi, T.; Kondo, K.

2005-01-01

The L-H transition in the helical-axis heliotron, Heliotron J, was investigated. For ECH-only, NBI-only and ECH+NBI combination heating plasmas, the confinement quality of the H-mode was examined with special regard to the magnetic configuration, the vacuum edge iota value of which was chosen as a label of the configuration. The experimental iota dependence of the H ISS95 -factor (τ E exp /τ E ISS95 ) has revealed that there exist the specific configurations for which the high-quality H-modes (1.3 ISS95 p , was calculated and compared with the experiment. Edge plasma characteristics are also measured and discussed with regard to the E r -shear formation at the transition. (author)
Results of the H-mode experiments with JT-60 outer and lower divertors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Hiroo; Tsuji, Shunji; Nagami, Masayuki

1989-08-01

In JT-60, hydrogen H-mode experiments with outer and lower divertors were performed. In the outer divertor, H-mode were obtained, similar to the ones observed in the other lower/upper divertors. Its threshold absorbed power and electron density were 16 MW and 1.8 x 10 19 m -3 . In the two combined heatings with NB+ICRF and NB+LHRF, H-mode discharges are also obtained. Moreover, in new configuration of lower divertor, H-mode phases without and with ELM are obtained. Typical results of the lower divertor are shown to compare the H-mode characteristics between the two configurations. Improvement of the energy confinement time in the two divertors was limited to 10 %. Analyses on ballooning/interchange instabilities were carried out with precise equlibria of JT-60. These results showed that the both modes were enough stable. (author)
Unified approach for calculating the number of confined modes in multilayered waveguiding structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ruschin, S.; Griffel, G.; Hardy, A.; Croitoru, N.

1986-01-01

A general formalism is developed in order to find the number of modes and mode cutoff conditions in multilayer waveguiding structures. An explicit expression is presented for the number of confined modes that allows the modes to be counted without having to analyze the specific eigenvalue equation of the structure. The method is illustrated by its application to several structures: the buried layer, the directional coupler, and the three-guide symmetrical arrangement. By a suitable extension of the formalism, the number of well-confined modes is found for a four-layer structure.
Magnetic perturbation experiments on MAST L- and H-mode plasmas using internal coils

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kirk, A.; Liu, Y.Q.; Nardon, E.; Tamain, P.; Cahyna, Pavel; Chapman, I.; Denner, P.; Meyer, H.; Mordijck, S.; Temple, D.

2011-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 6 (2011), 065011-065011 ISSN 0741-3335 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/11/2341 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Resonant magnetic perturbations * L-H transition * spherical tokamaks * edge localized modes Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 2.425, year: 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/53/6/065011
Proceedings of the workshop of three large tokamak cooperation on energy confinement scaling under intensive auxiliary heating, May 18 ∼ 20, 1992, Naka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-09-01

The workshop of three large tokamak cooperation W22 on 'Energy confinement scaling under intensive auxiliary heating' was held 18-20 May, 1992, at Naka Fusion Research Establishment. This proceedings compiles 14 synopses of contributions (5 from JET, 4 from JT-60, 3 from TFTR, and 1 each from DIII-D JFT-2M) and the summary of the workshop. Topic sections are ; (i) L-mode confinement and scaling, (ii) Confinement at high β P regimes, Supershots, High poloidal beta enhanced confinement mode etc., (iii) Confinement at various H-mode regimes and scaling (including the VH-mode), (iv) Characteristic time scales for present tokamak regimes, and (v) Theoretical comparison with experimental data. (author)
Improved confinement with ion cyclotron hydrogen minority heating on Tore Supra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, G.T.; Monier-Garbet, P.; Aniel, T.; Bourdelle, C.; Eriksson, L.G.; Garbet, X.; Grisolia, C.; Platz, P.; Budny, R.V.

1999-02-01

Tore Supra experiments are presently devoted to study the high density and high radiation regimes with radio frequency heating. Recent results of ion cyclotron minority heating have been obtained with an improved L-mode confinement, close to ELMy H-mode, at relatively high density (up to 80% of Greenwald limit). Such a regime is very promising as possible scenario in a next step tokamak. (authors)
A new boundary control scheme for simultaneous achievement of H-mode and radiative cooling (SHC boundary)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohyabu, N.

1995-05-01

We have proposed a new boundary control scheme (SHC boundary), which could allow simultaneous achievement of the H-mode type confinement improvement and radiative cooling with wide heat flux distribution. In our proposed configuration, a low m island layer sharply separates a plasma confining region from an open 'ergodic' boundary. The degree of openness in the ergodic boundary must be high enough to make the plasma pressure constant along the field line, which in turn separates low density plasma just outside the plasma confining region (the key external condition for achieving a good H-mode discharge) from very high density, cold radiative plasma near the wall (required for effective edge radiative cooling). Examples of such proposed SHC boundaries for Heliotron typed devices and tokamaks are presented. (author)
Comparison of fusion alpha performance in JET advanced scenario and H-mode plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asunta, O; Kurki-Suonio, T; Tala, T; Sipilae, S; Salomaa, R [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB, Abingdon (United Kingdom)], E-mail: Otto.Asunta@tkk.fi

2008-12-15

Currently, plasmas with internal transport barriers (ITBs) appear the most likely candidates for steady-state scenarios for future fusion reactors. In such plasmas, the broad hot and dense region in the plasma core leads to high fusion gain, while the cool edge protects the integrity of the first wall. Economically desirable large bootstrap current fraction and low inductive current drive may, however, lead to degraded fast ion confinement. In this work the confinement and heating profile of fusion alphas were compared between H-mode and ITB plasmas in realistic JET geometry. The work was carried out using the Monte Carlo-based guiding-center-following code ASCOT. For the same plasma current, the ITB discharges were found to produce four to eight times more fusion power than a comparable ELMy H-mode discharge. Unfortunately, also the alpha particle losses were larger ({approx}16%) compared with the H-mode discharge (7%). In the H-mode discharges, alpha power was deposited to the plasma symmetrically around the magnetic axis, whereas in the current-hole discharge, the power was spread out to a larger volume in the plasma center. This was due to wider particle orbits, and the magnetic structure allowing for a broader hot region in the centre.
Confinement and Local Transport in the National Spherical Torus Experiment NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaye, S.M.; Levinton, F.M.; Stutman, D.; Tritz, K.; Yuh, H.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.E.; Domier, C.W.; Gates, D.; Horton, W.; Kim, J.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Maingi, T.; Mazzucato, E.; Menard, J.E.; Mikkelsen, D.; Mueller, D; Park, H.; Rewoldt, G.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Smith, D.R.; Wang, W.

2007-01-01

NSTX operates at low aspect ratio (R/a∼1.3) and high beta (up to 40%), allowing tests of global confinement and local transport properties that have been established from higher aspect ratio devices. NSTX plasmas are heated by up to 7 MW of deuterium neutral beams with preferential electron heating as expected for ITER. Confinement scaling studies indicate a strong B T dependence, with a current dependence that is weaker than that observed at higher aspect ratio. Dimensionless scaling experiments indicate a strong increase of confinement with decreasing collisionality and a weak degradation with beta. The increase of confinement with B T is due to reduced transport in the electron channel, while the improvement with plasma current is due to reduced transport in the ion channel related to the decrease in the neoclassical transport level. Improved electron confinement has been observed in plasmas with strong reversed magnetic shear, showing the existence of an electron internal transport barrier (eITB). The development of the eITB may be associated with a reduction in the growth of microtearing modes in the plasma core. Perturbative studies show that while L-mode plasmas with reversed magnetic shear and an eITB exhibit slow changes of L Te across the profile after the pellet injection, H-mode plasmas with a monotonic q-profile and no eITB show no change in this parameter after pellet injection, indicating the existence of a critical gradient that may be related to the q-profile. Both linear and non-linear simulations indicate the potential importance of ETG modes at the lowest B T . Localized measurements of high-k fluctuations exhibit a sharp decrease in signal amplitude levels across the L-H transition, associated with a decrease in both ion and electron transport, and a decrease in calculated linear microinstability growth rates across a wide k-range, from the ITG/TEM regime up to the ETG regime
Theory-based transport simulations of TFTR L-mode temperature profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bateman, G.

1991-01-01

The temperature profiles from a selection of TFTR L-mode discharges are simulated with the 1-1/2-D BALDUR transport code using a combination of theoretically derived transport models, called the Multi-Mode Model. The present version of the Multi-Mode Model consists of effective thermal diffusivities resulting from trapped electron modes and ion temperature gradient (η i ) modes, which dominate in the core of the plasma, together with resistive ballooning modes, which dominate in the periphery. Within the context of this transport model and the TFTR simulations reported here, the scaling of confinement with heating power comes from the temperature dependence of the η i and trapped electron modes, while the scaling with current comes mostly from resistive ballooning modes. 24 refs., 16 figs., 3 tabs
Investigation of impurity confinement in lower hybrid wave heated plasma on EAST tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Z.; Wu, Z. W.; Zhang, L.; Gao, W.; Ye, Y.; Chen, K. Y.; Yuan, Y.; Zhang, W.; Yang, X. D.; Chen, Y. J.; Zhang, P. F.; Huang, J.; Wu, C. R.; Morita, S.; Oishi, T.; Zhang, J. Z.; Duan, Y. M.; Zang, Q.; Ding, S. Y.; Liu, H. Q.; Chen, J. L.; Hu, L. Q.; Xu, G. S.; Guo, H. Y.; the EAST Team

2018-01-01

The transient perturbation method with metallic impurities such as iron (Fe, Z = 26) and copper (Cu, Z = 29) induced in plasma-material interaction (PMI) procedure is used to investigate the impurity confinement characters in lower hybrid wave (LHW) heated EAST sawtooth-free plasma. The dependence of metallic impurities confinement time on plasma parameters (e.g. plasma current, toroidal magnetic field, electron density and heating power) are investigated in ohmic and LHW heated plasma. It is shown that LHW heating plays an important role in the reduction of the impurity confinement time in L-mode discharges on EAST. The impurity confinement time scaling is given as 42IP0.32Bt0.2\\overline{n}e0.43Ptotal-0.4~ on EAST, which is close to the observed scaling on Tore Supra and JET. Furthermore, the LHW heated high-enhanced-recycling (HER) H-mode discharges with ~25 kHz edge coherent modes (ECM), which have lower impurity confinement time and higher energy confinement time, provide promising candidates for high performance and steady state operation on EAST.
Dependence of the L- to H-mode Power Threshold on Toroidal Rotation and the Link to Edge Turbulence Dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKee, G.; Gohil, P.; Schlossberg, D.; Boedo, J.; Burrell, K.; deGrassie, J.; Groebner, R.; Makowski, M.; Moyer, R.; Petty, C.; Rhodes, T.; Schmitz, L.; Shafer, M.; Solomon, W.; Umansky, M.; Wang, G.; White, A.; Xu, X.

2008-01-01

The injected power required to induce a transition from L-mode to H-mode plasmas is found to depend strongly on the injected neutral beam torque and consequent plasma toroidal rotation. Edge turbulence and flows, measured near the outboard midplane of the plasma (0.85 < r/a < 1.0) on DIII-D with the high-sensitivity 2D beam emission spectroscopy (BES) system, likewise vary with rotation and suggest a causative connection. The L-H power threshold in plasmas with the ion (del)B drift away from the X-point decreases from 4-6 MW with co-current beam injection, to 2-3 MW with near zero net injected torque, and to <2 MW with counter injection. Plasmas with the ion (del)B drift towards the X-point exhibit a qualitatively similar though less pronounced power threshold dependence on rotation. 2D edge turbulence measurements with BES show an increasing poloidal flow shear as the L-H transition is approached in all conditions. At low rotation, the poloidal flow of turbulent eddies near the edge reverses prior to the L-H transition, generating a significant poloidal flow shear that exceeds the measured turbulence decorrelation rate. This increased poloidal turbulence velocity shear may facilitate the L-H transition. No such reversal is observed in high rotation plasmas. The poloidal turbulence velocity spectrum exhibits a transition from a Geodesic Acoustic Mode zonal flow to a higher-power, lower frequency, zero-mean-frequency zonal flow as rotation varies from co-current to balanced during a torque scan at constant injected neutral beam power, perhaps also facilitating the L-H transition. This reduced power threshold at lower toroidal rotation may benefit inherently low-rotation plasmas such as ITER
Impurity transport model for the normal confinement and high density H-mode discharges in Wendelstein 7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, K; Burhenn, R; McCormick, K; Pasch, E; Yamada, H; Yoshinuma, M; Inagaki, S; Murakami, S; Osakabe, M; Liang, Y; Brakel, R; Ehmler, H; Giannone, L; Grigull, P; Knauer, J P; Maassberg, H; Weller, A

2003-01-01

An impurity transport model based on diffusivity and the radial convective velocity is proposed as a first approach to explain the differences in the time evolution of Al XII (0.776 nm), Al XI (55 nm) and Al X (33.3 nm) lines following Al-injection by laser blow-off between normal confinement discharges and high density H-mode (HDH) discharges. Both discharge types are in the collisional regime for impurities (central electron temperature is 0.4 keV and central density exceeds 10 20 m -3 ). In this model, the radial convective velocity is assumed to be determined by the radial electric field, as derived from the pressure gradient. The diffusivity coefficient is chosen to be constant in the plasma core but is significantly larger in the edge region, where it counteracts the high local values of the inward convective velocity. Under these conditions, the faster decay of aluminium in HDH discharges can be explained by the smaller negative electric field in the bulk plasma, and correspondingly smaller inward convective velocity, due to flattening of the density profiles
Effect of Gas Fueling Location on H-mode Access in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Bell, M.; Bell, R.; Biewer, T.; Bush, C.; Chang, C.S.; Gates, D.; Kaye, S.; Kugel, H.; LeBlanc, B.; Maqueda, R.; Menard, J.; Mueller, D.; Raman, R.; Sabbagh, S.; Soukhanovskii, V.

2003-01-01

The dependence of H-mode access on the poloidal location of the gas injection source has been investigated in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). We find that gas fueling from the center stack midplane area produces the most reproducible H-mode access with generally the lowest L-H threshold power in lower single-null configuration. The edge toroidal rotation velocity is largest (in direction of the plasma current) just before the L-H transition with center stack midplane fueling, and then reverses direction after the L-H transition. Simulation of these results with a 2-D guiding-center Monte Carlo neoclassical transport code is qualitatively consistent with the trends in the measured velocities. Double-null discharges exhibit H-mode access with gas fueling from either the center stack midplane or center stack top locations, indicating a reduced sensitivity of H-mode access on fueling location in that shape
Predictive modelling of edge transport phenomena in ELMy H-mode tokamak fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loennroth, J.-S.

2009-01-01

This thesis discusses a range of work dealing with edge plasma transport in magnetically confined fusion plasmas by means of predictive transport modelling, a technique in which qualitative predictions and explanations are sought by running transport codes equipped with models for plasma transport and other relevant phenomena. The focus is on high confinement mode (H-mode) tokamak plasmas, which feature improved performance thanks to the formation of an edge transport barrier. H-mode plasmas are generally characterized by the occurrence of edge localized modes (ELMs), periodic eruptions of particles and energy, which limit confinement and may turn out to be seriously damaging in future tokamaks. The thesis introduces schemes and models for qualitative study of the ELM phenomenon in predictive transport modelling. It aims to shed new light on the dynamics of ELMs using these models. It tries to explain various experimental observations related to the performance and ELM-behaviour of H-mode plasmas. Finally, it also tries to establish more generally the potential effects of ripple-induced thermal ion losses on H-mode plasma performance and ELMs. It is demonstrated that the proposed ELM modelling schemes can qualitatively reproduce the experimental dynamics of a number of ELM regimes. Using a theory-motivated ELM model based on a linear instability model, the dynamics of combined ballooning-peeling mode ELMs is studied. It is shown that the ELMs are most often triggered by a ballooning mode instability, which renders the plasma peeling mode unstable, causing the ELM to continue in a peeling mode phase. Understanding the dynamics of ELMs will be a key issue when it comes to controlling and mitigating the ELMs in future large tokamaks. By means of integrated modelling, it is shown that an experimentally observed increase in the ELM frequency and deterioration of plasma confinement triggered by external neutral gas puffing might be due to a transition from the second to
Edge stability and performance of the ELM-free quiescent H-mode and the quiescent double barrier mode on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, W.P.; Burrell, K.H.; Snyder, P.B.; Gohil, P.; Lao, L.L.; Leonard, A.W.; Osborne, T.H.; Thomas, D.M.; Casper, T.A.; Lasnier, C.J.; Doyle, E.J.; Wang, G.; Zeng, L.; Nave, M.F.F.

2005-01-01

The quiescent H (QH) mode, an edge localized mode (ELM)-free, high-confinement mode, combines well with an internal transport barrier to form quiescent double barrier (QDB) stationary state, high performance plasmas. The QH-mode edge pedestal pressure is similar to that seen in ELMing phases of the same discharge, with similar global energy confinement. The pedestal density in early ELMing phases of strongly pumped counter injection discharges drops and a transition to QH-mode occurs, leading to lower calculated edge bootstrap current. Plasmas current ramp experiment and ELITE code modeling of edge stability suggest that QHmodes lie near an edge current stabilty boundary. At high triangularity, QH-mode discharges operate at higher pedestal density and pressure, and have achieved ITER level values of β PED and ν*. The QDB achieves performance of β N H 89 ∼ 7 in quasi-stationary conditions for a duration of 10 τ E , limited by hardware. Recently we demonstrated stationary state QDB discharges with little change in kinetic and q profiles (q 0 > 1) for 2 s, comparable to ELMing 'hybrid scenarios', yet without the debilitating effects of ELMs. Plasma profile control tools, including electron cyclotron heating and current drive and neutral beam heating, have been demonstrated to control simultaneously the q profile development, the density peaking, impurity accumulation and plasma beta. (author)
Study on H-mode access at low density with lower hybrid current drive and lithium-wall coatings on the EAST superconducting tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, G.S.; Wan, B.N.; Li, J.G.

2011-01-01

The first high-confinement mode (H-mode) with type-III edge localized modes at an H factor of HIPB98(y,2) ~ 1 has been obtained with about 1 MW lower hybrid wave power on the EAST superconducting tokamak. The first H-mode plasma appeared after wall conditioning by lithium (Li) evaporation before ...
Study of neutral particle behavior and particle confinement in JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaga, Hidenobu; Shimizu, Katsuhiro; Asakura, Nobuyuki; Shimada, Michiya; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Tsuji-Iio, Shunji; Uchino, Kiichiro; Muraoka, Katsunori.

1995-07-01

In order to understand the particle confinement properties in JT-60U, the particle confinement time was estimated through analyses of the neutral particle behavior. First, the neutral particle transport simulation code DEGAS using a Monte-Carlo technique was combined with the simple divertor code for calculating the edge plasma parameters, and was developed to calculate under the experimental conditions in JT-60U. Then, the charged particle source in the main plasma due to the ionization of the neutral particles was evaluated from the analyses of the neutral particle penetration to the main plasma based on results of the simulation code and measurements of D α emission intensities. Finally, the particle confinement time was estimated from the analysis of particle balance. The analyses were performed systematically for the L-mode plasma and H-mode plasma of JT-60U, and a data base of the particle confinement time was obtained. The dependence of the particle confinement time on the plasma parameters and the relationship between the properties of the particle confinement and the energy confinement were examined. (author)

Review of DIII-D H-Mode Density Limit Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Mahdavi, M.A.

2005-01-01

Density limit studies over the past 10 yr on DIII-D have successfully identified several processes that limit plasma density in various operating modes. The recent focus of these studies has been on maintenance of the high-density operational window with good H-mode level energy confinement. We find that detachment and onset of multifaceted axisymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE), fueling efficiency, particle confinement, and magnetohydrodynamic activity can impose density limits in certain regimes. By studying these processes, we have devised techniques with either pellets or gas fueling and divertor pumping to achieve line average density above Greenwald scaling, relying on increasing the ratio of pedestal to separatrix density, as well as density profile peaking. The scaling of several of these processes to next-step devices (e.g., the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) has indicated that sufficiently high pedestal density can be achieved with conventional fueling techniques while ensuring divertor partial detachment needed for heat flux reduction. One density limit process requiring further study is neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) onset, and techniques for avoidance/mitigation of NTMs need additional development in present-day devices operated at high density
Analysis of tokamak plasma confinement modes using the fast Fourier transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirmoeini, S.R.; Salar Elahi, A.; Ghoranneviss, M.

2016-01-01

The Fourier analysis is a satisfactory technique for detecting plasma confinement modes in tokamaks. The confinement mode of tokamak plasma was analysed using the fast Fourier transformation (FFT). For this purpose, we used the data of Mirnov coils that is one of the identifying tools in the IR-T1 tokamak, with and without external field (electric biasing), and then compared it with each other. After the Fourier analysis of Mirnov coil data, the diagram of power spectrum density was depicted in different angles of Mirnov coils in the 'presence of external field' as well as in the 'absence of external field'. The power spectrum density (PSD) interprets the manner of power distribution of a signal with frequency. In this article, the number of plasma modes and the safety factor q were obtained by using the mode number of q = m/n (m is the mode number). The maximum MHD activity was obtained in 30-35 kHz frequency, using the density of the energy spectrum. In addition, the number of different modes across 0-35 ms time was compared with each other in the presence and absence of the external field. (author)
Experimental studies of high-confinement mode plasma response to non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations in ASDEX Upgrade

Science.gov (United States)

Suttrop, W.; Kirk, A.; Nazikian, R.; Leuthold, N.; Strumberger, E.; Willensdorfer, M.; Cavedon, M.; Dunne, M.; Fischer, R.; Fietz, S.; Fuchs, J. C.; Liu, Y. Q.; McDermott, R. M.; Orain, F.; Ryan, D. A.; Viezzer, E.; The ASDEX Upgrade Team; The DIII-D Team; The Eurofusion MST1 Team

2017-01-01

The interaction of externally applied small non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations (MP) with tokamak high-confinement mode (H-mode) plasmas is reviewed and illustrated by recent experiments in ASDEX Upgrade. The plasma response to the vacuum MP field is amplified by stable ideal kink modes with low toroidal mode number n driven by the H-mode edge pressure gradient (and associated bootstrap current) which is experimentally evidenced by an observable shift of the poloidal mode number m away from field alignment (m = qn, with q being the safety factor) at the response maximum. A torque scan experiment demonstrates the importance of the perpendicular electron flow for shielding of the resonant magnetic perturbation, as expected from a two-fluid MHD picture. Two significant effects of MP occur in H-mode plasmas at low pedestal collisionality, ν \\text{ped}\\ast≤slant 0.4 : (a) a reduction of the global plasma density by up to 61 % and (b) a reduction of the energy loss associated with edge localised modes (ELMs) by a factor of up to 9. A comprehensive database of ELM mitigation pulses at low {ν\\ast} in ASDEX Upgrade shows that the degree of ELM mitigation correlates with the reduction of pedestal pressure which in turn is limited and defined by the onset of ELMs, i. e. a modification of the ELM stability limit by the magnetic perturbation.
Reduced transport and ER shearing in improved confinement regimes in JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirai, H.; Kikuchi, M.; Takizuka, T.

2001-01-01

The global confinement and the local transport properties of improved core confinement plasmas in JT-60U have been studied in connection with E r shear formation. The improved core confinement mode with ITB, the internal transport barrier, is roughly classified into 'parabolic' type ITBs and 'box' type ITBs. The parabolic type ITB has the reduced thermal diffusivity, χ, in the core region; however, the E r shear, dE r /dr, is not so strong. The box type ITB has a very strong E r shear at the thin ITB layer and the χ value decreases to the level of neoclassical transport there. The estimated ExB shearing rate, ω ExB , becomes almost the same as the linear growth rate of the drift microinstability, γ L , at the ITB layer in the box type ITB. Experiments of hot ion mode plasmas during the repetitive L-H-L transition shows that the thermal diffusivity clearly depends on the E r shear and the strong E r shear contributes to the reduced thermal diffusivity. (author)
Reduced transport and Er shearing in improved confinement regimes in JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirai, H.; Kikuchi, M.; Takizuka, T.

1999-01-01

The global confinement and the local transport properties of improved core confinement plasmas in JT-60U were studied in connection with E r shear formation. In the improved core confinement mode with internal transport barriers (ITBs), these are roughly classified into 'parabolic type' ITBs and 'box type' ITBs. The parabolic type ITB has a reduced thermal diffusivity χ in the core region; however, the E r shear, dE r /dr, is not as strong. The box type ITB has a very strong E r shear at the thin ITB layer and χ decreases to the level of neoclassical transport there. The estimated E x B shearing rate, ω ExB , becomes almost the same as the linear growth rate of the drift microinstability, γ L , at the ITB layer in the box type ITB. Experiments with hot ion mode plasmas during the repetitive L-H-L transition showed that the thermal diffusivity clearly depends on the E r shear and the strong E r shear contributes to the reduced thermal diffusivity. (author)
Confinement of acoustical modes due to the electron-phonon interaction within 2D-electron gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochelap, V.A.; Gulseren, O.

1992-09-01

We study the confinement of acoustical modes within 2DEG due only to the electron-phonon interaction. The confined modes split out from the bulk phonons even at uniform lattice parameters, when the 2DEG is created by means of modulation doping. The effect is more pronounced when the wave vector q of the modes increases and is maximum at q = 2 k F (k F is the Fermi wave vector). In the case of several electron sheets the additional features of the confinement effect appear. In the limit of the strong electron-phonon coupling and high surface concentration of the electrons the considered system can suffer Peierls-type phase transition. In this case periodical deformation of the lattice and charge density wave are confined within the electron sheet. (author). 18 refs, 2 figs
Numerical modeling of the transition from low to high confinement in magnetically confined plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, J Juul; Nielsen, A H; Madsen, J; Naulin, V; Xu, G S

2016-01-01

The transition dynamics from low (L) to high (H) mode confinement in magnetically confined plasmas is investigated using a four-field drift fluid model—HESEL (Hot Edge-Sol-Electrostatic). The model includes profile evolution and is solved in a 2D domain at the out-board mid-plane of a tokamak including both open and closed field lines. The results reveal different types of L–H-like transitions in response to ramping up the input power by increasing the ion temperature in the edge region. For a fast rising input power we obtain an abrupt transition, and for a slow rising power we obtain a L–I–H transition with an intermediate I-phase displaying limit-cycle oscillations (LCO). The model recovers the power threshold for the L–H transition, the scaling of the threshold with the density and with the loss-rate in the SOL, indicating a decrease in power threshold when switching from single to double null configuration. The results hold promises for developing full predictive modeling of the L–H transition, which is an essential step in understanding and optimizing fusion devices. (paper)
Regime of very high confinement in the boronized DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, G.L.; Winter, J.; Taylor, T.S.; Burrell, K.H.; DeBoo, J.C.; Greenfield, C.M.; Groebner, R.J.; Hodapp, T.; Holtrop, K.; Lazarus, E.A.; Lao, L.L.; Lippmann, S.I.; Osborne, T.H.; Petrie, T.W.; Phillips, J.; James, R.; Schissel, D.P.; Strait, E.J.; Turnbull, A.D.; West, W.P.; DIII-D Team

1991-01-01

Following boronization, tokamak discharges in DIII-D have been obtained with confinement times up to a factor of 3.5 above the ITER89-P L-mode scaling and 1.8 times greater than the DIII-D/JET H-mode scaling relation. Very high confinement phases are characterized by relatively high central density with n e (0)∼1x10 20 m -3 , and central ion temperatures up to 13.6 keV at moderate plasma currents (1.6 MA) and heating powers (12.5--15.3 MW). These discharges exhibit a low fraction of radiated power, P≤25%, Z eff (0) close to unity, and lower impurity influxes than comparable DIII-D discharges before boronization
Edge energy transport barrier and turbulence in the I-mode regime on Alcator C-Moda)

Science.gov (United States)

Hubbard, A. E.; Whyte, D. G.; Churchill, R. M.; Cziegler, I.; Dominguez, A.; Golfinopoulos, T.; Hughes, J. W.; Rice, J. E.; Bespamyatnov, I.; Greenwald, M. J.; Howard, N.; Lipschultz, B.; Marmar, E. S.; Reinke, M. L.; Rowan, W. L.; Terry, J. L.

2011-05-01

We report extended studies of the I-mode regime [Whyte et al., Nucl. Fusion 50, 105005 (2010)] obtained in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Marmar et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 51(3), 3261 (2007)]. This regime, usually accessed with unfavorable ion B × ∇B drift, features an edge thermal transport barrier without a strong particle transport barrier. Steady I-modes have now been obtained with favorable B × ∇B drift, by using specific plasma shapes, as well as with unfavorable drift over a wider range of shapes and plasma parameters. With favorable drift, power thresholds are close to the standard scaling for L-H transitions, while with unfavorable drift they are ˜ 1.5-3 times higher, increasing with Ip. Global energy confinement in both drift configurations is comparable to H-mode scalings, while density profiles and impurity confinement are close to those in L-mode. Transport analysis of the edge region shows a decrease in edge χeff, by typically a factor of 3, between L- and I-mode. The decrease correlates with a drop in mid-frequency fluctuations (f ˜ 50-150 kHz) observed on both density and magnetics diagnostics. Edge fluctuations at higher frequencies often increase above L-mode levels, peaking at f ˜ 250 kHz. This weakly coherent mode is clearest and has narrowest width (Δf/f ˜ 0.45) at low q95 and high Tped, up to 1 keV. The Er well in I-mode is intermediate between L- and H-mode and is dominated by the diamagnetic contribution in the impurity radial force balance, without the Vpol shear typical of H-modes.
ELM triggering conditions for the integrated modeling of H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankin, A.Y.; Schnack, D.D.; Bateman, G.; Kritz, A.H.; Brennan, D.P.; Snyder, P.B.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; Kruger, S.; Janeschitz, G.; Onjun, T.; Pacher, G.W.; Pacher, H.D.

2005-01-01

Recent advances in the integrated modeling of ELMy H-mode plasmas are presented. A new model for the H-mode pedestal and for the triggering of ELMs predicts the height, width, and shape of the H-mode pedestal and the frequency and width of ELMs. The model for the pedestal and ELMs is used in the ASTRA integrated transport code to follow the time evolution of tokamak discharges from L-mode through the transition from L-mode to H-mode, with the formation of the H-mode pedestal, and, subsequently, to the triggering of ELMs. Turbulence driven by the ion temperature gradient mode, resistive ballooning mode, trapped electron mode, and electron temperature gradient mode contributes to the anomalous thermal transport at the plasma edge in this model. Formation of the pedestal and the L-H transition is the direct result of E(vector) r x B(vector) flow shear suppression of anomalous transport. The periodic ELM crashes are triggered by MHD instabilities. Two mechanisms for triggering ELMs are considered: ELMs are triggered by ballooning modes if the pressure gradient exceeds the ballooning threshold or by peeling modes if the edge current density exceeds the peeling mode threshold. The BALOO, DCON, and ELITE ideal MHD stability codes are used to derive a new parametric expression for the peeling-ballooning threshold. The new dependence for the peeling-ballooning threshold is implemented in the ASTRA transport code. Results of integrated modeling of DIII-D like discharges are presented and compared with experimental observations. The results from the ideal MHD stability codes are compared with results from the resistive MHD stability code NIMROD. (author)
Integrated core-SOL simulations of L-mode plasma in ITER and Indian demo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisitsorasak, Apiwat; Onjun, Thawatchai; Kanjanaput, Wittawat

2015-01-01

Core-SOL simulations are carried out using 1.5D BALDUR integrated predictive modeling code to investigate tokamak plasma in ITER and Indian DEMO reactors operating in low confinement mode (L-Mode). In each simulation, the plasma current, temperature, and density profiles in both core and SOL region are evolved self-consistency. The SOL is simulated by integrating the fluid equations, including sources, along the field lines. The solutions in SOL subsequently provide as the boundary conditions of core plasma region on low-confinement mode. The core plasma transport model is described using a combination of anomalous transport by Multi-Mode-Model version 2001 (MMM2001) and neoclassical transport calculated by NCLASS module together with the toroidal velocity based on the torque due to Neoclassical Toroidal Viscosity (NTV). In addition, a sensitivity analysis is explored by varying plasma parameters, such as plasma density and auxiliary heating power. Furthermore, the ignition tests are conducted to observed plasma response in each design after shutting down an auxiliary heating. (author)
Enhanced Confinement Scenarios Without Large Edge Localized Modes in Tokamaks: Control, Performance, and Extrapolability Issues for ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maingi, R [PPPL

2014-07-01

Large edge localized modes (ELMs) typically accompany good H-mode confinement in fusion devices, but can present problems for plasma facing components because of high transient heat loads. Here the range of techniques for ELM control deployed in fusion devices is reviewed. The two baseline strategies in the ITER baseline design are emphasized: rapid ELM triggering and peak heat flux control via pellet injection, and the use of magnetic perturbations to suppress or mitigate ELMs. While both of these techniques are moderately well developed, with reasonable physical bases for projecting to ITER, differing observations between multiple devices are also discussed to highlight the needed community R & D. In addition, recent progress in ELM-free regimes, namely Quiescent H-mode, I-mode, and Enhanced Pedestal H-mode is reviewed, and open questions for extrapolability are discussed. Finally progress and outstanding issues in alternate ELM control techniques are reviewed: supersonic molecular beam injection, edge electron cyclotron heating, lower hybrid heating and/or current drive, controlled periodic jogs of the vertical centroid position, ELM pace-making via periodic magnetic perturbations, ELM elimination with lithium wall conditioning, and naturally occurring small ELM regimes.
Transition to the improved confinement mode in torsatron U-3M in range of rare collision frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pashnev, V.K.; Sorokovov, E.L.; Berezhnyj, V.L. and others

2010-01-01

Transition to the mode of improved plasma confinement in U-3M facility earlier was discussed in works [1-3]. In these studies discussed the various processes in the confinement volume and in the peripheral plasma that accompany the transition process. Study of plasma confinement and process of transition into the mode of improved confinement just at rare collisions between plasma particles is very important because future fusion reactor based on a toroidal magnetic trap will operate under plasma parameters with rare collision frequencies ('banana' mode). The peculiarity of experiments on torsatron U-3M is that they are conducted at small density n-bar e ≤ 2 lover case x 10 12 cm -3 and, thereby, the frequency of collisions in the confinement area is in the 'banana' mode [4]. And herewith, time of collisions is essentially smaller (up to several orders for electrons and up to the order for ions) than the lifetime of plasma particles. It ensures maxwellization of distribution function and possibility to compare the obtained results with data from other experiments. The objective of this work is to study the main regularity of transition into the mode of improved confinement. Also it is interesting to compare the results with data from other facilities.
Essential elements of the high density H-mode on W7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormick, K.; Burhenn, R.; Grigull, P.

2003-01-01

The High Density H-Mode (HDH), discovered during the run-in phase of W7-AS divertor operation/1-3/, rapidly became the workhorse of the divertor program, combining optimal core behavior along with edge parameters necessary for successful operation of an Island Divertor. Its unique properties of high energy confinement along with low impurity retention and radiation localized at the edge under ELM-free steady-state conditions at high densities (to 4 x 10 20 m -3 ) and heating powers (to 1.7 MWm -3 ) make the HDH H-mode ideal for a reactor scenario, given it can be extended to higher temperatures in a larger machine. Hence, considerable effort has been invested to understand the nature of the HDH-mode in order to be able to extrapolate to next generation devices. To this end the present paper reports on experiments where two globally-similar ELM-free H-modes are compared: the classic quiescent H-mode H* where both impurity and density control are a severe problem and the HDH-mode with its contrasting steady-state behavior. Through modeling of the temporal behavior of laser-ablated aluminum spectral lines, as well as that of background impurities, it is concluded that a principle difference between the two H-modes is that of enhanced impurity diffusion in the edge gradient region of the HDH-mode. However, no direct indicators of enhanced diffusion have yet been identified. (orig.)
Pedestal structure and stability in H-mode and I-mode: a comparative study on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, J.W.; Walk, J.R.; Davis, E.M.; LaBombard, B.; Baek, S.G.; Churchill, R.M.; Greenwald, M.; Hubbard, A.E.; Lipschultz, B.; Marmar, E.S.; Reinke, M.L.; Rice, J.E.; Theiler, C.; Terry, J.; White, A.E.; Whyte, D.G.; Snyder, P.B.; Groebner, R.J.; Osborne, T.; Diallo, A.

2013-01-01

New experimental data from the Alcator C-Mod tokamak are used to benchmark predictive modelling of the edge pedestal in various high-confinement regimes, contributing to greater confidence in projection of pedestal height and width in ITER and reactors. ELMy H-modes operate near stability limits for ideal peeling–ballooning modes, as shown by calculations with the ELITE code. Experimental pedestal width in ELMy H-mode scales as the square root of β pol at the pedestal top, i.e. the dependence expected from theory if kinetic ballooning modes (KBMs) were responsible for limiting the pedestal width. A search for KBMs in experiment has revealed a short-wavelength electromagnetic fluctuation in the pedestal that is a candidate driver for inter-edge localized mode (ELM) pedestal regulation. A predictive pedestal model (EPED) has been tested on an extended set of ELMy H-modes from C-Mod, reproducing pedestal height and width reasonably well across the data set, and extending the tested range of EPED to the highest absolute pressures available on any existing tokamak and to within a factor of three of the pedestal pressure targeted for ITER. In addition, C-Mod offers access to two regimes, enhanced D-alpha (EDA) H-mode and I-mode, that have high pedestals, but in which large ELM activity is naturally suppressed and, instead, particle and impurity transport are regulated continuously. Pedestals of EDA H-mode and I-mode discharges are found to be ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stable with ELITE, consistent with the general absence of ELM activity. Invocation of alternative physics mechanisms may be required to make EPED-like predictions of pedestals in these kinds of intrinsically ELM-suppressed regimes, which would be very beneficial to operation in burning plasma devices. (paper)
First observation of a new zonal-flow cycle state in the H-mode transport barrier of the experimental advanced superconducting Tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, G.S.; Wang, H. Q.; Wan, B. N.

2012-01-01

A new turbulence-flow cycle state has been discovered after the formation of a transport barrier in the H-mode plasma edge during a quiescent phase on the EAST superconducting tokamak. Zonal-flow modulation of high-frequency-broadband (0.05-1MHz) turbulence was observed in the steep-gradient region...... leading to intermittent transport events across the edge transport barrier. Good confinement (H-98y,H-2 similar to 1) has been achieved in this state, even with input heating power near the L-H transition threshold. A novel model based on predator-prey interaction between turbulence and zonal flows...... reproduced this state well. © 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4769852]...
Collisional drift waves in the H-mode edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, S.

1994-01-01

The stability of the collisional drift wave in a sheared slab geometry is found to be severely restricted at the H-mode edge plasma due to the very steep density gradient. However, a radially varying transverse velocity field is found to play the key role in stability. Velocity profiles usually found in the H-mode plasma stabilize drift waves. On the other hand, velocity profiles corresponding to the L-mode render collisional drift waves unstable even though the magnetic shear continues to play its stabilizing role. (author). 24 refs
Discriminant analysis to predict the occurrence of ELMs in H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kardaun, O.J.W.F.; Itoh, S.; Itoh, K.; Kardaun, J.W.P.F.

1993-08-01

After an exposition of its theoretical background, discriminant analysis is applied to the H-mode confinement database to find the region in plasma parameter space in which H-mode with small ELMs (Edge Localized Modes) is likely to occur. The boundary of this region is determined by the condition that the probability of appearance of such a type of H-mode, as a function of the plasma parameters, should be (1) larger than some threshold value and (2) larger than the corresponding probability for other types of H-mode (i.e., H-mode without ELMs or with giant ELMs). In practice, the discrimination has been performed for the ASDEX, JET and JFT-2M tokamaks (a) using four instantaneous plasma parameters (injected power P inj , magnetic field B t , plasma current I p and line averaged electron density (n-bar e ) and (b) taking also memory effects of the plasma and the distance between the plasma and the wall into account, while using variables that are normalised with respect to machine size. Generally speaking, it is found that there is a substantial overlap between the region of H-mode with small ELMs and the region of the two other types of H-mode. However, the ELM-free and the giant ELM H-modes relatively rarely appear in the region, that, according to the analysis, is allocated to small ELMs. A reliable production of H-mode with only small ELMs seems well possible by choosing this regime in parameter space. In the present study, it was not attempted to arrive at a unified discrimination across the machines. So, projection from one machine to another remains difficult, and a reliable determination of the region where small ELMs occur still requires a training sample from the device under consideration. (author) 53 refs
Investigation of the Energy Confinement in Ohmic and LHCD Plasmas in HT-7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaoqing; Wan Baonian; Shen Biao; Hu Xiwei; Qian Jinping; Fan Hengyu; Ding Yonghua

2006-01-01

Investigation of the energy confinement in ohmic and lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) plasmas in HT-7 has been performed. In ohmic discharges at low densities the global energy confinement time τ E increases almost linearly with the density, saturates at a critical density (2.5 x 10 13 /cm 3 for HT-7) and is nearly constant at higher densities. The energy confinement time is in good agreement with the Neo-Alcator scaling law at different densities and currents. In the LHCD plasmas the global energy confinement time similar to that of the L-mode discharges has been observed to be in good agreement with the low confinement mode (L mode) scaling law of ITER89-P in higher electron density and plasma current
Chapter 7: High-Density H-Mode Operation in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stober, Joerg Karl; Lang, Peter Thomas; Mertens, Vitus

2003-01-01

Recent results are reported on the maximum achievable H-mode density and the behavior of pedestal density and central density peaking as this limit is approached. The maximum achievable H-mode density roughly scales as the Greenwald density, though a dependence on B t is clearly observed. In contrast to the stiff temperature profiles, the density profiles seem to allow more shape variation and especially with high-field-side pellet-injection, strongly peaked profiles with good confinement have been achieved. Also, spontaneous density peaking at high densities is observed in ASDEX Upgrade, which is related to the generally observed large time constants for the density profile equilibration. The equilibrated density profile shapes depend strongly on the heat-flux profile in the sense that central heating leads to significantly flatter profiles

Intermittent fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer for ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, O. E.; Kube, R.; Theodorsen, A.; LaBombard, B.; Terry, J. L.

2018-05-01

Plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak in ohmic and high confinement modes have been analyzed using gas puff imaging data. In all cases investigated, the time series of emission from a single spatially resolved view into the gas puff are dominated by large-amplitude bursts, attributed to blob-like filament structures moving radially outwards and poloidally. There is a remarkable similarity of the fluctuation statistics in ohmic plasmas and in edge localized mode-free and enhanced D-alpha high confinement mode plasmas. Conditionally averaged waveforms have a two-sided exponential shape with comparable temporal scales and asymmetry, while the burst amplitudes and the waiting times between them are exponentially distributed. The probability density functions and the frequency power spectral densities are similar for all these confinement modes. These results provide strong evidence in support of a stochastic model describing the plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer as a super-position of uncorrelated exponential pulses. Predictions of this model are in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in both ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas. The stochastic model thus provides a valuable tool for predicting fluctuation-induced plasma-wall interactions in magnetically confined fusion plasmas.
Characteristics of edge localized mode in JFT-2M H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Funahashi, Akimasa; Goldston, R.J.

1989-03-01

Characteristics of edge localized mode (ELM/ERP) during H-mode plasma of JFT-2M were investigated. It was found that ELM/ERP is mainly a density fluctuation phenomena in the edge, and electron temperature in the edge except just near the separatrix is not very much perturbed. Several experimental conditions to controll ELM/ERP are, plasma density, plasma ion species, heating power, and plasma current ramping. ELM/ERPs found in low density deuterium discharge are suppressed by raising the density. ELM/ERPs are pronounced in hydrogen plasma compared with deuterium plasma. ELM/ERPs seen in hydrogen plasma or in near marginal H-mode conditions are suppressed by increasing the heating power. ELM/ERPs are found to be suppressed by plasma current ramp down, whereas they are enhanced by current ramp up. MHD aspect of ELM/ERP was investigated. No clear MHD features of ELM/ERP were found. However, reversal of mode rotation seen imediately after ELM/ERP suggests the temporal return to L-mode during the ELM/ERP event. (author)
Multiple-mirror plasma confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtenberg, A.J.; Lieberman, M.A.; Logan, B.G.

1975-01-01

A large enhancement of the confinement time can be achieved in a straight system of multiple mirrors over an equal length uniform magnetic field. The scaling is diffusive rather than that of flow, thereby scaling the square of the system length rather than linear with system length. Probably the most economic mode of operation for a reactor occurs when lambda/M is approximately l/sub c/, where lambda is the mean free path, M the mirror ratio, and l/sub c/ the length between mirrors; but where the scale length of the mirror field l/sub m/ is much less than lambda. The axial confinement time has been calculated theoretically and numerically for all important parameter regimes, and confirmed experimentally. A typical reactor calculation gives Q/sub E/ = 2 for a 400 meter system with 3000 MW(e) output. The main concern of a multiple-mirror system is stability. Linked quadrupoles can achieve average minimum-B stabilization of flute modes, and experiments have demonstrated this stabilization. Localized instabilities at finite β and enhanced diffusion resulting from the distorted flux surfaces and possibly from turbulent higher order modes still remain to be investigated
Measurement of peripheral electron temperature by electron cyclotron emission during the H-mode transition in JFT-2M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshino, Katsumichi; Yamamoto, Takumi; Kawashima, Hisato

1987-01-01

Time evolution and profile of peripheral electron temperature during the H-mode like transition in a tokamak plasma is measured using the second and third harmonic of electron cyclotron emission (ECE). The so called ''H-mode'' state which has good particle/energy confinement is characterized by sudden decrease in the spectral line intensity of deuterium molecule. Such a sudden decrease in the line intensity of D α with good energy confinement is found not only in divertor discharges, but also in limiter dischargs in JFT-2M tokamak. It is found by the measurement of ECE that the peripheral electron temperature suddenly increases in both of such phases. The relation between H-transition and the peripheral electron temperature or its profile is investigated. (author)
New fluctuation phenomena in the H-mode regime of PDX tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slusher, R.E.; Surko, C.M.; Valley, J.F.; Crowley, T.; Mazzucato, E.; McGuire, K.

1984-05-01

A new kind of quasi-coherent fluctuation is observed near the edge of plasmas in the PDX tokamak during H-mode operation. (The H-mode occurs in neutral beam heated divertor plasmas and is characterized by improved energy containment as well as large density and temperature gradients near the plasma edge.) These fluctuations are evidenced as VUV and density fluctuation bursts at well-defined frequencies (Δω/ω less than or equal to 0.1) in the frequency range between 50 and 180 kHz. They affect the edge temperature-density product, and therefore they may be important for understanding the relationship between the large edge density and temperature gradients and the improved energy confinement
The 13th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers (Oxford, UK, 2011) The 13th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers (Oxford, UK, 2011)

Science.gov (United States)

Saibene, G.

2012-11-01

The 13th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers, held in Lady Margaret Hall College in Oxford in October 2011 continues the tradition of bi-annual international meetings dedicated to the study of transport barriers in fusion plasmas. The first meeting of this series took place in S Diego (CA, US) in 1987, and since then scientists in the fusion community studying the formation and effects of transport barriers in plasmas have been meeting at this small workshop to discuss progress, new experimental evidence and related theoretical studies. The first workshops were strongly focussed on the characterization and understanding of the H-mode plasma, discovered in ASDEX in 1982. Tokamaks throughout the entire world were able to reproduce the H-mode transition in the following few years and since then the H-mode has been recognised as a pervasive physics feature of toroidally confined plasmas. Increased physics understanding of the H-mode transition and of the properties of H-mode plasmas, together with extensive development of diagnostic capabilities for the plasma edge, led to the development of edge transport barrier studies and theory. The H-mode Workshop reflected this extension in interest, with more and more contributions discussing the phenomenology of edge transport barriers and instabilities (ELMs), L-H transition and edge transport barrier formation theory. In the last 15 years, in response to the development of fusion plasma studies, the scientific scope of the workshop has been broadened to include experimental and theoretical studies of both edge and internal transport barriers, including formation and sustainment of transport barriers for different transport channels (energy, particle and momentum). The 13th H-mode Workshop was organized around six leading topics, and, as customary for this workshop, a lead speaker was selected for each topic to present to the audience the state-of-the-art, new understanding and open issues, as well
Bifurcation analysis and dimension reduction of a predator-prey model for the L-H transition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam, Magnus; Brøns, Morten; Juul Rasmussen, Jens

2013-01-01

The L-H transition denotes a shift to an improved confinement state of a toroidal plasma in a fusion reactor. A model of the L-H transition is required to simulate the time dependence of tokamak discharges that include the L-H transition. A 3-ODE predator-prey type model of the L-H transition...
Measurements of the edge current evolution and comparison with neoclassical calculations during MAST H-modes using motional Stark effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Bock, M. F. M.; Citrin, J.; Saarelma, S.; Temple, D.; Conway, N. J.; Kirk, A.; Meyer, H.; Michael, C. A.

2012-01-01

Edge localized modes (ELMs), that are present in most tokamak H-(high confinement) modes, can cause significant damage to plasma facing components in fusion reactors. Controlling ELMs is considered necessary and hence it is vital to understand the underlying physics. The stability of ELMs is
Measurements of the edge current evolution and comparison with neoclassical calculations during MAST H-modes using motional Stark effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bock, de M.F.M.; Citrin, J.; Saarelma, S.; Temple, D.; Conway, N.J.; Kirk, A.; Meyer, H.; Michael, C.A.

2012-01-01

Edge localized modes (ELMs), that are present in most tokamak H- (high confinement) modes, can cause significant damage to plasma facing components in fusion reactors. Controlling ELMs is considered necessary and hence it is vital to understand the underlying physics. The stability of ELMs is
L-mode and inter-ELM divertor particle and heat flux width scaling on MAST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, J.R., E-mail: james.harrison@ccfe.ac.uk [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Fishpool, G.M.; Kirk, A. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2013-07-15

The distribution of particles and power to plasma-facing components is of key importance in the design of next-generation fusion devices. Power and particle decay lengths have been measured in a number of MAST L-mode and H-mode discharges in order to determine their parametric dependencies, by fitting power and particle flux profiles measured by divertor Langmuir probes, to a convolution of an exponential decay and a Gaussian function. In all discharges analysed, it is found that exponential decay lengths mapped to the midplane are mostly dependent on separatrix electron density (n{sub e,sep}{sup 0.65±0.15}) L-mode, (n{sub e,sep}{sup 0.76±0.19}) H-mode) and plasma current (I{sub p}{sup -0.36±0.11}) L-mode, I{sub p}{sup -1.05±0.18} H-mode) (or parallel connection length). The widths of the convolved Gaussian functions have been used to derive an approximate diffusion coefficient, which is found to vary from 1 m{sup 2}/s to 7 m{sup 2}/s, and is systematically lower in H-mode compared with L-mode.
Confinement bifurcation by current density profile perturbation in TUMAN-3M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S.V.; Andreiko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.

2001-01-01

In the recent experiments performed on TUMAN-3M the possibility to switch on/off the H-mode by current density profile perturbations has been shown. The j(r) perturbations were created by fast Current Ramp Up/Down or by Magnetic Compression produced by a fast increase of the toroidal magnetic field. It was found that the Current Ramp Up (CRU) and Magnetic Compression (MC) are useful means for H-mode triggering. The Current Ramp Down (CRD) triggers H-L transition. The difference in the j(r) behavior in these experiments suggests the peripheral current density may not be the critical parameter controlling L-H and H-L transitions. Confinement bifurcation in the above experiments could be explained by the unified mechanism: variation of a turbulent transport resulting from radial electric field emerging near the edge in the conditions of alternating toroidal electric field Ej and different electron and ion collisionalities. According to the suggested model the toroidal field E φ arising in the periphery during the CRU and MC processes amplifies Ware drift, which mainly influences electron component. As a result the favorable for the transition negative (inward directed) E r emerges. In the CRD scenario, when E φ is opposite to the total plasma current direction, the mechanism should generate positive E r , which is thought to be unfavorable for the H-mode. The experimental data on L-H and H-L transitions in various scenarios and the results of the modeling of E r emerging in the CRU experiment are presented in the paper. (author)
Comparisons of theoretically predicted transport from ion temperature gradient instabilities to L-mode tokamak experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotschenreuther, M.; Wong, H.V.; Lyster, P.L.; Berk, H.L.; Denton, R.; Miner, W.H.; Valanju, P.

1991-12-01

The theoretical transport from kinetic micro-instabilities driven by ion temperature gradients is a sheared slab is compared to experimentally inferred transport in L-mode tokamaks. Low noise gyrokinetic simulation techniques are used to obtain the ion thermal transport coefficient X. This X is much smaller than in experiments, and so cannot explain L-mode confinement. Previous predictions based on fluid models gave much greater X than experiments. Linear and nonlinear comparisons with the fluid model show that it greatly overestimates transport for experimental parameters. In addition, disagreements among previous analytic and simulation calculations of X in the fluid model are reconciled
Improved confinement and related physics study in Compact Helical System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, S.; Akiyama, T.; Fujisawa, A.; Ida, K.; Iguchi, H.; Isobe, M.; Minami, T.; Nagaoka, K.; Nakamura, K.; Nishimura, S.; Matsuoka, K.; Matsushita, H.; Nakano, H.; Ohshima, S.; Shimizu, A.; Suzuki, C.; Takahashi, C.; Toi, K.; Yoshimura, Y.; Yoshinuma, M.; Oishi, T.; Kado, S.

2005-01-01

Recent experimental results in Compact Helical System (CHS) will be presented focusing on the improved confinement and physics study of electric field and turbulence in helical plasmas. Among various improved confinement modes found in CHS experiments, the edge transport barrier (ETB) formation is an important topic, which we have been studying intensively for these years. The discharges of CHS with ETB have characteristics very similar to H-mode discharges in tokamaks and W7-AS stellarator. We observe a sharp drop of Hα emission signal, increase of plasma density together with an increase of local density gradient at the plasma edge, so we call our ETB discharges as H-mode. The power threshold for the transition is clearly observed which is again similar to standard H-mode discharges, i.e., the threshold increases with the density and magnetic field. Unique feature of CHS H-mode is the dependence on the magnetic field configuration. We examined H-mode discharges for the configurations with magnetic axis shift and the magnetic quadrupole control. The transition appeared for a wide range of configurations with the rotational transform at the plasma edge (iota(a)) below and above unity. There is a general dependence of power threshold: higher power needed for the inward shifted configuration (with lower value of iota(a)) and lower power for outward shift. The absolute power threshold of CHS H-mode for the outward shifted configuration is very close to the tokamak H-mode with a divertor configuration. Other topics of confinement studies in CHS will be also presented. We have a unique diagnostic system of two heavy ion beam probes. It is unique in stellarator research and also for all toroidal confinement research including many tokamaks in the world. As well as fruitful result of electric field measurements, that is one of key elements for stellarator physics, this diagnostic measures turbulence in the plasma, which gives essential information for the study of
Models for Predicting Boundary Conditions in L-Mode Tokamak Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siriwitpreecha, A.; Onjun, T.; Suwanna, S.; Poolyarat, N.; Picha, R.

2009-07-01

Full text: The models for predicting temperature and density of ions and electrons at boundary conditions in L-mode tokamak plasma are developed using an empirical approach and optimized against the experimental data obtained from the latest public version of the International Pedestal Database (version 3.2). It is assumed that the temperature and density at boundary of L-mode plasma are functions of engineering parameters such as plasma current, toroidal magnetic field, total heating power, line averaged density, hydrogenic particle mass (A H ), major radius, minor radius, and elongation at the separatrix. Multiple regression analysis is carried out for these parameters with 86 data points in L-mode from Aug (61) and JT60U (25). The RMSE of temperature and density at boundary of L-mode plasma are found to be 24.41% and 18.81%, respectively. These boundary models are implemented in BALDUR code, which will be used to simulate the L-mode plasma in the tokamak
Locality effects on bifurcation paradigm of L-H transition in tokamak plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boonyarit Chatthong

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The locality effects on bifurcation paradigm of L-H transition phenomenon in magnetic confinement plasmas are investigated. One dimensional thermal transport equation with both neoclassical and anomalous transports effects included is considered, where a flow shear due to pressure gradient component is included as a transport suppression mechanism. Three different locally driven models for anomalous transport are considered, including a constant transport model, pressure gradient driven transport model, and critical pressure gradient threshold transport model. Local stability analysis shows that the transition occurs at a threshold flux with hysteresis nature only if ratio of anomalous strength over neoclassical transport exceeds a critical value. The depth of the hysteresis loop depends on both neoclassical and anomalous transports, as well as the suppression strength. The reduction of the heat flux required to maintain H-mode can be as low as a factor of two, which is similar to experimental evidence.
International workshop of the Confinement Database and Modelling Expert Group in collaboration with the Edge and Pedestal Physics Expert Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordey, J.; Kardaun, O.

2001-01-01

A Workshop of the Confinement Database and Modelling Expert Group (EG) was held on 2-6 April at the Plasma Physics Research Center of Lausanne (CRPP), Switzerland. Presentations were held on the present status of the plasma pedestal (temperature and energy) scalings from an empirical and theoretical perspective. An integrated approach to modelling tokamaks incorporating core transport, edge pedestal and SOL, together with a model for ELMs was presented by JCT. New experimental data on on global H-mode confinement were discussed and presentations on L-H threshold power were made
Suppression of tungsten accumulation during ELMy H-mode by lower hybrid wave heating in the EAST tokamak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Zhang

2017-08-01

Full Text Available EAST tokamak has been equipped with upper tungsten divertor since 2014. The tungsten accumulation has been often observed in NBI-heated H-mode discharges suggesting deleterious tungsten confinement in the plasma core. It causes not only H-L back transition but also plasma disruption in several discharges. Suppression of the tungsten accumulation is therefore the most important issue in EAST to achieve a long pulse H-mode discharge. In order to study the tungsten behavior in the long pulse discharge, tungsten spectra have been measured at 20–140Å. The tungsten density, nw, is evaluated from the intensity of tungsten unresolved transition array (W-UTA in a wavelength range of 45–70Å which is composed of several ionization stages of tungsten, e.g. W27+-W45+ at Te0∼2.5keV. It is found that the tungsten accumulation can be suppressed when the 4.6GHz LHW with PLHW∼0.8MW is superimposed on the NBI phase (PNBI= 1.9MW. During the superimposed phase the ELM frequency, fELM, increases from ∼30Hz to ∼60Hz and the tungsten density is halved compared to the NBI-heated discharge. The H-mode discharge can be thus steadily sustained for longer period. It is found that the nw is a large function of the ratio of LHW power to the total injection power, PLHW/(PLHW+PNBI, and the nw can be reduced, at least, in an order of magnitude smaller than that in NBI-heated discharges at PLHW/(PLHW+PNBI≥0.8. The result strongly suggests a possible way toward the steady H-mode discharge.
Comparison of L-H transition measurements with physics models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlstrom, T.N.; Burrell, K.H.; Carreras, B.A.

1999-01-01

Sawteeth and neutrals are found to have a significant influence on the H-mode power threshold scaling. The ion ∇B drift direction has only a small effect on the edge plasma conditions measured near the plasma midplane but a large effect on the divertor plasma. Since the power threshold changes dramatically with the direction of the ion ∇B drift, this implies that phenomena in the divertor region are critical for the L-H transition. Local conditions at the plasma edge are consistent with several theories of the L-H transition that use edge gradients in their formulation of a critical threshold parameter. However, scatter in the database is too large to distinguish between conditions that lead to an L-H transition and those that remain in L-mode. (author)
Comparison of L-H transition measurements with physics models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlstrom, T.N.; Burrell, K.H.; Groebner, R.J.

2001-01-01

Sawteeth and neutrals are found to have a significant influence on the H-mode power threshold scaling. The ion ∇B drift direction has only a small effect on the edge plasma conditions measured near the plasma midplane but a large effect on the divertor plasma. Since the power threshold changes dramatically with the direction of the ion ∇B drift, this implies that phenomena in the divertor region are critical for the L-H transition. Local conditions at the plasma edge are consistent with several theories of the L-H transition that use edge gradients in their formulation of a critical threshold parameter. However, scatter in the database is too large to distinguish between conditions that lead to an L-H transition and those that remain in L-mode. (author)
Mode dynamics and confinement in the reversed field pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunsell, P.R.; Bergsaker, H.; Brzozowski, J.H.; Cecconello, M.; Drake, J.R.; Malmberg, J.-A.; Scheffel, J.; Schnack, D.D.

2001-01-01

Tearing mode dynamics and toroidal plasma flow in the RFP has been experimentally studied in the Extrap T2 device. A toroidally localised, stationary magnetic field perturbation, the 'slinky mode' is formed in nearly all discharges. There is a tendency of increased phase alignment of different toroidal Fourier modes, resulting in higher localised mode amplitudes, with higher magnetic fluctuation level. The fluctuation level increases slightly with increasing plasma current and plasma density. The toroidal plasma flow velocity and the ion temperature has been measured with Doppler spectroscopy. Both the toroidal plasma velocity and the ion temperature clearly increase with I/N. Initial, preliminary experimental results obtained very recently after a complete change of the Extrap T2 front-end system (first wall, shell, TF coil), show that an operational window with mode rotation most likely exists in the rebuilt device, in contrast to the earlier case discussed above. A numerical code DEBSP has been developed to simulate the behaviour of RFP confinement in realistic geometry, including essential transport physics. Resulting scaling laws are presented and compared with results from Extrap T2 and other RFP experiments. (author)

The physics of transport barrier formation in the PBX-M H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tynan, G.R.; Schmitz, L.; Blush, L.

1994-01-01

Measurements of edge profiles, turbulence, and turbulent-driven transport were made inside the last-closed flux surface (LCFS) and in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of PBX-M L-mode and H-mode plasmas using a fast reciprocating Langmuir probe diagnostic. Direct measurements of the potential profile confirm the generation of a strong inward radial electric field (E r ∼ -100 V/cm) just inside the LCFS in H-mode. Density and potential fluctuations levels are reduced at the L-H transition, resulting in significantly lower turbulent transport. The reduction in turbulent transport occurs across the LCFS and SOL regions and is not localized to the region of strong radial electric field. (author)
Methane penetration in DIII-D ELMing H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, W.P.; Lasnier, C.J.; Whyte, D.G.; Isler, R.C.; Evans, T.E.; Jackson, G.L.; Rudakov, D.; Wade, M.R.; Strachan, J.

2003-01-01

Carbon penetration into the core plasma during midplane and divertor methane puffing has been measured for DIII-D ELMing H-mode plasmas. The methane puffs are adjusted to a measurable signal, but global plasma parameters are only weakly affected (line average density, e > increases by E , drops by 6+ density profiles in the core measured as a function of time using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. The methane penetration factor is defined as the difference in the core content with the puff on and puff off, divided by the carbon confinement time and the methane puffing rate. In ELMing H-mode discharges with ion ∇B drift direction into the X-point, increasing the line averaged density from 5 to 8x10 19 m -3 dropped the penetration factor from 6.6% to 4.6% for main chamber puffing. The penetration factor for divertor puffing was below the detection limit (<1%). Changing the ion ∇B drift to away from the X-point decreased the penetration factor by more than a factor of five for main chamber puffing
Quantitative comparison of electron temperature fluctuations to nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations in C-Mod Ohmic L-mode discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sung, C., E-mail: csung@physics.ucla.edu [University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); White, A. E.; Greenwald, M.; Howard, N. T. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Mikkelsen, D. R.; Churchill, R. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Holland, C. [University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); Theiler, C. [Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, SPC, Lausanne 1015 (Switzerland)

2016-04-15

Long wavelength turbulent electron temperature fluctuations (k{sub y}ρ{sub s} < 0.3) are measured in the outer core region (r/a > 0.8) of Ohmic L-mode plasmas at Alcator C-Mod [E. S. Marmar et al., Nucl. Fusion 49, 104014 (2009)] with a correlation electron cyclotron emission diagnostic. The relative amplitude and frequency spectrum of the fluctuations are compared quantitatively with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations using the GYRO code [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] in two different confinement regimes: linear Ohmic confinement (LOC) regime and saturated Ohmic confinement (SOC) regime. When comparing experiment with nonlinear simulations, it is found that local, electrostatic ion-scale simulations (k{sub y}ρ{sub s} ≲ 1.7) performed at r/a ∼ 0.85 reproduce the experimental ion heat flux levels, electron temperature fluctuation levels, and frequency spectra within experimental error bars. In contrast, the electron heat flux is robustly under-predicted and cannot be recovered by using scans of the simulation inputs within error bars or by using global simulations. If both the ion heat flux and the measured temperature fluctuations are attributed predominantly to long-wavelength turbulence, then under-prediction of electron heat flux strongly suggests that electron scale turbulence is important for transport in C-Mod Ohmic L-mode discharges. In addition, no evidence is found from linear or nonlinear simulations for a clear transition from trapped electron mode to ion temperature gradient turbulence across the LOC/SOC transition, and also there is no evidence in these Ohmic L-mode plasmas of the “Transport Shortfall” [C. Holland et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 052301 (2009)].
One-dimensional modelling of limit-cycle oscillation and H-mode power scaling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Xingquan; Xu, Guosheng; Wan, Baonian

2015-01-01

To understand the connection between the dynamics of microscopic turbulence and the macroscale power scaling in the L-I-H transition in magnetically confined plasmas, a new time-dependent, one-dimensional (in radius) model has been developed. The model investigates the radial force balance equati...
Giant enhancement of reflectance due to the interplay between surface confined wave modes and nonlinear gain in dielectric media.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sangbum; Kim, Kihong

2017-12-11

We study theoretically the interplay between the surface confined wave modes and the linear and nonlinear gain of the dielectric layer in the Otto configuration. The surface confined wave modes, such as surface plasmons or waveguide modes, are excited in the dielectric-metal bilayer by obliquely incident p waves. In the purely linear case, we find that the interplay between linear gain and surface confined wave modes can generate a large reflectance peak with its value much greater than 1. As the linear gain parameter increases, the peak appears at smaller incident angles, and the associated modes also change from surface plasmons to waveguide modes. When the nonlinear gain is turned on, the reflectance shows very strong multistability near the incident angles associated with surface confined wave modes. As the nonlinear gain parameter is varied, the reflectance curve undergoes complicated topological changes and sometimes displays separated closed curves. When the nonlinear gain parameter takes an optimally small value, a giant amplification of the reflectance by three orders of magnitude occurs near the incident angle associated with a waveguide mode. We also find that there exists a range of the incident angle where the wave is dissipated rather than amplified even in the presence of gain. We suggest that this can provide the basis for a possible new technology for thermal control in the subwavelength scale.
Structure and spectra of a confined HeH molecule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, J M H; Klobukowski, M; Bielinska-Wacz, D; Schreiner, E W S; Diercksen, G H F

2006-01-01

The influence of spatial confinement on the structure and spectra of the Rydberg HeH molecule is analysed at the level of the variational full configuration interaction approach. The confining potential is assumed to have cylindrical symmetry, with the symmetry axis of the potential overlapping with the molecular bond. In the direction perpendicular to the axis quadratic dependence of the potential on the electron coordinates is assumed. The influence of the confining potential on the form of the potential energy curves (in particular on the bond lengths), on the electronic spectra and on the ionization due to the confinement is studied in detail
Combined confinement system applied to tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkawa, Tihiro

1986-01-01

From particle orbit point of view, a tokamak is a combined confinement configuration where a closed toroidal volume is surrounded by an open confinement system like a magnetic mirror. By eliminating a cold halo plasma, the energy loss from the plasma becomes convective. The H-mode in diverted tokamaks is an example. Because of the favorable scaling of the energy confinement time with temperature, the performance of the tokamak may be significantly improved by taking advantage of this effect. (author)
Density fluctuation measurements via reflectometry on DIII-D during L- and H-mode operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, E.J.; Lehecka, T.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Peebles, W.A.; Philipona, R.

1990-01-01

The unique ability of reflectometers to provide radial density fluctuation measurements with high spatial resolution (of the order of ≤ centimeters, is ideally suited to the study of the edge plasma modifications associated with H-mode operation. Consequently, attention has been focused on the study of these phenomena since an improved understanding of the physics of H-mode plasmas is essential if a predictive capability for machine performance is to be developed. In addition, DIII-D is ideally suited for such studies since it is a major device noted for its robust H-mode operation and excellent basic plasma profile diagnostic information. The reflectometer system normally used for fluctuation studies is an O-mode, homodyne, system utilizing 7 discrete channels spanning 15-75 GHz, with corresponding critical densities of 2.8x10 18 to 7x10 19 m -3 . The Gunn diode sources in this system are only narrowly tunable in frequency, so the critical densities are essentially fixed. An X-mode system, utilizing a frequency tunable BWO source, has also been used to obtain fluctuation data, and in particular, to 'fill in the gaps' between the discrete O-mode channels. (author) 12 refs., 5 figs
ELM Dynamics in TCV H-modes

Science.gov (United States)

Degeling, A. W.; Martin, Y. R.; Lister, J. B.; Llobet, X.; Bak, P. E.

2003-06-01

TCV (Tokamak à Configuration Variable, R = 0.88 m, a limited and diverted plasmas, with the primary aim of investigating the effects of plasma shape and current profile on tokamak physics and performance. L-mode to H-mode transitions are regularly obtained in TCV over a wide range of configurations. Under most conditions, the H-mode is ELM-free and terminates in a high density disruption. The conditions required for a transition to an ELMy H-mode were investigated in detail, and a reliable gateway in parameter space for the transition was identified. Once established, the ELMy H-mode is robust to changes in plasma current, elongation, divertor geometry and plasma density over ranges that are much wider than the size of the gateway in these parameters. There exists marked irregularity in the time interval between consecutive ELMs. Transient signatures in the time-series revealing the existence of an underlying chaotic dynamical system are repeatedly observed in a sizable group of discharges [1]. The properties of these signatures (called unstable periodic orbits, or UPOs) are found to vary systematically with parameters such as the plasma current, density and inner plasma — wall gap. A link has also been established between the dynamics of ELMs and sawteeth in TCV: under certain conditions a clear preference is observed in the phase between ELMs and sawtooth crashes, and the ratio of the ELM frequency (felm) to sawtooth frequency (fst) is found to prefer simple rational values (e.g. 1/1, 2/1 or 1/2). An attempt to control the ELM dynamics was made by applying a perturbation signal to the radial field coils used for vertical stabilisation. Phase synchronisation was found with the external perturbation, and felm was found to track limited scans in the driver frequency about the unperturbed value, albeit with intermittent losses in phase lock.
Analysis of performance degradation in an electron heating dominant H-mode plasma after ECRH termination in EAST

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Hongfei; Ding, Siye; Chen, Jiale; Wang, Yifeng; Lian, Hui; Xu, Guosheng; Zhai, Xuemei; Liu, Haiqing; Zang, Qing; Lyu, Bo; Duan, Yanmin; Qian, Jinping; Gong, Xianzu

2018-06-01

In recent EAST experiments, significant performance degradation accompanied by a decrease of internal inductance is observed in an electron heating dominant H-mode plasma after the electron cyclotron resonance heating termination. The lower hybrid wave (LHW) deposition and effective electron heat diffusivity are calculated to explain this phenomenon. Analysis shows that the changes of LHW heating deposition rather than the increase of transport are responsible for the significant decrease in energy confinement (). The reason why the confinement degradation occurred on a long time scale could be attributed to both good local energy confinement in the core and also the dependence of LHW deposition on the magnetic shear. The electron temperature profile shows weaker stiffness in near axis region where electron heating is dominant, compared to that in large radius region. Unstable electron modes from low to high k in the core plasma have been calculated in the linear GYRO simulations, which qualitatively agree with the experimental observation. This understanding of the plasma performance degradation mechanism will help to find ways of improving the global confinement in the radio-frequency dominant scenario in EAST.
SAFETY FACTOR SCALING OF ENERGY TRANSPORT IN L-MODE PLASMAS ON THE DIII-D TOKAMAK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PETTY, C.C.; KINSEY, J.E.; LUCE, T.C.

2003-01-01

OAK-B135 The scaling of energy transport with safety factor (q) at fixed magnetic shear has been measured on the DIII-D tokamak [Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] for low confinement (L) mode discharges. At constant density, temperature, and toroidal magnetic field strength, such that the toroidal dimensionless parameters other than q are held fixed, the one-fluid thermal diffusivity is found to scale like χ ∝ q 0.84±0.15 , with the ion channel having a stronger q dependence than the electron channel in the outer half of the plasma. The measured q scaling is in good agreement with the predicted scaling by the GLF23 transport model for the ion temperature gradient and trapped electron modes, but it is significantly weaker than the inferred scaling from empirically-derived confinement scaling relations
Pedestal characteristics and MHD stability of H-mode plasmas in TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitzschke, A.

2011-01-01

The tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) is unique in its ability to create a variety of plasma shapes and to heat the electron population in high density regimes using microwave power at the third harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency. In the frame of this thesis, the impact of plasma shaping and heating on the properties of the edge transport barrier (ETB) in the high confinement mode (H-mode) was studied. This mode of operation is foreseen as one of the reference scenarios for ITER, the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor, which is being built to demonstrate the feasibility of thermonuclear fusion using magnetic confinement. A feature of H-mode regime operation are edge localized modes (ELMs), instabilities driven by the steep pressure gradients that form in the plasma edge region due to a transport barrier. During an ELM event, energy and particles are expelled from the plasma in a short burst. This will cause serious problems with respect to the heat load on plasma facing components in a tokamak of the size of ITER. Understanding of the phenomena associated with ELMs is thus required and dedicated investigations of their theory and experimental observations are carried out in many laboratories worldwide. This thesis presents several experimental and numerical investigations of tokamak behavior for configurations where the plasma edge plays an important role. From the experimental viewpoint, studies of transport barriers are challenging, as plasma parameters change strongly within a narrow spatial region. As part of the work presented here, the TCV Thomson scattering system was upgraded to meet the requirements for diagnosing electron temperature and density with high spatial resolution in the region of internal and external transport barriers. Simultaneously, the data analysis was significantly improved to cope with statistical uncertainties and alleviate possible systematic errors. For measurements of the time evolution of density and
Theory of anomalous transport in H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, S.; Itoh, K.; Fukuyama, A.; Yagi, M.

1993-05-01

Theory of the anomalous transport is developed, and the unified formula for the L- and H-mode plasmas is presented. The self-sustained ballooning-mode turbulence is solved in the presence of the inhomogeneous radial electric field, E r . Reductions in transport coefficients and the amplitude and decorrelation length of fluctuations due to E r ' are quantitatively analyzed. Combined with the E r -bifurcation model, the thickness of the transport barrier is simultaneously determined. (author)
Predictive modelling of the impact of argon injection on H-mode plasmas in JET with the RITM code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unterberg, B; Kalupin, D; Tokar', M Z; Corrigan, G; Dumortier, P; Huber, A; Jachmich, S; Kempenaars, M; Kreter, A; Messiaen, A M; Monier-Garbet, P; Ongena, J; Puiatti, M E; Valisa, M; Hellermann, M von

2004-01-01

Self-consistent modelling of energy and particle transport of the plasma background and impurities has been performed with the code RITM for argon seeded high density H-mode plasmas in JET. The code can reproduce both the profiles in the plasma core and the structure of the edge pedestal. The impact of argon on core transport is found to be small; in particular, no significant change in confinement is observed in both experimental and modelling results. The same transport model, which has been used to reproduce density peaking in the radiative improved mode in TEXTOR, reveals a flat density profile in Ar seeded JET H-mode plasmas in agreement with the experimental observations. This behaviour is attributed to the rather flat profile of the safety factor in the bulk of H-mode discharges
Development of a tokamak plasma optimized for stability and confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Politzer, P.A.

1995-02-01

Design of an economically attractive tokamak fusion reactor depends on producing steady-state plasma operation with simultaneous high energy density (β) and high energy confinement (τ E ); either of these, by itself, is insufficient. In operation of the DIII-D tokamak, both high confinement enhancement (H≡ τ E /τ ITER-89P = 4) and high normalized β (β N ≡ β/(I/aB) = 6%-m-T/MA) have been obtained. For the present, these conditions have been produced separately and in transient discharges. The DIII-D advanced tokamak development program is directed toward developing an understanding of the characteristics which lead to high stability and confinement, and to use that understanding to demonstrate stationary, high performance operation through active control of the plasma shape and profiles. The authors have identified some of the features of the operating modes in DIII-D that contribute to better performance. These are control of the plasma shape, control of both bulk plasma rotation and shear in the rotation and Er profiles, and particularly control of the toroidal current profiles. In order to guide their future experiments, they are developing optimized scenarios based on their anticipated plasma control capabilities, particularly using fast wave current drive (on-axis) and electron cyclotron current drive (off-axis). The most highly developed model is the second-stable core VH-mode, which has a reversed magnetic shear safety factor profile [q(O) = 3.9, q min = 2.6, and q 95 = 6]. This model plasma uses profiles which the authors expect to be realizable. At β N ≥ 6, it is stable to n=l kink modes and ideal ballooning modes, and is expected to reach H ≥ 3 with VH-mode-like confinement
Optimized profiles for improved confinement and stability in the Dill-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, T.S.; St John, H.; Turnbull, A.D.

1994-01-01

Simultaneous achievement of high energy confinement, τ E , and high plasma beta, β, leads to an economically attractive compact tokamak fusion reactor. High confinement enhancement, H τ E /τ E -ITER89P 4, and high normalized beta β N β/(I/aB) = 6%-m-T/MA. have been obtained in DIII-D experimental discharges. These improved confinement and/or improved stability limits are observed in several DIII-D high performance operational regimes: VH-mode, high l i H-mode, second stable core, and high beta poloidal. We have identified several important features of the improved performance in these discharges: details of the plasma shape, toroidal rotation or ExB flow profile, q profile and current density profile, and pressure profile. From our improved physics understanding of these enhanced performance regimes, we have developed operational scenarios which maintain the essential features of the improved confinement and which increase the stability limits using localized current profile control. The stability limit is increased by modifying the interior safety factor profile to be nonmonotonic with high central q, while maintaining the edge current density consistent with the improved transport regimes and the high edge bootstrap current. We have calculated high beta equilibria with β N 6.5, stable to ideal n=1 kinks and stable to ideal ballooning modes. The safety factor at the 95% flux surface is 6, the central q value is 3.9 and the minimum in q is 2.6. The current density profile is maintained by the natural profile of the bootstrap current, and a modest amount of electron cyclotron current drive. (Author)
Plasma-edge gradients in L-mode and ELM-free H-mode JET plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breger, P.; Zastrow, K.-D.; Davies, S.J.; K ig, R.W.T.; Summers, D.D.R.; Hellermann, M.G. von; Flewin, C.; Hawkes, N.C.; Pietrzyk, Z.A.; Porte, L.

1998-01-01

Experimental plasma-edge gradients in JET during the edge-localized-mode (ELM) free H-mode are examined for evidence of the presence and location of the transport barrier region inside the magnetic separatrix. High spatial resolution data in electron density is available in- and outside the separatrix from an Li-beam diagnostic, and in electron temperature inside the separatrix from an ECE diagnostic, while outside the separatrix, a reciprocating probe provides electron density and temperature data in the scrape-off layer. Ion temperatures and densities are measured using an edge charge-exchange diagnostic. A comparison of observed widths and gradients of this edge region with each other and with theoretical expectations is made. Measurements show that ions and electrons form different barrier regions. Furthermore, the electron temperature barrier width (3-4 cm) is about twice that of electron density, in conflict with existing scaling laws. Suitable parametrization of the edge data enables an electron pressure gradient to be deduced for the first time at JET. It rises during the ELM-free phase to reach only about half the marginal pressure gradient expected from ballooning stability before the first ELM. Subsequent type I ELMs occur on a pressure gradient contour roughly consistent with both a constant barrier width model and a ballooning mode envelope model. (author)
Simulations of the L-H transition on experimental advanced superconducting Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiland, Jan

2014-01-01

We have simulated the L-H transition on the EAST tokamak [Baonian Wan, EAST and HT-7 Teams, and International Collaborators, “Recent experiments in the EAST and HT-7 superconducting tokamaks,” Nucl. Fusion 49, 104011 (2009)] using a predictive transport code where ion and electron temperatures, electron density, and poloidal and toroidal momenta are simulated self consistently. This is, as far as we know, the first theory based simulation of an L-H transition including the whole radius and not making any assumptions about where the barrier should be formed. Another remarkable feature is that we get H-mode gradients in agreement with the α – α d diagram of Rogers et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 4396 (1998)]. Then, the feedback loop emerging from the simulations means that the L-H power threshold increases with the temperature at the separatrix. This is a main feature of the C-mod experiments [Hubbard et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 056109 (2007)]. This is also why the power threshold depends on the direction of the grad B drift in the scrape off layer and also why the power threshold increases with the magnetic field. A further significant general H-mode feature is that the density is much flatter in H-mode than in L-mode
Study of H-mode threshold conditions in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Carlstrom, T.N.; Burrell, K.H.

1996-10-01

Studies have been conducted in DIII-D to determine the dependence of the power threshold P lh for the transition to the H-mode regime and the threshold P hl for the transition from H-mode to L-mode as functions of external parameters. There is a value of the line-averaged density n e at which P lh has a minimum and P lh tends to increase for lower and higher values of n e . Experiments conducted to separate the effect of the neutral density n 0 from the plasma density n e give evidence of a strong coupling between n 0 and n e . The separate effect of neutrals on the transition has not been determined. Coordinated experiments with JET made in the ITER shape show that P lh increases approximately as S 0.5 where S is the plasma surface area. For these discharges, the power threshold in DIII-D was high by normal standards, thus suggesting that effects other than plasma size may have affected the experiment. Studies of H-L transitions have been initiated and hysteresis of order 40% has been observed. Studies have also been done of the dependence of the L-H transition on local edge parameters. Characterization of the edge within a few ms prior to the transition shows that the range of edge temperatures at which the transition has been observed is more restrictive than the range of densities at which it occurs. These results suggest that some temperature function is important for controlling the transition
CORRELATION OF H-MODE BARRIER WIDTH AND NEUTRAL PENETRATION LENGTH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GROEBNER, R.J.; MAHDAVI, M.A.; LEONARD, A.W.; OSBORNE, T.H.; WOLF, N.S.; PORTER, G.D.; STANGEBY, P.C.; BROOKS, N.H.; COLCHIN, R.J.; HEIDBRINK, W.W.; LUCE, T.C.; MCKEE, G.R.; OWEN, L.W.; WANG, G.; WHYTE, D.G.

2002-01-01

OAK A271 CORRELATION OF H-MODE BARRIER WIDTH AND NEUTRAL PENETRATION LENGTH. Pedestal studies in DIII-D find a good correlation between the width of the H-mode density barrier and the neutral penetration length. These results are obtained by comparing experimental density profiles to the predictions of an analytic model for the profile, obtained from the particle continuity equations for electrons and deuterium atoms. In its range of validity (edge temperature between 40-500 eV), the analytic model quantitatively predicts the observed decrease of the width as the pedestal density increases, the observed strong increase of the gradient of the density as the pedestal density increases and the observation that L-mode and H-mode profiles with the same pedestal density have very similar shapes. The width of the density barrier, measured from the edge of the electron temperature barrier, is the lower limit for the observed width of the temperature barrier. These results support the hypothesis that particle fueling provides the dominant control for the size of the H-mode transport barrier

CORRELATION OF H-MODE BARRIER WIDTH AND NEUTRAL PENTRATION LENGTH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GROEBNER, R.J.; MAHDAVI, M.A.; LEONARD, A.W.; OSBORNE, T.H.; WOLF, N.S.; PORTER, G.D.; STANGEBY, P.C.; BROOKS, N.H.; COLCHIN, R.J.; HEIDBRINK, W.W.; LUCE, T.C.; MCKEE, G.R.; OWEN, L.W.; WANG, G.; WHYTE, D.G.

2002-01-01

OAK A271 CORRELATION OF H-MODE BARRIER WIDTH AND NEUTRAL PENTRATION LENGTH. Pedestal studies in DIII-D find a good correlation between the width of the region of steep gradient in the H-mode density and the neutral penetration length. These results are obtained by comparing experimental density profiles to the predictions of an analytic model for the profile, obtained from the particle continuity equations for electrons and deuterium atoms. In its range of validity (edge temperature between 40-500 eV), the analytic model quantitatively predicts the observed decrease of the width as the pedestal density increases, the observed strong increase of the gradient of the density as the pedestal density increases and the observation that L-mode and H-mode profiles with the same pedestal density have very similar shapes. The width of the density barrier, measured from the edge of the electron temperature barrier, is the lower limit for the observed width of the temperature barrier. These results support the hypothesis that particle fueling provides a dominant control for the size of the H-mode transport barrier
Role of Density Gradient Driven Trapped Electron Modes in the H-Mode Inner Core with Electron Heating

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, D.

2015-11-01

We present new experiments and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations showing that density gradient driven TEM (DGTEM) turbulence dominates the inner core of H-Mode plasmas during strong electron heating. Thus α-heating may degrade inner core confinement in H-Mode plasmas with moderate density peaking. These DIII-D low torque quiescent H-mode experiments were designed to study DGTEM turbulence. Gyrokinetic simulations using GYRO (and GENE) closely match not only particle, energy, and momentum fluxes, but also density fluctuation spectra, with and without ECH. Adding 3.4 MW ECH doubles Te /Ti from 0.5 to 1.0, which halves the linear TEM critical density gradient, locally flattening the density profile. Density fluctuations from Doppler backscattering (DBS) intensify near ρ = 0.3 during ECH, displaying a band of coherent fluctuations with adjacent toroidal mode numbers. GYRO closely reproduces the DBS spectrum and its change in shape and intensity with ECH, identifying these as coherent TEMs. Prior to ECH, parallel flow shear lowers the effective nonlinear DGTEM critical density gradient 50%, but is negligible during ECH, when transport displays extreme stiffness in the density gradient. GS2 predictions show the DGTEM can be suppressed, to avoid degradation with electron heating, by broadening the current density profile to attain q0 >qmin > 1 . A related experiment in the same regime varied the electron temperature gradient in the outer half-radius (ρ ~ 0 . 65) using ECH, revealing spatially coherent 2D mode structures in the Te fluctuations measured by ECE imaging. Fourier analysis with modulated ECH finds a threshold in Te profile stiffness. Supported by the US DOE under DE-FC02-08ER54966 and DE-FC02-04ER54698.
Observation of an improved energy-confinement regime in neutral-beam--heated divertor discharges in the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.; Ejima, S.; Schissel, D.P.

1987-01-01

Tokamak discharges using the expanded boundary divertor in the DIII-D device exhibit H-mode confinement. With neutral-beam power up to 6 MW, energy confinement remains comparable to the Ohmic value at a plasma current of 1 MA. Confinement is also independent of plasma density and toroidal field. Confinement increases with plasma current, but the exact functional dependence is, as yet, uncertain. These results show that the H mode can be achieved in a reactor-compatible open divertor configuration
Comparison of a low- to high-confinement transition theory with experimental data from DIII-D.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzdar, P N; Kleva, R G; Groebner, R J; Gohil, P

2002-12-23

From our recent theory based on the generation of shear flow and field in finite beta plasmas, the criterion for bifurcation from low to high confinement mode yields a critical parameter proportional to T(e)/square root (L(n)), where T(e) is the electron temperature and L(n) is the density scale length. The predicted threshold shows very good agreement with edge measurements on discharges undergoing low-to-high transitions in DIII-D. The observed differences in the transitions with the reversal of the toroidal magnetic field are reconciled in terms of this critical parameter. The theory also provides an explanation for pellet injection H modes in DIII-D, thereby unifying unconnected methods for accomplishing the transition.
ELM suppression in low edge collisionality H-mode discharges using n = 3 magnetic perturbations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burrell, K H [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Evans, T E [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Doyle, E J [University of California, Los Angeles, California (United States); Fenstermacher, M E [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California (United States); Groebner, R J [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Leonard, A W [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Moyer, R A [University of California, San Diego, California (United States); Osborne, T H; Schaffer, M J; Snyder, P B [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Thomas, P R [CEA Cadarache EURATOM Association, Cadarache (France); West, W P [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Boedo, J A [University of California, San Diego, California (United States); Garofalo, A M [Columbia University, New York, New York (United States); Gohil, P; Jackson, G L; La Haye, R J [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Lasnier, C J [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California (United States); Reimerdes, H [Columbia University, New York, New York (United States); Rhodes, T L [University of California, Los Angeles, California (United States); Scoville, J T [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Solomon, W M [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey (United States); Thomas, D M [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-9784 (United States); Wang, G [University of California, Los Angeles, California (United States); Watkins, J G [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico (United States); Zeng, L [University of California, Los Angeles, California (United States)

2005-12-15

Using resonant magnetic perturbations with toroidal mode number n = 3, we have produced H-mode discharges without edge localized modes (ELMs) which run with constant density and radiated power for periods up to about 2550 ms (17 energy confinement times). These ELM suppression results are achieved at pedestal collisionalities close to those desired for next step burning plasma experiments such as ITER and provide a means of eliminating the rapid erosion of divertor components in such machines which could be caused by giant ELMs. The ELM suppression is due to an enhancement in the edge particle transport which reduces pedestal current density and maximum edge pressure gradient below the threshold for peeling-ballooning modes. These n = 3 magnetic perturbations provide a means of active control of edge plasma transport.
ELM suppression in low edge collisionality H-mode discharges using n = 3 magnetic perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K H; Evans, T E; Doyle, E J; Fenstermacher, M E; Groebner, R J; Leonard, A W; Moyer, R A; Osborne, T H; Schaffer, M J; Snyder, P B; Thomas, P R; West, W P; Boedo, J A; Garofalo, A M; Gohil, P; Jackson, G L; La Haye, R J; Lasnier, C J; Reimerdes, H; Rhodes, T L; Scoville, J T; Solomon, W M; Thomas, D M; Wang, G; Watkins, J G; Zeng, L

2005-01-01

Using resonant magnetic perturbations with toroidal mode number n = 3, we have produced H-mode discharges without edge localized modes (ELMs) which run with constant density and radiated power for periods up to about 2550 ms (17 energy confinement times). These ELM suppression results are achieved at pedestal collisionalities close to those desired for next step burning plasma experiments such as ITER and provide a means of eliminating the rapid erosion of divertor components in such machines which could be caused by giant ELMs. The ELM suppression is due to an enhancement in the edge particle transport which reduces pedestal current density and maximum edge pressure gradient below the threshold for peeling-ballooning modes. These n = 3 magnetic perturbations provide a means of active control of edge plasma transport
Confinement and exhaust in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Counsell, G F; Ahn, J-W; Akers, R; Arends, E; Buttery, R; Field, A R; Gryaznevich, M; Helander, P; Kirk, A; Meyer, H; Valovic, M; Wilson, H R; Yang, Y

2002-01-01

The Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) is now accessing regimes with high normalized confinement relative to international scalings, H H (IPB98(y, 2))>1 at high normalized density, n-bar e >60% of the Greenwald density. Data from MAST H-modes suggest that the aspect ratio dependency of international confinement and L-H threshold scalings may need to be modified to improve predictions for ITER. Access to H-mode on MAST is strongly affected by both the divertor magnetic geometry and fuelling location, with the formation of an edge transport barrier being facilitated by operation near the symmetric, connected double-null configuration and with poloidally localized inboard gas puffing. The ELMs on MAST appear to be Type III in nature, even in the highest performance plasmas and with the maximum available auxiliary heating power. ELM energy losses are less than 4% of stored energy in all regimes so far explored. These Type III ELMs are associated with a reduction in the pedestal density but no significant change in the pedestal temperature or temperature profile, indicating that energy is convected from the pedestal region into the scrape-off layer. Analysis of the energy observed to arrive at the divertor targets indicates that ELM losses are predominantly on the low field side. ELM effluxes are observed up to 20 cm from the plasma edge at the outboard mid-plane and are associated with the radial motion of a feature at an average velocity of 1.2 km s -1
Low-n magnetohydrodynamic edge instabilities in quiescent H-mode plasmas with a safety-factor plateau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, L.J.; Kotschenreuther, M.T.; Valanju, P.

2013-01-01

Low-n magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes in the quiescent high confinement mode (H-mode) pedestal are investigated in this paper. Here, n is the toroidal mode number. The low collisionality regime is considered, so that a safety-factor plateau arises in the pedestal region because of the strong bootstrap current. The JET-like (Joint European Torus) equilibria of quiescent H-mode discharges are generated numerically using the VMEC code. The stability of this type of equilibria is analysed using the AEGIS code, with subsonic rotation effects taken into account. The current investigation extends the previous studies of n = 1 modes to n = 2 and 3 modes. The numerical results show that the MHD instabilities in this type of equilibria have characteristic features of the infernal mode. We find that this type of mode tends to prevail when the safety-factor value in the shear-free region is slightly larger than an integer. In this case the frequencies (ω n ) of modes with toroidal mode number n roughly follow the rule ω n ∼ −nΩ p , where Ω p is the local rotation frequency where the infernal harmonic prevails. Since the infernal mode tends to develop near the pedestal top, where pressure driving is strong but magnetic shear stabilization is weak, this local rotation frequency tends to be close to the pedestal top value. These typical mode features bear close resemblance to the edge harmonic oscillations (or outer modes) at the quiescent H-mode discharges observed experimentally. (paper)
Understanding L-H transition in tokamak fusion plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guosheng; Wu, Xingquan

2017-03-01

This paper reviews the current state of understanding of the L-H transition phenomenon in tokamak plasmas with a focus on two central issues: (a) the mechanism for turbulence quick suppression at the L-H transition; (b) the mechanism for subsequent generation of sheared flow. We briefly review recent advances in the understanding of the fast suppression of edge turbulence across the L-H transition. We uncover a comprehensive physical picture of the L-H transition by piecing together a number of recent experimental observations and insights obtained from 1D and 2D simulation models. Different roles played by diamagnetic mean flow, neoclassical-driven mean flow, turbulence-driven mean flow, and turbulence-driven zonal flows are discussed and clarified. It is found that the L-H transition occurs spontaneously mediated by a shift in the radial wavenumber spectrum of edge turbulence, which provides a critical evidence for the theory of turbulence quench by the flow shear. Remaining questions and some key directions for future investigations are proposed. This work was supported by National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China under Contracts No. 2015GB101000, No. 2013GB106000, and No. 2013GB107000 and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Contracts No. 11575235 and No. 11422546.
ELM Dynamics in TCV H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degeling, A.W.; Martin, Y.R.; Lister, J.B.; Llobet, X.; Bak, P.E.

2003-01-01

TCV (Tokamak a Configuration Variable, R = 0.88 m, a < 0.25 m, BT < 1.54 T) is a highly elongated tokamak, capable of producing limited and diverted plasmas, with the primary aim of investigating the effects of plasma shape and current profile on tokamak physics and performance. L-mode to H-mode transitions are regularly obtained in TCV over a wide range of configurations. Under most conditions, the H-mode is ELM-free and terminates in a high density disruption. The conditions required for a transition to an ELMy H-mode were investigated in detail, and a reliable gateway in parameter space for the transition was identified. Once established, the ELMy H-mode is robust to changes in plasma current, elongation, divertor geometry and plasma density over ranges that are much wider than the size of the gateway in these parameters. There exists marked irregularity in the time interval between consecutive ELMs. Transient signatures in the time-series revealing the existence of an underlying chaotic dynamical system are repeatedly observed in a sizable group of discharges [1]. The properties of these signatures (called unstable periodic orbits, or UPOs) are found to vary systematically with parameters such as the plasma current, density and inner plasma -- wall gap. A link has also been established between the dynamics of ELMs and sawteeth in TCV: under certain conditions a clear preference is observed in the phase between ELMs and sawtooth crashes, and the ratio of the ELM frequency (felm) to sawtooth frequency (fst) is found to prefer simple rational values (e.g. 1/1, 2/1 or 1/2). An attempt to control the ELM dynamics was made by applying a perturbation signal to the radial field coils used for vertical stabilisation. Phase synchronisation was found with the external perturbation, and felm was found to track limited scans in the driver frequency about the unperturbed value, albeit with intermittent losses in phase lock
Experimental study of the β-limit in ohmic H-mode in the TUMAN-3M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S.V.; Andreiko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.; Golant, V.E.; Kornev, V.A.; Krikunov, S.V.; Levin, L.S.; Rozhdestvensky, V.V.; Tukachinsky, A.S.; Yaroshevich, S.P.

1998-01-01

Because of its high confinement properties, the H-mode provides good opportunities to achieve high beta values in a tokamak. In this paper the results of an experimental study of β T and β N limits in the H-mode, obtained in a circular cross section tokamak without auxiliary heating are presented. The experiments were performed in the TUMAN-3M tokamak. The device has the following parameters: R 0 =0.53m, a s =0.22m (limiter configuration), B T ≤1.2T, I p ≤175kA, n-bar e ≤6.2x10 19 m -3 . The stored energy was measured using diamagnetic loops and compared with W calculated from kinetic data obtained by Thomson scattering and microwave interferometry. Measurements of the stored energy and of the β were performed in the ohmic H-mode before and after boronization and in the scenario with fast current ramp-down in ohmic H-mode. A maximum value of β T of 2.0% and β N of 2.0 were achieved. The β N limit achieved reveals itself as a 'soft' (non-disruptive) limit. The stored energy slowly decays after the current ramp-down. No correlation was found between beta restriction and MHD phenomena. Internal transport barrier (ITB) formation was observed in ohmic H-mode. An enhancement factor of 2.0 over ITER93H(ELM-free) was found in the ohmic H-mode with ITB. (author)
Ion thermal conductivity and convective energy transport in JET hot-ion regimes and H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tibone, F.; Balet, B.; Cordey, J.G.

1989-01-01

Local transport in a recent series of JET experiments has been studied using interpretive codes. Auxiliary heating, mainly via neutral beam injection, was applied on low-density target plasmas confined in the double-null X-point configuration. This has produced two-component plasmas with high ion temperature and neutron yield and, above a threshold density, H-modes characterised by peak density and power deposition profiles. H-mode confinement was also obtained for the first time with 25 MW auxiliary power, of which 10 MW was from ion cyclotron resonance heating. We have used profile measurements of electron temperature T e from electron cyclotron emission and LIDAR Thomson scattering, ion temperature T i from charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (during NBI), electron density n e from LIDAR and Abel-inverted interferometer measurements. Only sparse information is, however, available to date concerning radial profiles of effective ionic charge and radiation losses. Deuterium depletion due to high impurity levels is an important effect in these discharges, and our interpretation of thermal ion energy content, neutron yield and ion particle fluxes needs to be confirmed using measured Z eff -profiles. (author) 4 refs., 4 figs
Statistical study of TCV disruptivity and H-mode accessibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Y.; Deschenaux, C.; Lister, J.B.; Pochelon, A.

1997-01-01

Optimising tokamak operation consists of finding a path, in a multidimensional parameter space, which leads to the desired plasma characteristics and avoids hazards regions. Typically the desirable regions are the domain where an L-mode to H-mode transition can occur, and then, in the H-mode, where ELMs and the required high density< y can be maintained. The regions to avoid are those with a high rate of disruptivity. On TCV, learning the safe and successful paths is achieved empirically. This will no longer be possible in a machine like ITER, since only a small percentage of disrupted discharges will be tolerable. An a priori knowledge of the hazardous regions in ITER is therefore mandatory. This paper presents the results of a statistical analysis of the occurrence of disruptions in TCV. (author) 4 figs
Correlation of H-mode barrier width and neutral penetration length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Leonard, A.W.

2003-01-01

Pedestal studies in DIII-D find a good correlation between the width of the H-mode density barrier and the neutral penetration length. These results are obtained by comparing experimental density profiles to the predictions of an analytic model for the profile, obtained from the particle continuity equations for electrons and deuterium atoms. In its range of validity (edge temperature between 40-500 eV), the analytic model quantitatively predicts the observed decrease of the width as the pedestal density increases, the observed strong increase of the gradient of the density as the pedestal density increases and the observation that L-mode and H-mode profiles with the same pedestal density have very similar shapes. The width of the density barrier, measured from the edge of the electron temperature barrier, is the lower limit for the observed width of the temperature barrier. These results support the hypothesis that particle fueling provides the dominant control for the size of the H-mode transport barrier. (author)
New steady-state quiescent high-confinement plasma in an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, J S; Sun, Z; Guo, H Y; Li, J G; Wan, B N; Wang, H Q; Ding, S Y; Xu, G S; Liang, Y F; Mansfield, D K; Maingi, R; Zou, X L; Wang, L; Ren, J; Zuo, G Z; Zhang, L; Duan, Y M; Shi, T H; Hu, L Q

2015-02-06

A critical challenge facing the basic long-pulse high-confinement operation scenario (H mode) for ITER is to control a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instability, known as the edge localized mode (ELM), which leads to cyclical high peak heat and particle fluxes at the plasma facing components. A breakthrough is made in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak in achieving a new steady-state H mode without the presence of ELMs for a duration exceeding hundreds of energy confinement times, by using a novel technique of continuous real-time injection of a lithium (Li) aerosol into the edge plasma. The steady-state ELM-free H mode is accompanied by a strong edge coherent MHD mode (ECM) at a frequency of 35-40 kHz with a poloidal wavelength of 10.2 cm in the ion diamagnetic drift direction, providing continuous heat and particle exhaust, thus preventing the transient heat deposition on plasma facing components and impurity accumulation in the confined plasma. It is truly remarkable that Li injection appears to promote the growth of the ECM, owing to the increase in Li concentration and hence collisionality at the edge, as predicted by GYRO simulations. This new steady-state ELM-free H-mode regime, enabled by real-time Li injection, may open a new avenue for next-step fusion development.
The Physics Basis of ITER Confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, F.

2009-01-01

ITER will be the first fusion reactor and the 50 year old dream of fusion scientists will become reality. The quality of magnetic confinement will decide about the success of ITER, directly in the form of the confinement time and indirectly because it decides about the plasma parameters and the fluxes, which cross the separatrix and have to be handled externally by technical means. This lecture portrays some of the basic principles which govern plasma confinement, uses dimensionless scaling to set the limits for the predictions for ITER, an approach which also shows the limitations of the predictions, and describes briefly the major characteristics and physics behind the H-mode--the preferred confinement regime of ITER.
Mode-selective symmetry control for indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion hohlraums

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesey, R. A.; Slutz, S. A.; Herrmann, M. C.; Mehlhorn, T. A.; Campbell, R. B.

2008-01-01

Achieving a high degree of radiation symmetry is a critical feature of target designs for indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion. Typically, the radiation flux incident on the capsule is required to be uniform to 1% or better. It is generally possible to design a hohlraum that provides low values of higher-order asymmetry (Legendre mode P 10 and above) due to geometric averaging effects. Because low-order intrinsic asymmetry (e.g., Legendre modes P 2 and P 4 ) are less strongly reduced by geometric averaging alone, the development of innovative control techniques has been an active area of research in the inertial fusion community over the years. Shields placed inside the hohlraum are one example of a technique that has often been proposed and incorporated into hohlraum target designs. Simple mathematical considerations are presented indicating that radiation shields may be designed to specifically tune lower-order modes (e.g., P 4 ) without deleterious effects on the higher order modes. Two-dimensional view factor and radiation-hydrodynamics simulations confirm these results and support such a path to achieving a highly symmetric x-ray flux. The term ''mode-selective'' is used because these shields, essentially ring structures offset from the capsule, are designed to affect only a specific Legendre mode (or multiple modes) of interest
MHD-induced Energetic Ion Loss during H-mode Discharges in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medley, S.S.; Gorelenkov, N.N.; Andre, R.; Bell, R.E.; Darrow, D.S.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Kaye, S.M.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Roquemore, A.L.

2004-01-01

MHD-induced energetic ion loss in neutral-beam-heated H-mode [high-confinement mode] discharges in NSTX [National Spherical Torus Experiment] is discussed. A rich variety of energetic ion behavior resulting from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity is observed in the NSTX using a horizontally scanning Neutral Particle Analyzer (NPA) whose sightline views across the three co-injected neutral beams. For example, onset of an n = 2 mode leads to relatively slow decay of the energetic ion population (E ∼ 10-100 keV) and consequently the neutron yield. The effect of reconnection events, sawteeth, and bounce fishbones differs from that observed for low-n, low-frequency, tearing-type MHD modes. In this case, prompt loss of the energetic ion population occurs on a time scale of less than or equal to 1 ms and a precipitous drop in the neutron yield occurs. This paper focuses on MHD-induced ion loss during H-mode operation in NSTX. After H-mode onset, the NPA charge-exchange spectrum usually exhibits a significant loss of energetic ions only for E > E(sub)b/2 where E(sub)b is the beam injection energy. The magnitude of the energetic ion loss was observed to decrease with increasing tangency radius, R(sub)tan, of the NPA sightline, increasing toroidal field, B(sub)T, and increasing neutral-beam injection energy, E(sub)b. TRANSP modeling suggests that MHD-induced ion loss is enhanced during H-mode operation due to an evolution of the q and beam deposition profiles that feeds both passing and trapped ions into the region of low-n MHD activity. ORBIT code analysis of particle interaction with a model magnetic perturbation supported the energy selectivity of the MHD-induced loss observed in the NPA measurements. Transport analysis with the TRANSP code using a fast-ion diffusion tool to emulate the observed MHD-induced energetic ion loss showed significant modifications of the neutral- beam heating as well as the power balance, thermal diffusivities, energy confinement times, and
MHD-induced Energetic Ion Loss during H-mode Discharges in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S.S. Medley; N.N. Gorelenkov; R. Andre; R.E. Bell; D.S. Darrow; E.D. Fredrickson; S.M. Kaye; B.P. LeBlanc; A.L. Roquemore; and the NSTX Team

2004-03-15

MHD-induced energetic ion loss in neutral-beam-heated H-mode [high-confinement mode] discharges in NSTX [National Spherical Torus Experiment] is discussed. A rich variety of energetic ion behavior resulting from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity is observed in the NSTX using a horizontally scanning Neutral Particle Analyzer (NPA) whose sightline views across the three co-injected neutral beams. For example, onset of an n = 2 mode leads to relatively slow decay of the energetic ion population (E {approx} 10-100 keV) and consequently the neutron yield. The effect of reconnection events, sawteeth, and bounce fishbones differs from that observed for low-n, low-frequency, tearing-type MHD modes. In this case, prompt loss of the energetic ion population occurs on a time scale of less than or equal to 1 ms and a precipitous drop in the neutron yield occurs. This paper focuses on MHD-induced ion loss during H-mode operation in NSTX. After H-mode onset, the NPA charge-exchange spectrum usually exhibits a significant loss of energetic ions only for E > E(sub)b/2 where E(sub)b is the beam injection energy. The magnitude of the energetic ion loss was observed to decrease with increasing tangency radius, R(sub)tan, of the NPA sightline, increasing toroidal field, B(sub)T, and increasing neutral-beam injection energy, E(sub)b. TRANSP modeling suggests that MHD-induced ion loss is enhanced during H-mode operation due to an evolution of the q and beam deposition profiles that feeds both passing and trapped ions into the region of low-n MHD activity. ORBIT code analysis of particle interaction with a model magnetic perturbation supported the energy selectivity of the MHD-induced loss observed in the NPA measurements. Transport analysis with the TRANSP code using a fast-ion diffusion tool to emulate the observed MHD-induced energetic ion loss showed significant modifications of the neutral- beam heating as well as the power balance, thermal diffusivities, energy confinement times
H-mode study in CHS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, K.; Morisaki, T.; Sakakibara, S.

1995-02-01

In CHS rapid H-mode transition is observed in NBI heated deuterium and hydrogen plasmas without obvious isotope effect, when a net plasma current is ramped up to increase the external rotational transform. The H-mode of CHS has many similarities with those in tokamaks. Recent measurement with fast response Langmuir probes has revealed that the rapid change in floating potential occurs at the transition, but the change follows the formation of edge transport barrier. The presence of ι/2π = 1 surface near the edge and sawtooth crash triggered by internal modes may play an important role for determining the H-mode transition in CHS. (author)

ELM triggering conditions for the integrated modeling of H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankin, A.Y.; Schnack, D.D.; Bateman, G.; Kritz, A.H.; Brennan, D.P.; Snyder, P.B.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; Kruger, S.; Janeschitz, G.; Onjun, T.; Pacher, G.W.; Pacher, H.D.

2004-01-01

Recent advances in the integrated modeling of ELMy (edge localized mode) H-mode plasmas are presented. A model for the H-mode pedestal and for the triggering of ELMs predicts the height, width, and shape of the H-mode pedestal and the frequency and width of ELMs. Formation of the pedestal and the L-H transition is the direct result of E r x B flow shear suppression of anomalous transport. The periodic ELM crashes are triggered by either the ballooning or peeling MHD instabilities. The BALOO, DCON, and ELITE ideal MHD stability codes are used to derive a new parametric expression for the peeling-ballooning threshold. The new dependence for the peeling-ballooning threshold is implemented in the ASTRA transport code. Results of integrated modeling of DIII-D like discharges are presented and compared with experimental observations. The results from the ideal MHD stability codes are compared with results from the resistive MHD stability code NIMROD. (authors)
Critical edge parameters for H-mode transition in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Carlstrom, T.N.

1997-11-01

Measurements in DIII-D of edge ion and electron temperatures (T i and T e ) just prior to the transition to H-mode are presented. A fitting model based on a hyperbolic tangent function is used in the analysis. The edge temperatures are observed to increase during the L-phase with the application of auxiliary heating. The temperature rise is small if the H-mode power threshold is close to the Ohmic power level in the absence of auxiliary heating and is large if the H-mode threshold is well above the Ohmic power level. The edge temperatures just prior to the transition are approximately proportional to the toroidal magnetic field Bt for the field either in the reversed or forward direction. However, for the reversed magnetic field, the temperatures are at least a factor of two higher than for the forward direction
Turbulence simulations of X point physics on the L-H transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, X.Q.; Cohen, R.H.; Nevins, W.M.

2001-01-01

We show that the resistive X-point mode is the dominant mode in boundary plasmas in X-point divertor geometry. The poloidal fluctuation phase velocity from the simulation results of the resistive X-point turbulence shows experimentally measured structure across separatrix in many fusion devices. The fluctuation phase velocity is larger than ExB velocity both in L and H mode phases. We also demonstrate that there is a strong poloidal asymmetry of particle flux in the proximity of the separatrix. Turbulence suppression in the L-H transition results when sources of energy and particles drive sufficient gradients as in the experiments. (author)
Transport of impurities during H-mode pulses in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannella, R.; Gottardi, N.; Mompean, F.; Mori, H.; Pasini, D.; Stork, D.; Barnsley, R.; Hawkes, N.C.; Lawson, K.

1990-01-01

The transport of impurities during the H-mode is very different from that observed in the other regimes. This is clearly evident in the quiescent discharges where the confinement time of impurities τ I are measured in all the quiescent H-mode discharges in spite of the variety of impurity behavior observed corresponding to different plasma parameters and operating scenarios. The condition of the machine has an influence on the role played by the various impurities, but this does not seem to affect the flow patterns of these ions substantially. In particular oxygen, which was often detected as the dominant radiator, can be reduced to a negligible fraction by He conditioning of the carbon X-point tiles or limiters or by evaporating beryllium in the vacuum vessel. Nevertheless the behaviour of the residual impurities in otherwise similar discharges remains substantially unchanged. The transport patterns appear in fact to be affected by the plasma parameters and their profiles. In particular, two extreme transport regimes are presented in the following. These discharges have been modelled with the aid of a recently developed fully time-dependent impurity transport code using heuristic profiles for the impurity diffusion D and the convection velocity v. (author) 4 refs., 5 figs
Emissive limiter bias experiment for improved confinement of tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choe, W.; Ono, M.; Darrow, D.S.; Pribyl, P.A.; Liberati, J.R.; Taylor, R.J.

1992-01-01

Experiments have been performed in Ohmic discharges of the UCLA CCT tokamak with a LaB 6 biased limiter, capable of emitting energetic electrons as a technique to improve confinement in tokamaks. To study the effects of emitted electrons, the limiter position, bias voltage, and plasma position were varied. The results have shown that the plasma positioning with respect to the emissive limiter plays an important role in obtaining H-mode plasmas. The emissive cathode must be located close to the last closed flux surface in order to charge up the plasma. As the cathode is moved closer to the wall, the positioning of the plasma becomes more critical since the plasma can easily detach from the cathode and reattach to the wall, resulting in the termination of H-mode. The emissive capability appears to be important for operating at lower bias voltage and reducing impurity levels in the plasma. With a heated cathode, transition to H-mode was observed for V bias ≤ 50 V and I inj ≥ 30 A. At a lower cathode heater current, a higher bias voltage is required for the transition. Moreover, with a lower cathode heater current, the time delay for inducing H-mode becomes longer, which can be attributed to the required time for the self-heating of the cathode to reach the emissive temperature. From this result, we conclude that the capacity for emission can significantly improve the performance of limiter biasing for inducing H-mode transition. With L-mode plasmas, the injection current flowing out of the cathode was generally higher than 100 A
H-L transition caused by irregular probe insertion in the JFT-2M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, K.; Hasegawa, M.; Shinohara, K.

1996-01-01

A pair of probe pins whose lengths differ by 5 mm are inserted into the separatrix of H-mode plasmas. When the long pin is biased positively against the short one, the H-L transition takes place and the current through the resistor making a connection between these pins increases for 10 μs and the potential of the pin increases for 100 μs. The energy dissipated by the resistor during the H-L transition is comparable to the energy of the radial electric field in H-mode plasma. When the long pin is biased negatively, the H-L transition also occurs; however, it takes 1 ms to change the potential of the pin and the plasma returns to H-mode after the extraction of the probe. (author)
Gyrokinetic Stability Studies of the Microtearing Mode in the National Spherical Torus Experiment H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumgaertel J.A., Redi M.H., Budny R.V., Rewoldt G., Dorland W.

2005-01-01

Insight into plasma microturbulence and transport is being sought using linear simulations of drift waves on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), following a study of drift wave modes on the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak. Microturbulence is likely generated by instabilities of drift waves, which cause transport of heat and particles. Understanding this transport is important because the containment of heat and particles is required for the achievement of practical nuclear fusion. Microtearing modes may cause high heat transport through high electron thermal conductivity. It is hoped that microtearing will be stable along with good electron transport in the proposed low collisionality International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Stability of the microtearing mode is investigated for conditions at mid-radius in a high density NSTX high performance (H-mode) plasma, which is compared to the proposed ITER plasmas. The microtearing mode is driven by the electron temperature gradient, and believed to be mediated by ion collisions and magnetic shear. Calculations are based on input files produced by TRXPL following TRANSP (a time-dependent transport analysis code) analysis. The variability of unstable mode growth rates is examined as a function of ion and electron collisionalities using the parallel gyrokinetic computational code GS2. Results show the microtearing mode stability dependence for a range of plasma collisionalities. Computation verifies analytic predictions that higher collisionalities than in the NSTX experiment increase microtearing instability growth rates, but that the modes are stabilized at the highest values. There is a transition of the dominant mode in the collisionality scan to ion temperature gradient character at both high and low collisionalities. The calculations suggest that plasma electron thermal confinement may be greatly improved in the low-collisionality ITER
Correlation of the tokamak H-mode density limit with ballooning stability at the separatrix

Science.gov (United States)

Eich, T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kallenbach, A.; Sieglin, B.; Sun, H. J.; ASDEX Upgrade Team; Contributors, JET

2018-03-01

We show for JET and ASDEX Upgrade, based on Thomson-scattering measurements, a clear correlation of the density limit of the tokamak H-mode high-confinement regime with the approach to the ideal ballooning instability threshold at the periphery of the plasma. It is shown that the MHD ballooning parameter at the separatrix position α_sep increases about linearly with the separatrix density normalized to Greenwald density, n_e, sep/n_GW for a wide range of discharge parameters in both devices. The observed operational space is found to reach at maximum n_e, sep/n_GW≈ 0.4 -0.5 at values for α_sep≈ 2 -2.5, in the range of theoretical predictions for ballooning instability. This work supports the hypothesis that the H-mode density limit may be set by ballooning stability at the separatrix.
Energy confinement in the T-10 tokamak and canonic profile models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dnestrovskii, Yu.N.; Pereverzev, G.V.

1988-01-01

A classification of experimental results on electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) is that T-10 tokamak is presented. Analysis of the experiments is consistent with two energy balance models. The first is based on the idea of profile consistency of the plasma current and pressure. The on-axis and off-axis ECRH as well as the heat wave propagation in T-10 can be reasonably represented in this way. In addition, this model allows the L to H mode transition to be described as the bifurcation of the solutions of a set of non-linear equations. The second model is based on the idea of a thermal pinch produced by a toroidal electric field. The electron temperature profiles under ohmic heating as well as under ECRH can be described by this model. Furthermore, this approach explains the cause of the confinement degradation under non-ohmic plasma heating (L-mode). (Author)
Confinement of a non cylindrical z discharge by a cusp geometry; Confinement d'une decharge lineaire non-cylindrique par une geometrie magnetique cuspidee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watteau, J H [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Limeil-Brevannes (France). Centre d' Etudes

1968-03-01

The plasma of a non-cylindrical z discharge is accumulated in the centre of a cusp geometry and then captured and confined by the rising cusp magnetic field. The cusp geometry is produced by two identical coaxial coils the currents of which are equal but in opposite directions. Stability and confinement properties of this zero minimum B geometry are recalled; in particular it is shown (the coils cross section being supposed punctual) that the magnetic well depth of the configuration without plasma is maximum for an optimum coils distance. Two modes of confinement are observed experimentally : - a collisional mode for which the plasma confinement is limited to 10 {mu}sec (temperature 5 eV, density 7 x 10{sup 16} cm{sup -3}) as a result of the gradual interpenetration of the plasma and of the magnetic field. - a collisionless mode (temperature 40 eV) where the radial leak thickness is of the order of the ion cyclotron radius. Plasma accumulation occurs even without confinement and is due to the non-cylindrical shape of the discharge chamber. The two-dimensional snow-plough model gives good account of the discharge dynamics. A comparison is made with plasma focus experiments: in particular experimental conditions (deuterium, pressure 1 torr,energy 3 kJ, current 100 kA) a 10{sup 7} neutron yield is detected which appears to be connected with the unstable behavior of the discharge. (authors) [French] Le plasma d'une decharge lineaire non-cylindrique s'accumule au centre d'une geometrie magnetique cuspidee ou il est capture et confine par l'induction croissante de la geometrie. On rappelle les proprietes de stabilite et de confinement de la geometrie cuspidee, geometrie a champ minimum nul produite par deux spires identiques, coaxiales et parcourues par des courants egaux et opposes; on montre en particulier que pour des spires de section ponctuelle la profondeur du puits magnetique de la geometrie sans plasma est maximum pour une distance optimum des spires. Deux
Observations of core toroidal rotation reversals in Alcator C-Mod ohmic L-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, J.E.; Reinke, M.L.; Podpaly, Y.A.; Churchill, R.M.; Cziegler, I.; Dominguez, A.; Ennever, P.C.; Fiore, C.L.; Granetz, R.S.; Greenwald, M.J.; Hubbard, A.E.; Hughes, J.W.; Irby, J.H.; Ma, Y.; Marmar, E.S.; McDermott, R.M.; Porkolab, M.; Duval, B.P.; Bortolon, A.; Diamond, P.H.

2011-01-01

Direction reversals of intrinsic toroidal rotation have been observed in Alcator C-Mod ohmic L-mode plasmas following modest electron density or toroidal magnetic field ramps. The reversal process occurs in the plasma interior, inside of the q = 3/2 surface. For low density plasmas, the rotation is in the co-current direction, and can reverse to the counter-current direction following an increase in the electron density above a certain threshold. Reversals from the co- to counter-current direction are correlated with a sharp decrease in density fluctuations with k R ≥ 2 cm -1 and with frequencies above 70 kHz. The density at which the rotation reverses increases linearly with plasma current, and decreases with increasing magnetic field. There is a strong correlation between the reversal density and the density at which the global ohmic L-mode energy confinement changes from the linear to the saturated regime.
Scaling of ELM and H-mode pedestal characteristics in ITER shape discharges in the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborne, T.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Lao, L.L.; Leonard, A.W.; Miller, R.L.; Thomas, D.M.; Waltz, R.E.; Maingi, R.; Porter, G.D.

1997-07-01

The authors have shown a correlation between the H-mode pressure pedestal height and the energy confinement enhancement in ITER shape discharges on DIII-D which is consistent with the behavior of H in different ELM classes. The width of the steep gradient region was found to equally well fit the scalings δ/R ∝ (ρ POL /R) 2/3 and δ/R ∝ (β POL PED /R) 1/2 . The normalized pressure gradient α MHD was found to be relatively constant just before a type I ELM. An estimate of T PED for ITER gave 1 to 5 keV. They also estimate ΔE ELM ≅ 26 MJ for ITER. They identified a distinct class of type III ELM at low density which may play a role in setting H at powers near the H-mode threshold power
Transport and confinement in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akers, R J; Ahn, J W; Appel, L C; Brickley, C; Bunting, C; Carolan, P G; Challis, C D; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Dendy, R O; Dudson, B; Field, A R; Kirk, A; Lloyd, B; Meyer, H F; Morris, A W; Patel, A; Roach, C M; Sykes, A; Taylor, D; Tournianski, M R; Valovic, M; Wilson, H R; Axon, K B; Buttery, R J; Ciric, D; Cunningham, G; Dowling J; Dunstan, M R; Gee, S J; Gryaznevich, M P; Helander, P; Keeling, D L; Knight, P J; Lott, F; Loughlin, M J; Manhood, S J; Martin, R; McArdle, G J; Price, M N; Stammers, K; Storrs, J [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Antar, G Y [Fusion Energy Research Program, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0417 (United States); Applegate, D [Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom); Rohzansky, V [St. Petersburg State Politechnical University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, 195251 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Walsh, M J [Walsh Scientific Ltd., Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3EB (United Kingdom)

2003-12-01

A combination of recently installed state-of-the-art imaging and profile diagnostics, together with established plasma simulation codes, are providing for the first time on Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) the tools required for studying confinement and transport, from the core through to the plasma edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL). The H-mode edge transport barrier is now routinely turned on and off using a combination of poloidally localized fuelling and fine balancing of the X-points. Theory, supported by experiment, indicates that the edge radial electric field and toroidal flow velocity (thought to play an important role in H-mode access) are largest if gas fuelling is concentrated at the inboard side. H-mode plasmas show predominantly type III ELM characteristics, with confinement H{sub H} factor (w.r.t. scaling law IPB98[y, 2]) around approx. 1.0. Combining MAST H-mode data with the International Tokamak Physics Activities (ITPA) analyses, results in an L-H power threshold scaling proportional to plasma surface area (rather than P{sub LH} approx. R{sup 2}). In addition, MAST favours an inverse aspect ratio scaling P{sub LH} approx. epsilon 0.5. Similarly, the introduction of type III ELMing H-mode data to the pedestal energy regression analysis introduces a scaling W{sub ped} approx. epsilon -2.13 and modifies the exponents on R, B{sub T} and Kappa. Preliminary TRANSP simulations indicate that ion and electron thermal diffusivities in ELMing H-mode approach the ion-neoclassical level in the half-radius region of the plasma with momentum diffusivity a few times lower. Linear flux-tube ITG and ETG microstability calculations using GS2 offer explanations for the near-neoclassical ion diffusivity and significantly anomalous electron diffusivity seen on MAST. To complement the baseline quasi-steady-state H-mode, newly developed advanced regimes are being explored. In particular, 'broad' internal transport barriers (ITBs) have been formed using
Transport and confinement in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akers, R J; Ahn, J W; Antar, G Y; Appel, L C; Applegate, D; Brickley, C; Bunting, C; Carolan, P G; Challis, C D; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Dendy, R O; Dudson, B; Field, A R; Kirk, A; Lloyd, B; Meyer, H F; Morris, A W; Patel, A; Roach, C M; Rohzansky, V; Sykes, A; Taylor, D; Tournianski, M R; Valovic, M; Wilson, H R; Axon, K B; Buttery, R J; Ciric, D; Cunningham, G; Dowling, J; Dunstan, M R; Gee, S J; Gryaznevich, M P; Helander, P; Keeling, D L; Knight, P J; Lott, F; Loughlin, M J; Manhood, S J; Martin, R; McArdle, G J; Price, M N; Stammers, K; Storrs, J; Walsh, M J

2003-01-01

A combination of recently installed state-of-the-art imaging and profile diagnostics, together with established plasma simulation codes, are providing for the first time on Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) the tools required for studying confinement and transport, from the core through to the plasma edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL). The H-mode edge transport barrier is now routinely turned on and off using a combination of poloidally localized fuelling and fine balancing of the X-points. Theory, supported by experiment, indicates that the edge radial electric field and toroidal flow velocity (thought to play an important role in H-mode access) are largest if gas fuelling is concentrated at the inboard side. H-mode plasmas show predominantly type III ELM characteristics, with confinement H H factor (w.r.t. scaling law IPB98[y, 2]) around approx. 1.0. Combining MAST H-mode data with the International Tokamak Physics Activities (ITPA) analyses, results in an L-H power threshold scaling proportional to plasma surface area (rather than P LH approx. R 2 ). In addition, MAST favours an inverse aspect ratio scaling P LH approx. epsilon 0.5. Similarly, the introduction of type III ELMing H-mode data to the pedestal energy regression analysis introduces a scaling W ped approx. epsilon -2.13 and modifies the exponents on R, B T and Kappa. Preliminary TRANSP simulations indicate that ion and electron thermal diffusivities in ELMing H-mode approach the ion-neoclassical level in the half-radius region of the plasma with momentum diffusivity a few times lower. Linear flux-tube ITG and ETG microstability calculations using GS2 offer explanations for the near-neoclassical ion diffusivity and significantly anomalous electron diffusivity seen on MAST. To complement the baseline quasi-steady-state H-mode, newly developed advanced regimes are being explored. In particular, 'broad' internal transport barriers (ITBs) have been formed using techniques developed at conventional aspect
Quiescent H-mode operation using torque from non-axisymmetric, non-resonant magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.; Garofalo, A.M.; Osborne, T.H.; Snyder, P.B.; Solomon, W.M.; Park, J.-K.; Fenstermacher, M.E.; Orlov, D.M.

2013-01-01

Quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) sustained by magnetic torque from non-axisymmetric magnetic fields is a promising operating mode for future burning plasmas including ITER. Using magnetic torque from n = 3 fields to replace counter-I p torque from neutral beam injection, we have achieved long duration, counter-rotating QH-mode operation with neutral beam injection (NBI) torque ranging continuously from counter-I p up to co-I p values of about 1 N m. This co-I p torque is about 3 times the scaled torque that ITER will have. This range also includes operation at zero net NBI torque, applicable to rf wave heated plasmas. These n = 3 fields have been created using coils either inside or, most recently, outside the toroidal coils. Experiments utilized an ITER-relevant lower single-null plasma shape and were done with ITER-relevant values ν ped * ∼0.08, β T ped ∼ 1%$ and β N = 2. Discharges have confinement quality H 98y2 = 1.3, exceeding the value required for ITER. Initial work with low q 95 = 3.4 QH-mode plasmas transiently reached fusion gain values of G = β N H 89 /q 95 2 =0.4, which is the desired value for ITER; the limits on G have not yet been established. This paper also includes the most recent results on QH-mode plasmas run without n = 3 fields and with co-I p NBI; these shots exhibit co-I p plasma rotation and require NBI torque ⩾2 N m. The QH-mode work to date has made significant contact with theory. The importance of edge rotational shear is consistent with peeling–ballooning mode theory. We have seen qualitative and quantitative agreement with the predicted torque from neoclassical toroidal viscosity. (paper)
Global energy confinement in TORE SUPRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, G.T.; Bizarro, J.P.; Genile, B. de; Hutter, Th.; Laurent, L.; Litaudon, X.; Moreau, D.; Peysson, Y.; Tonon, G.; Houtte, D. van

1992-01-01

The global energy confinement behaviour of mixed Ohmic/Lower Hybrid driven Tore Supra plasmas has been analysed at various densities. In contradiction with L-mode ITER scaling law, this analysis indicates that the global energy confinement time depends strongly on the plasma density and the isotopic dependence seems not to be observed. The thermal electron energy content of steady-state discharges is in good agreement with the offset linear Rebut-Lallia scaling law. During current ramp experiments, the global energy confinement time was found to depend on the internal self-inductance (li). Improved confinement has been obtained for a steady-state 0.8 MA plasma where the plasma current profile is peaked by LH waves (li ∼1.8). In this case, the global confinement time is found to be about 40% higher than the value predicted by the Rebut-Lallia scaling law. (author) 3 refs., 6 figs
Inertial Fusion Energy reactor design studies: Prometheus-L, Prometheus-H

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waganer, L.M.; Driemeyer, D.E.; Lee, V.D.

1992-03-01

This report contains a review of design studies for inertial confinement reactors. The first of three volumes briefly discusses the following: Introduction; Key objectives, requirements, and assumptions; Systems modeling and trade studies; Prometheus-L reactor plant design overview; Prometheus-H reactor plant design overview; Key technical issues and R ampersand D requirements; Comparison of IFE designs; and study conclusions
Study of the phase transition dynamics of the L to H transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyer, R.A.; Rhodes, T.L.; Rettig, C.L.

1997-12-01

A highly radiating zone (MARFE) just above the divertor X-point has been used to access the marginal transition regime P sep ∼ P thres to study the existence of a critical point for the L to H transition. Phase transition models predict that at the critical point, the transition duration increases and the plasma parameters vary continuously between L-mode and H-mode. In these experiments, the L to H transition duration increased 50--100 times over fast transitions. However, the evolution of E r shear, edge density gradient, H-mode pedestal, and fluctuations is essentially unchanged from that in fast transitions. The only difference is in the speed with which and the degree to which the fluctuation amplitudes are transiently reduced. This difference is understandable in terms of the time scales for fluctuation amplitude reduction (≤ 100 micros) and edge pressure gradient increase (several ms), provided the edge fluctuations are pressure-gradient driven
Pattern recognition in probability spaces for visualization and identification of plasma confinement regimes and confinement time scaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verdoolaege, G; Karagounis, G; Oost, G Van; Tendler, M

2012-01-01

Pattern recognition is becoming an increasingly important tool for making inferences from the massive amounts of data produced in fusion experiments. The purpose is to contribute to physics studies and plasma control. In this work, we address the visualization of plasma confinement data, the (real-time) identification of confinement regimes and the establishment of a scaling law for the energy confinement time. We take an intrinsically probabilistic approach, modeling data from the International Global H-mode Confinement Database with Gaussian distributions. We show that pattern recognition operations working in the associated probability space are considerably more powerful than their counterparts in a Euclidean data space. This opens up new possibilities for analyzing confinement data and for fusion data processing in general. We hence advocate the essential role played by measurement uncertainty for data interpretation in fusion experiments. (paper)
ELMy-H mode as limit cycle and chaotic oscillations in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh Sanae, I.; Itoh, Kimitaka; Fukuyama, Atsushi; Miura, Yukitoshi.

1991-05-01

A model of Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) in tokamak plasmas is presented. A limit cycle solution is found in the transport equation (time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau type), which a has hysteresis curve between the gradient and flux. Periodic oscillation of the particle outflux and L/H intermediate state are predicted near the L/H transition boundary. A mesophase in spatial structure appears near edge. Chaotic oscillation is also predicted. (author)

Mode 1 drive asymmetry in inertial confinement fusion implosions on the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spears, Brian K.; Edwards, M. J.; Hatchett, S.; Kritcher, A.; Lindl, J.; Munro, D.; Patel, P.; Robey, H. F.; Town, R. P. J.; Kilkenny, J.; Knauer, J.

2014-01-01

Mode 1 radiation drive asymmetry (pole-to-pole imbalance) at significant levels can have a large impact on inertial confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This asymmetry distorts the cold confining shell and drives a high-speed jet through the hot spot. The perturbed hot spot shows increased residual kinetic energy and reduced internal energy, and it achieves reduced pressure and neutron yield. The altered implosion physics manifests itself in observable diagnostic signatures, especially the neutron spectrum which can be used to measure the neutron-weighted flow velocity, apparent ion temperature, and neutron downscattering. Numerical simulations of implosions with mode 1 asymmetry show that the resultant simulated diagnostic signatures are moved toward the values observed in many NIF experiments. The diagnostic output can also be used to build a set of integrated implosion performance metrics. The metrics indicate that P 1 has a significant impact on implosion performance and must be carefully controlled in NIF implosions
Mode 1 drive asymmetry in inertial confinement fusion implosions on the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spears, Brian K., E-mail: spears9@llnl.gov; Edwards, M. J.; Hatchett, S.; Kritcher, A.; Lindl, J.; Munro, D.; Patel, P.; Robey, H. F.; Town, R. P. J. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551-0808 (United States); Kilkenny, J. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Knauer, J. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, 250 E. River Road Rochester, New York 14623-1212 (United States)

2014-04-15

Mode 1 radiation drive asymmetry (pole-to-pole imbalance) at significant levels can have a large impact on inertial confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This asymmetry distorts the cold confining shell and drives a high-speed jet through the hot spot. The perturbed hot spot shows increased residual kinetic energy and reduced internal energy, and it achieves reduced pressure and neutron yield. The altered implosion physics manifests itself in observable diagnostic signatures, especially the neutron spectrum which can be used to measure the neutron-weighted flow velocity, apparent ion temperature, and neutron downscattering. Numerical simulations of implosions with mode 1 asymmetry show that the resultant simulated diagnostic signatures are moved toward the values observed in many NIF experiments. The diagnostic output can also be used to build a set of integrated implosion performance metrics. The metrics indicate that P{sub 1} has a significant impact on implosion performance and must be carefully controlled in NIF implosions.
Reactor-relevant quiescent H-mode operation using torque from non-axisymmetric, non-resonant magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K. H.; Garofalo, A. M; Osborne, T. H.; Schaffer, M. J.; Snyder, P. B.; Solomon, W. M.; Park, J.-K.; Fenstermacher, M. E.

2012-01-01

Results from recent experiments demonstrate that quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) sustained by magnetic torque from non-axisymmetric magnetic fields is a promising operating mode for future burning plasmas. Using magnetic torque from n=3 fields to replace counter-I p torque from neutral beam injection (NBI), we have achieved long duration, counter-rotating QH-mode operation with NBI torque ranging from counter-I p to up to co-I p values of 1-1.3 Nm. This co-I p torque is 3 to 4 times the scaled torque that ITER will have. These experiments utilized an ITER-relevant lower single-null plasma shape and were done with ITER-relevant values of ν ped * and β N ped . These discharges exhibited confinement quality H 98y2 =1.3, in the range required for ITER. In preliminary experiments using n=3 fields only from a coil outside the toroidal coil, QH-mode plasmas with low q 95 =3.4 have reached fusion gain values of G=β N H 89 /q 95 2 =0.4, which is the desired value for ITER. Shots with the same coil configuration also operated with net zero NBI torque. The limits on G and co-I p torque have not yet been established for this coil configuration. QH-mode work to has made significant contact with theory. The importance of edge rotational shear is consistent with peeling-ballooning mode theory. Qualitative and quantitative agreements with the predicted neoclassical toroidal viscosity torque is seen.
Dynamics of the Plasma Edge during the L-H Transition and H-mode in MAST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scannell, R.; Meyer, H.; Cunningham, G.; Field, A.; Kirk, A.; Samuli, S.; Patel, A., E-mail: rory.scannell@ccfe.ac.uk [EURATOM /CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Dunai, D.; Zoletnik, S. [KFKI-RMKI, EURATOM Association, Budapest (Hungary)

2012-09-15

Full text: The evolution of the MAST plasma during the L-H transition has been studied in the density range 1.5 - 3.0 x 10{sup 19} m{sup -3}. A dithering transition phase, the duration of which depends on the plasma density, is observed before the transition to ELMy or ELM free H-mode. A range of new diagnostic data has been taken during these periods, showing a spin-up of the perpendicular He{sup +} flow correlated with changes in the Da emission. In this density range the power threshold increases with increasing density. As well as the expected power threshold dependency on absolute density, the threshold power is observed to depend on the density evolution prior to the transition. Small changes in fuelling location, plasma current, toroidal field and plasma shape can lead to changes in the power threshold by a factor of two, significantly larger than hose predicted by the scaling. The pedestal evolution between typical type I ELMs in connected double null configuration on MAST show increasing pedestal pressure and width as function time through the ELM cycle. This results in an expanding high pressure gradient region with little increase in peak pressure gradient within this region. It has been shown that the triggering of these ELMs is caused by decreasing stability limit as the transport barrier moves inwards. Application of n = 6 resonant magnetic perturbations to the plasma causes ELM mitigation, with smaller but much more frequent ELMs. The pressure gradients in this mitigated period are significantly less than those observed during non-mitigated type I ELMs. This reduction in pressure gradient, which indicates a different stability limit, results from both a decrease in pedestal height and increase in pedestal width. (author)
Hybrid rib-slot-rib plasmonic waveguide with deep-subwavelength mode confinement and long propagation length

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Zheng

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We propose a hybrid plasmonic waveguide where a combined rib-slot-rib structure is added on the metal substrate within a low-index gap region. The optical properties of the quasi-TM fundamental mode are numerically calculated using the finite element method. Compared to the traditional hybrid plasmonic waveguide, our designed waveguiding structure can support modes with tighter confinement and longer propagation length, by properly adjusting the geometry of the rib-slot-rib structure and the gap height. In details, it can provide the hybrid mode with mode area λ2/12000 and reasonable propagation distance 23.78 μm, simultaneously. Its excellent optical performance can facilitate potential applications in ultra-compact nanophotonic devices and circuits.
ELMy-H mode as limit cycle and chaotic oscillations in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Sanae; Itoh, Kimitaka; Fukuyama, Atsushi.

1991-06-01

A model of Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) in tokamaks is presented. A limit cycle solution is found in time-dependent Ginzburg Landau type model equation of L/H transition, which has a hysteresis curve between the plasma gradient and flux. The oscillation of edge density appears near the L/H transition boundary. Spatial structure of the intermediate state (mesophase) is obtained in the edge region. Chaotic oscillation is predicted due to random neutrals and external oscillations. (author)
Investigation of energy confinement during ICRF heating on EAST

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y. Q.; Zhang, X. J.; Zhao, Y. P.; Qin, C. M.; Cheng, Y.; Mao, Y. Z.; Yang, H.; Yuan, S.; Wang, L.; Ju, S. Q.; Chen, G.; Zhang, J. H.; Wang, J. H.; Chen, Z.; Wan, B. N.; Gong, X. Z.; Qian, J. P.; Zhang, T.; Li, J. G.; Song, Y. T.; Lin, Y.; Taylor, G.; Hosea, J. C.; Perkins, R. J.; Wukitch, S.; Noterdaeme, J. M.; Kumazawa, R.; Seki, T.; Saito, K.; Kasahara, H.

2017-09-01

A summary is given on recent experiments in L-mode with ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) of hydrogen minority in deuterium plasmas on EAST. Experiments show a degradation of confinement with increasing power. Furthermore, the energy confinement time increases with plasma current and magnetic field, whereas it is insensitive to line averaged density. Minority heating has been found to be efficient, and parameters were optimized to maximize its efficiency. ICRH in lower hybrid waves heated plasma was also investigated.
Edge ion dynamics in H-mode discharges in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Burrell, K.H.; Gohil, P.; Kim, J.; Seraydarian, R.P.

1992-05-01

The goal of this paper is to present detailed measurements of T i and E r at the plasma edge in L- and H-mode with high spatial resolution in order the study the edge ion dynamics. Of primary interest is the relationship between T i and E r and the behavior of the edge T i profile in H-mode. The principle findings are: there appears to be a threshold temperature for T i required for the transition to occur with T i at the LCFS in the range of 0.2--0.3 keV at the transition; a correlation between the edge E r profile and the edge T i profile has been observed; and values of T i of 2--3 keV within a few cm of the LCFS and of dT i /dr of up to 1 keV/cm are observed in the transport barrier in H-mode, with the scale length for T i being of the order of a poloidal gyroradius
Observation of a new turbulence-driven limit-cycle state in H-modes with lower hybrid current drive and lithium-wall conditioning in the EAST superconducting tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, H.Q.; Xu, G.S.; Guo, H.Y.

2012-01-01

The first high confinement H-mode plasma has been obtained in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) with about 1 MW lower hybrid current drive after wall conditioning by lithium evaporation and real-time injection of Li powder. Following the L–H transition, a small-amplitude, low...
Observation of transverse and longitudinal modes in non-neutral electron clouds confined in a magnetic mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckhouse, S.; Fisher, A.; Rostoker, N.

1979-01-01

Electrostatic modes on non-neutral electron clouds confined in a magnetic mirror field have been investigated. The cloud contains 2 x 10 11 electrons at an average kinetic energy of 0.3 MeV for a magnetic field with a peak intensity of 9 kG at the midplane. It was found that the cloud is moving azimuthally as well as longitudinally. The azimuthal motion has an m=1 spatial nature. The longitudinal modes have a more complicated nature, but their frequency equals that of the azimuthal mode
Transverse mode control in proton-implanted and oxide-confined VCSELs via patterned dielectric anti-phase filters

Science.gov (United States)

Kesler, Benjamin; O'Brien, Thomas; Dallesasse, John M.

2017-02-01

A novel method for controlling the transverse lasing modes in both proton implanted and oxide-confined vertical- cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with a multi-layer, patterned, dielectric anti-phase (DAP) filter is pre- sented. Using a simple photolithographic liftoff process, dielectric layers are deposited and patterned on individual VCSELs to modify (increase or decrease) the mirror reflectivity across the emission aperture via anti-phase reflections, creating spatially-dependent threshold material gain. The shape of the dielectric pattern can be tailored to overlap with specific transverse VCSEL modes or subsets of transverse modes to either facilitate or inhibit lasing by decreasing or increasing, respectively, the threshold modal gain. A silicon dioxide (SiO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) anti-phase filter is used to achieve a single-fundamental-mode, continuous-wave output power greater than 4.0 mW in an oxide-confined VCSEL at a lasing wavelength of 850 nm. A filter consisting of SiO2 and TiO2 is used to facilitate injection-current-insensitive fundamental mode and lower order mode lasing in proton implanted VCSELs at a lasing wavelength of 850 nm. Higher refractive index dielectric materials such as amorphous silicon (a-Si) can be used to increase the effectiveness of the anti-phase filter on proton implanted devices by reducing the threshold modal gain of any spatially overlapping modes. This additive, non-destructive method allows for mode selection at any lasing wavelength and for any VCSEL layer structure without the need for semiconductor etching or epitaxial regrowth. It also offers the capability of designing a filter based upon available optical coating materials.
Investigation of EBW Thermal Emission and Mode Conversion Physics in H-Mode Plasmas on NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diem, S.J.; Taylor, G.; Efthimion, P.C.; Kugel, H.W.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Phillips, C.K.; Caughman, J.B.; Wilgen, J.B.; Harvey, R.W.; Preinhaelter, J.; Urban, J.; Sabbagh, S.A.

2008-01-01

High β plasmas in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) operate in the overdense regime, allowing the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) to propagate and be strongly absorbed/emitted at the electron cyclotron resonances. As such, EBWs may provide local electron heating and current drive. For these applications, efficient coupling between the EBWs and electromagnetic waves outside the plasma is needed. Thermal EBW emission (EBE) measurements, via oblique B-X-O double mode conversion, have been used to determine the EBW transmission efficiency for a wide range of plasma conditions on NSTX. Initial EBE measurements in H-mode plasmas exhibited strong emission before the L-H transition, but the emission rapidly decayed after the transition. EBE simulations show that collisional damping of the EBW prior to the mode conversion (MC) layer can significantly reduce the measured EBE for T e < 20 eV, explaining the observations. Lithium evaporation was used to reduce EBE collisional damping near the MC layer. As a result, the measured B-X-O transmission efficiency increased from < 10% (no Li) to 60% (with Li), consistent with EBE simulations.
Effects of confinement on the Rydberg molecule NeH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, J M H; Klobukowski, M; Bielinska-Waz, D; Diercksen, G H F; Schreiner, E W S

2005-01-01

Ab initio potential energy curves of the Rydberg NeH molecule in the presence of cylindrical spatial confinement were computed by the method of multi-reference configuration interaction with extended basis sets. The influence of the applied potential to the structures and spectra of the ground and excited states of NeH was analysed in terms of perturbation theory. In addition, the phenomenon of field-induced ionization was discussed
Simulation of electron thermal transport in H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafiq, T.; Pankin, A. Y.; Bateman, G.; Kritz, A. H.; Halpern, F. D.

2009-01-01

Electron thermal transport in DIII-D H-mode tokamak plasmas [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] is investigated by comparing predictive simulation results for the evolution of electron temperature profiles with experimental data. The comparison includes the entire profile from the magnetic axis to the bottom of the pedestal. In the simulations, carried out using the automated system for transport analysis (ASTRA) integrated modeling code, different combinations of electron thermal transport models are considered. The combinations include models for electron temperature gradient (ETG) anomalous transport and trapped electron mode (TEM) anomalous transport, as well as a model for paleoclassical transport [J. D. Callen, Nucl. Fusion 45, 1120 (2005)]. It is found that the electromagnetic limit of the Horton ETG model [W. Horton et al., Phys. Fluids 31, 2971 (1988)] provides an important contribution near the magnetic axis, which is a region where the ETG mode in the GLF23 model [R. E. Waltz et al., Phys. Plasmas 4, 2482 (1997)] is below threshold. In simulations of DIII-D discharges, the observed shape of the H-mode edge pedestal is produced when transport associated with the TEM component of the GLF23 model is suppressed and transport given by the paleoclassical model is included. In a study involving 15 DIII-D H-mode discharges, it is found that with a particular combination of electron thermal transport models, the average rms deviation of the predicted electron temperature profile from the experimental profile is reduced to 9% and the offset to -4%.
Features of the repetition frequency of edge localized modes in EAST

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, M.; Xiao, C.; Xu, G.S.

2012-01-01

This paper presents the features of the edge localized modes (ELMs) observed in the 2010 experimental campaign on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The first high-confinement mode (H-mode) at an H-factor of HIPB98(y, 2)~1 has been obtained with about 1 MW lower hybrid wave...
Scalings of energy confinement and density limit in stellarator/heliotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudo, S.; Takeiri, Y.; Zushi, H.; Sano, F.; Itoh, K.; Kondo, K.; Iiyoshi, A.

1989-04-01

Empirical scaling of energy confinement observed experimentally in stellarator/heliotron (Heliotron E, Wendelstein 7A, L2, Heliotron DR) under the condition that plasmas are heated by ECH and/or NbI is proposed. Empirical scaling of density limit obtainable under the optimum condition is proposed. These scalings are compared with those of tokamaks. The energy confinement scaling has similar power dependence as 'L mode scaling' of tokamaks. The density limit scaling seems also to indicate the upper limit of achievable density in many tokamaks. Combining the energy confinement time and the density limit scaling a transport-limited beta value is also deduced. Thus, from the viewpoint of designing a machine, there should be some compromise in determing magnetic field strength on plasma axis, average minor radius and major radius, because their dependence on confinement time and transport-limited beta value is contradicting. (J.P.N.)
Confined longitudinal acoustic phonon modes in free-standing Si membranes coherently excited by femtosecond laser pulses

OpenAIRE

Hudert, Florian; Bruchhausen, Axel; Issenmann, Daniel; Schecker, Olivier; Waitz, Reimar; Erbe, Artur; Scheer, Elke; Dekorsy, Thomas; Mlayah, Adnen; Huntzinger, Jean-Roch

2009-01-01

In this Rapid Communication we report the first time-resolved measurements of confined acoustic phonon modes in free-standing Si membranes excited by fs laser pulses. Pump-probe experiments using asynchronous optical sampling reveal the impulsive excitation of discrete acoustic modes up to the 19th harmonic order for membranes of two different thicknesses. The modulation of the membrane thickness is measured with fm resolution. The experimental results are compared with a theoretical model in...
A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

2012-01-01

This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritium allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more
Density profile analysis during an ELM event in ASDEX Upgrade H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, I.; Manso, M.; Serra, F.; Horton, L.D.; Conway, G.D.; Loarte, A.

2005-01-01

This paper reports results on measurements of the density profiles. Here we analyse the behaviour of the electron density for a set of experiments in type I ELMy H-mode discharges in ASDEX Upgrade where the plasma current, plasma density, triangularity and input power were varied. Detailed measurements of the radial extent of the perturbation on the density profiles caused by the edge localized mode (ELM) crash (ELM affected depth), the velocity of the radial propagation of the perturbation as well as the width and gradient of the density pedestal are determined. The effect of a type I ELM event on the density profiles affects the outermost 20-40% of the plasma minor radius. At the scrape-off layer (SOL) the density profile broadens while in the pedestal region the density decreases resulting in a smaller density gradient. This change in the density profile defines a pivot point around which the density profile changes. The average radial velocity at the SOL is in the range 125-150 ms -1 and approximately constant for all the density layers far from the pivot point. The width of the density pedestal is approximately constant for all the ELMy H-mode discharges analysed, with values between 2 and 3.5 cm. These results are then compared with an analytical model where the width of the density is predominantly set by ionization (neutral penetration model). The width of the density profiles for L-mode discharges is included, since L- and H-mode have different particle transport. No agreement between the experimental results and the model is found
Magnetic confinement of laser produced LiH plasma in LITE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ard, W.B.; Stufflebeam, J.H.; Tomlinson, R.G.

1976-01-01

In the LITE experiment, a hot, dense plasma produced by laser heating of an approximately 100 μ dia LiH particle is used to fill a minimum-B baseball coil mirror magnetic containment field. The confined laser produced plasma subsequently serves as the target for an energetic neutral hydrogen beam in experiments to investigate the target plasma buildup approach for creating and sustaining an equilibrium, steady state mirror fusion plasma. In the experiments, the LiH particle is positioned in vacuum at the laser beam focus by a feedback particle suspension system and heated by two sided irradiation with the focused dual beam, 50 j, 7 nsec output of a Q-switched Nd-glass laser. The energy density of the laser produced plasma is initially much greater than that of the surrounding magnetic field and the plasma expands, converting its internal energy into expansion kinetic energy and displacement of the magnetic field. As the energy density falls below that of the magnetic field, the expansion is stopped and the plasma becomes trapped, making the transition to a low beta, mirror confined plasma. This report is concerned with the properties and behavior of the plasma in the confinement stage

Optimized confinement discharges in the stellarator W7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldzuhn, J.; Giannone, L.; Kick, M.; McCormick, K. J.

2000-01-01

In addition to the well known H-mode, other types of discharges with enhanced core energy confinement can be observed in the stellarator W7-AS. In this contribution, the properties of some particular examples of those optimized confinement (OC) discharges are presented. These are characterized, besides improved core energy confinement, by strong negative radial electric fields and high ion temperatures in the gradient region, steep density profile gradients and a high penetration depth of neutrals, and small edge electron densities. The role of these plasma parameters for the OC discharges is investigated quantitatively by a numerical model. (author)
Theoretical studies of turbulence and anomalous transport in toroidal confinement devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terry, P.W.

1993-01-01

The research performed under this grant has focused on key issues with respect to turbulence and transport in toroidal confinement devices. Progress and publications in these areas are summarized in this report. This work includes analytical and numerical studies of spectral energy transfer and the saturation dynamics and transport of dissipative and collisionless trapped electron turbulence, the role of flow curvature in L-H mode transition physics, fully nonlinear calculations of the anomalous particle transport from the ion mixing mode, and the development of a theory for the drift wave frequency spectrum. Novel aspects of this work include an elucidation of the role of nonlinear frequency shifts in producing nonstationary saturated states, an identification of reverse and non-conserved flows in Hasegawa-Mima turbulence, and a description of the way incoherent emission affects the frequency of turbulent fluctuations
Confinement of vibrational modes within crystalline lattices using thin amorphous layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagolini, Luigi; Mattoni, Alessandro; Lusk, Mark T

2017-01-01

It is possible to confine vibrational modes to a crystal by encapsulating it within thin disordered layers with the same average properties as the crystal. This is not due to an impedance mismatch between materials but, rather, to higher order moments in the distribution of density and stiffness in the disordered phase—i.e. it is a result of material substructure. The concept is elucidated in an idealized one-dimensional setting and then demonstrated for a realistic nanocrystalline geometry. This offers the prospect of specifically engineering higher order property distributions as an alternate means of managing phonons. (paper)
Operational limits of high density H-modes in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertens, V.; Borrass, K.; Kaufmann, M.; Lang, P.T.; Lang, R.; Mueller, H.W.; Neuhauser, J.; Schneider, R.; Schweinzer, J.; Suttrop, W.

2001-01-01

Systematic investigations of H-mode density limit (H→L-mode back transition) plasmas with gas fuelling and alternatively with additional pellet injection from the magnetic high-field-side HFS are being performed in the new closed divertor configuration DV-II. The resulting database covering a wide range of the externally controllable plasma parameters I p , B t and P heat confirms that the H-mode threshold power exceeds the generally accepted prediction P L→H heat ∝B-bar t dramatically when one approaches Greenwald densities. Additionally, in contrast to the Greenwald scaling a moderate B t -dependence of the H-mode density limit is found. The limit is observed to coincide with divertor detachment and a strong increase of the edge thermal transport, which has, however, no detrimental effect on global τ E . The pellet injection scheme from the magnetic high-field-side HFS, developed recently on ASDEX Upgrade, leads to fast particle drifts which are, contrary to the standard injection from the low-field-side, directed into the plasma core. This improves markedly the pellet particle fuelling efficiency. The responsible physical mechanism, the diamagnetic particle drift of the pellet ablatant was successfully verified recently. Other increased particle losses on respectively different time scales after the ablation process, however, still persist. Generally, a clear gain in achievable density and plasma stored energy is achieved with stationary HFS pellet injection compared to gas-puffing. (author)
Poloidal rotation and the evolution of H-mode and VH-mode profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinton, F.L.; Staebler, G.M.; Kim, Y.B.

1993-12-01

The physics which determines poloidal rotation, and its role in the development of profiles during H- and VH-modes, is discussed. A simple phenomenological transport model, which incorporates the rvec E x rvec B flow shear suppression of turbulence, is shown to predict profile evolution similar to that observed experimentally during H-mode and VH-mode
Simulation of density fluctuations before the L-H transition for Hydrogen and Deuterium plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak using the BOUT++ code

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Y. M.; Xu, X. Q.; Yan, Z.; Mckee, G. R.; Grierson, B. A.; Xia, T. Y.; Gao, X.

2018-02-01

A six-field two-fluid model has been used to simulate density fluctuations. The equilibrium is generated by experimental measurements for both Deuterium (D) and Hydrogen (H) plasmas at the lowest densities of DIII-D low to high confinement (L-H) transition experiments. In linear simulations, the unstable modes are found to be resistive ballooning modes with the most unstable mode number n = 30 or k_θρ_i˜0.12 . The ion diamagnetic drift and E× B convection flow are balanced when the radial electric field (E r ) is calculated from the pressure profile without net flow. The curvature drift plays an important role in this stage. Two poloidally counter propagating modes are found in the nonlinear simulation of the D plasma at electron density n_e˜1.5×1019 m-3 near the separatrix while a single ion mode is found in the H plasma at the similar lower density, which are consistent with the experimental results measured by the beam emission spectroscopy (BES) diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak. The frequency of the electron modes and the ion modes are about 40 kHz and 10 kHz respectively. The poloidal wave number k_θ is about 0.2 cm -1 (k_θρ_i˜0.05 ) for both ion and electron modes. The particle flux, ion and electron heat fluxes are ˜3.5-6 times larger for the H plasma than the D plasma, which makes it harder to achieve H-mode for the same heating power. The change of the atomic mass number A from 2 to 1 using D plasma equilibrium make little difference on the flux. Increase the electric field will suppress the density fluctuation. The electric field scan and ion mass scan results show that the dual-mode results primarily from differences in the profiles rather than the ion mass.
Impact of rotational-transform profile control on plasma confinement and stability in CHS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, K.; Morisaki, T.; Sakakibara, S.

1994-08-01

In neutral beam heated plasmas of CHS, which is a low aspect-ration heliotron/torsatron device, the effect of rotational transform (ι) profile shape on plasma confinement and stability is studied by inducing a net plasma current (Ip). In the case that the external ι is increased by Ip, very rapid H-mode transition (within ∼0.2 ms) is observed at the thresholds of Ip and heating power, having all characteristics found in the tokamak H-mode. There is no obvious difference in the H-mode characteristics between deuterium and hydrogen plasmas. In the opposite case that the external ι is decreased by reversing Ip, the H-mode transition is not observed. (author)
Calibration and fluctuation of the secular frequency peak amplitude versus initial condition distribution of the ion cloud confined into a three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap using a fourier transform operating mode and a steady ion flow injection mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janulyte, A.; Andre, J.; Carette, M.; Mercury, M.; Reynard, C; Zerega, Y.

2009-01-01

A specific Fourier transform operating mode is applied to a 3-dimensional quadrupolar ion trap for mass analysis (Fourier Transform Quadrupolar Ion Trap (FTQIT) Operating Mode or Mass Spectrometer). With this operating mode, an image signal, which is representative of the collective motion of simultaneously confined ions, is made up from a set of recorded time-of-flight histograms. In an ion trap, the secular frequency of ion motion depends on m/Z ratio of the ion. By Fourier transformation of the image signal, one observes the frequency peak of each confined ionic species. When only one ionic species is confined, the peak amplitude is proportional to the maximal amplitude of the image signal. The maximal amplitude of the image signal is expressed according to the operating parameters, the initial conditions of the ions and the number of ions. Simulation tools lead to fluctuation calculation of the maximal amplitude of the image signal. Two origins are explored: (1) the fluctuation of the numbers of ions according to the steady ion flow injection mode (SIFIM) used with this operating mode and (2) the distribution fluctuation of the initial positions and velocities. Initial confinement conditions, obtained with SIFIM injection mode, lead to optimal detection with small fluctuations of the peak amplitude for Fourier transform operating mode applied to an ion trap. (authors)
Unconventional ballooning structures for toroidal drift waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Hua-sheng; Xiao, Yong

2015-01-01

With strong gradients in the pedestal of high confinement mode (H-mode) fusion plasmas, gyrokinetic simulations are carried out for the trapped electron and ion temperature gradient modes. A broad class of unconventional mode structures is found to localize at arbitrary poloidal positions or with multiple peaks. It is found that these unconventional ballooning structures are associated with different eigen states for the most unstable mode. At weak gradient (low confinement mode or L-mode), the most unstable mode is usually in the ground eigen state, which corresponds to a conventional ballooning mode structure peaking in the outboard mid-plane of tokamaks. However, at strong gradient (H-mode), the most unstable mode is usually not the ground eigen state and the ballooning mode structure becomes unconventional. This result implies that the pedestal of H-mode could have better confinement than L-mode
Dependence of helium transport on plasma current and ELM frequency in H-mode discharges in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Finkenthal, D.F.; West, W.P.; Burrell, K.H.; Seraydarian, R.P.

1993-05-01

The removal of helium (He) ash from the plasma core with high efficiency to prevent dilution of the D-T fuel mixture is of utmost importance for future fusion devices, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). A variety of measurements in L-mode conditions have shown that the intrinsic level of helium transport from the core to the edge may be sufficient to prevent sufficient dilution (i.e., τ He /τ E < 5). Preliminary measurements in biased-induced, limited H-mode discharges in TEXTOR suggest that the intrinsic helium transport properties may not be as favorable. If this trend is shown also in diverted H-mode plasmas, then scenarios based on ELMing H-modes would be less desirable. To further establish the database on helium transport in H-mode conditions, recent studies on the DIII-D tokamak have focused on determining helium transport properties in H-mode conditions and the dependence of these properties on plasma current and ELM frequency
Pedestal Temperature Model for Type III ELMy H-mode Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buangam, W.; Suwanna, S.; Onjun, T.; Poolyarat, N.; Picha, R.; Singhsomroje, W.

2009-07-01

Full text: It is widely known that the improved performance of H-mode plasma results mainly from a formation of the pedestal, which is a narrow region of strong pressure gradient near the edge of plasma. A predictive capability for the conditions at the top of the pedestal is important, especially for predictive simulations of future experiments. New models for predicting the temperature values at the top of the pedestal for type III ELMy H-mode plasma are developed by using two different approaches: a theory-based approaches and an empirical approach. For a theory-based approach, a model is developed based on the calculation of thermal energy in the pedestal region and on accepted scaling laws of energy confinement time. For an empirical model, a scaling law for pedestal temperature in terms of plasma controlled parameters, such as plasma current, magnetic field, heating power, is deduced from experimental data. Predictions from these models are compared with experimental data from the Pedestal International Database. Statistical quantities, such as Root-Mean Square Error (RMSE) and offset values, are computed to quantify the predictive capability of the models. It is found that the theory-based model predicts the pedestal temperature values moderately well yielding RMSE between 30% and 40%. The IPB98(y,3) scaling law yields with best agreement with RMSE of 30.4%. The empirical model predicts the pedestal temperature value with better agreement, yield RMSE of 25.9%
Trapped particle confinement studies in L = 2 torsatrons for additional helical coils, radial electric field and finite beta effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, A.; Nakamura, Y.; Wakatani, M.

1990-07-01

L = 2 torsatrons are studied to improve the high energy trapped particle confinement with additional l = 1 and/or l = 3 helical coils. The winding laws are selected in two ways. One is to realize 'σ - optimization' by the additional helical coils, but this approach loses magnetic well region. The other selection is to produce or deepen the magnetic well by the additional helical coils. L=3 helical coils are usable to this end. In this case the improvement of the trapped particle confinement depends on magnetic axis position. Radial electric field producing sheared rotational motion is also considered to improve the trapped particle confinement in a standard l = 2 torsatron. By excluding cancellation between E x B and ΔB drift motion occurred for the parabolic potential profiles, all deeply trapped particles can be confined in the central region. Degradation of the trapped particle confinement by the Shafranov shift is mitigated by shifting the magnetic axis inside in the vacuum configuration. (author)
'Snowflake' H Mode in a Tokamak Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piras, F.; Coda, S.; Duval, B. P.; Labit, B.; Marki, J.; Moret, J.-M.; Pitzschke, A.; Sauter, O.; Medvedev, S. Yu.

2010-01-01

An edge-localized mode (ELM) H-mode regime, supported by electron cyclotron heating, has been successfully established in a 'snowflake' (second-order null) divertor configuration for the first time in the TCV tokamak. This regime exhibits 2 to 3 times lower ELM frequency and 20%-30% increased normalized ELM energy (ΔW ELM /W p ) compared to an identically shaped, conventional single-null diverted H mode. Enhanced stability of mid- to high-toroidal-mode-number ideal modes is consistent with the different snowflake ELM phenomenology. The capability of the snowflake to redistribute the edge power on the additional strike points has been confirmed experimentally.
Fisher information in confined hydrogen-like ions

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Neetik; Majumdar, Sangita; Roy, Amlan K.

2018-01-01

Fisher information (I) is investigated for confined hydrogen atom (CHA)-like systems in conjugate r and p spaces. A comparative study between CHA and free H atom (with respect to I) is pursued. A detailed systematic result of I with respect to variation of confinement radius rc is presented, with particular emphasis on non-zero- (l, m) states. In certain respect, inferences in CHA are significantly different from free counterpart, such as (i) dependence on n, l quantum numbers (ii) appearance of maxima in Ip plots for | m | ≠ 0 . The role of atomic number and atomic radius is discussed.
L-H bifurcations as phase transitions, the role of zonal flows and the spectral energy transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shats, M.G.; Punzmann, H.; Xia, H.; Solomon, W.M.

2003-01-01

An overview of new results related to the physics of confinement bifurcations in the H-1 heliac is presented. A macroscopic description of the transport modifications across L-H transitions in H-1 suggests several analogies between these bifurcations and phase transitions. Among them is the nucleation in phase transitions which is manifested in the plasma both in time and in space. A microscopic picture reveals the importance of zonal flows, or time-varying shear radial electric field in the spatio-temporal structure of confinement bifurcations. In particular, the effect of zonal flows on the fluctuation-driven transport in H-1 is discussed. Finally, new results on the mechanism of generation of large coherent structures and zonal flows are reviewed. It is shown that inverse energy cascades in turbulent spectra are responsible for the structure generation in H-1. (orig.)
Suppression of large edge localized modes with edge resonant magnetic fields in high confinement DIII-D plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, P.R.; Becoulet, M.; Evans, T.E.; Osborne, T.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Jackson, G.L.; Haye, R.J. La; Schaffer, M.J.; West, W.P.; Moyer, R.A.; Rhodes, T.L.; Rudakov, D.L.; Watkins, J.G.; Boedo, J.A.; Doyle, E.J.; Wang, G.; Zeng, L.; Fenstermacher, M.E.; Groth, M.; Lasnier, C.J.; Finken, K.H.; Harris, J.H.; Pretty, D.G.; Masuzaki, S.; Ohyabu, N.; Reimerdes, H.; Wade, M.R.

2005-01-01

Large divertor heat pulses due to Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) have been eliminated reproducibly in DIII-D with small dc currents driven in a simple magnetic perturbation coil. The current required to eliminate all but a few isolated Type-I ELMs, during a coil pulse, is less than 0.4% of plasma current. Modelling shows that the perturbation fields resonate with plasma flux surfaces across most of the pedestal region (0.9 ≤ N ≤ 1.0), when q95 = 3.7±0.2 creating small remnant magnetic islands surrounded by weakly stochastic field lines. The stored energy, N , H-mode quality factor and global energy confinement time are unaltered by the magnetic perturbation. At high collisionality (ν* ∼0.5-1), there is no obvious effect of the perturbation on the edge profiles and yet ELMs are suppressed, nearly completely, for up to 9τ E . At low collisionality (ν* <0.1), there is a density pump-out and complete ELM suppression, reminiscent of the DIIID QH- mode. Other differences, specifically in the resonance condition and the magnetic fluctuations, suggest that different mechanisms are at play in the different collisionality regimes. In addition to a description and interpretation of the DIIID data, the application of this method to ELM control on other machines, such as JET and ITER will be discussed. (author)
Energy Exchange Dynamics across L-H transitions in NSTX

Science.gov (United States)

Diallo, Ahmed

2017-10-01

H-mode is planned for future devices such as ITER, and is preceded by a low (L) to high (H) transition. A key question remains. What is the mechanism behind the L-H transition? Most theoretical descriptions of the L-H transition are based on the shear of the radial electric field and coincident ExB poloidal flow shear, which is thought to be responsible for the onset of the anomalous transport suppression that leads to the L-H transition. This talk will focus on the analysis of the flow dynamics across the L-H transition in NSTX. We analyze the L-H transition dynamics using the velocimetry of 2D edge turbulence data from gas-puff imaging (GPI). We determine the velocity components at the edge across the L-H transition for 17 discharges with three types of heating power (NBI, ohmic, and RF). Using a reduced model equation of edge flows and turbulence, the energy transfer dynamics is compared with the turbulence depletion hypothesis of the predator-prey model. In order for Reynolds work to suppress the turbulence, it must deplete the total turbulent free energy, including the thermal free-energy term. For this to occur, the increase in kinetic energy in the mean flow over the L-H transition must be comparable to the pre-transition thermal free energy. However, this ratio was found to be of order 10-2. Although there are significant simplifications in the theoretical model, they are unlikely to cause inaccuracy by two orders of magnitude, suggesting that direct turbulence depletion by the Reynolds work may not be large enough to explain the L-H transition on NSTX, contrary to the predator-prey model. This work is supported by the US DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-09CH11466.
Effect of variation in equilibrium shape on ELMing H-mode performance in DIII-D diverted plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenstermacher, M.E.; Osborne, T.H.; Petrie, T.W.

2001-01-01

The changes in the performance of the core, pedestal, scrape-off-layer (SOL), and divertor plasmas as a result of changes in triangularity, δ, up/down magnetic balance, and secondary divertor volume were examined in shape variation experiments using ELMing H mode plasmas on DIII-D. In moderate density, unpumped plasmas, high δ∼0.7 increased the energy in the H mode pedestal and the global energy confinement of the core, primarily due to an increase in the margin by which the edge pressure gradient exceeded the value which would have been expected had it been limited by infinite-n ideal ballooning modes. In addition, a nearly balanced double-null (DN) shape was effective for sharing the peak heat flux in the divertor in these attached plasmas. For detached plasmas good heat flux sharing was obtained for a substantial range of unbalanced DN shapes. Finally, the presence of a second X-point in unbalanced DN shapes did not degrade the plasma performance if it was sufficiently far inside the vacuum vessel. These results indicate that a high δ unbalanced DN shape has some advantages over a single null shape for future high power tokamak operation. (author)
H-mode transition physics close to DN on MAST and its applications to other tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, H.

2004-01-01

Full text: ELMy H-mode is the base-line operating scenario for the next step fusion device ITER. To improve active and passive pedestal control a deeper understanding of H- mode physics is desirable. MAST contributes towards this understanding with good edge diagnostics, and by accessing extreme parameter regimes. The first inter-machine comparisons with respect to the influence of the magnetic topology on the power threshold with ASDEX-Upgrade and NSTX reveal a reduction of the power threshold in true double null (C-DN) configuration opening new operation regimes in both devices. The 30% reduction in threshold power close to C-DN observed on ASDEX-Upgrade, though significant, is less than the factor of two or more observed in both large spherical tokamaks, MAST and NSTX. This points towards the importance of field line curvature for this effect. The power thresholds measured in C-DN on MAST and NSTX are very similar. Despite this strong effect on the power threshold, changes in most edge parameters in L-mode due to the different magnetic configurations are small. However, significant changes are seen in the toroidal impurity flow velocity, related to the radial electric field, and in the scrape-off-layer temperature decay length at the high field side. The statistical comparison of MAST data with various H-mode theories suggests that different instabilities need to be stabilised at different spatial positions in the region where the pedestal forms to access H-mode. Pedestal temperatures observed on MAST are two to five times lower than in MAST equivalent discharges at ASDEX-Upgrade. However, the pedestal densities are similar. The differences in L-mode are less significant. The usual DN operating regime with co current NBI in MAST has been extended to include single null (SN) configurations, to provide more direct comparisons with conventional tokamaks. The plasma edge in SN on MAST is more stable to ELMs and the typical type-III ELMs, often observed in C-DN, are
Study of the conditions for spontaneous H-mode transitions in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlstrom, T.N.; Groebner, R.J.

1996-01-01

A series of scaling studies attempting to correlate the H(high)-mode power threshold (P TH ) with global parameters have been conducted. Data from these discharges is also being used to look for dependence of P TH on local edge parameters and to test theories of the transition. Boronization and better operational techniques have resulted in lower power thresholds and weaker density scaling. Neon impurity injection experiments show that radiation also plays a role in determining P TH . A low density threshold for the L(low)-H(high) transition has been linked with the locked mode low density limit, and can be reduced with the use of an error field correcting coil. Highly developed edge diagnostics, with spatial resolution as low as 5 mm, are used to evaluate how the power threshold depends on local edge conditions. Preliminary analysis of local edge conditions for parameter scans of n e , B T , and I p in single-null discharges, and the X-point imbalance in double-null discharges-show that, just before the transition to H-mode, the edge temperatures near the separatrix are approximately constant at 100 i e *i , varied from 2 to 17, demonstrating that a transition condition as simple as v *i = constant is inconsistent with the data. The local edge parameters of n e , T e , and T i do not always follow the same global scaling as P TH . Therefore, theories of the L-H transition need not be constrained by these scalings

Predictive transport modelling of type I ELMy H-mode dynamics using a theory-motivated combined ballooning-peeling model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loennroth, J-S; Parail, V; Dnestrovskij, A; Figarella, C; Garbet, X; Wilson, H

2004-01-01

This paper discusses predictive transport simulations of the type I ELMy high confinement mode (H-mode) with a theory-motivated edge localized mode (ELM) model based on linear ballooning and peeling mode stability theory. In the model, a total mode amplitude is calculated as a sum of the individual mode amplitudes given by two separate linear differential equations for the ballooning and peeling mode amplitudes. The ballooning and peeling mode growth rates are represented by mutually analogous terms, which differ from zero upon the violation of a critical pressure gradient and an analytical peeling mode stability criterion, respectively. The damping of the modes due to non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic effects is controlled by a term driving the mode amplitude towards the level of background fluctuations. Coupled to simulations with the JETTO transport code, the model qualitatively reproduces the experimental dynamics of type I ELMy H-mode, including an ELM frequency that increases with the external heating power. The dynamics of individual ELM cycles is studied. Each ELM is usually triggered by a ballooning mode instability. The ballooning phase of the ELM reduces the pressure gradient enough to make the plasma peeling unstable, whereby the ELM continues driven by the peeling mode instability, until the edge current density has been depleted to a stable level. Simulations with current ramp-up and ramp-down are studied as examples of situations in which pure peeling and pure ballooning mode ELMs, respectively, can be obtained. The sensitivity with respect to the ballooning and peeling mode growth rates is investigated. Some consideration is also given to an alternative formulation of the model as well as to a pure peeling model
Shear flow generation by Reynolds stress and suppression of resistive g-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugama, H.; Horton, W.

1993-08-01

Suppression of resistive g-mode turbulence by background shear flow generated from a small external flow source and amplified by the fluctuation-induced Reynolds stress is demonstrated and analyzed. The model leads to a paradigm for the low-to-high (L-H) confinement mode transition. To demonstrate the L-H transition model, single-helicity nonlinear fluid simulations using the vorticity equation for the electrostatic potential, the pressure fluctuation equation and the background poloidal flow equation are used in the sheared slab configuration. The relative efficiency of the external flow and the Reynolds stress for producing shear flow depends on the poloidal flow damping parameter ν which is given by neoclassical theory. For large ν, the external flow is a dominant contribution to the total background poloidal shear flow and its strength predicted by the neoclassical theory is not enough to suppress the turbulence significantly. In contrast, for small ν, we show that the fluctuations drive a Reynolds stress that becomes large and suddenly, at some critical point in time, shear flow much larger than the external flow is generated and leads to an abrupt, order unity reduction of the turbulent transport just like that of the L-H transition in tokamak experiments. It is also found that, even in the case of no external flow, the shear flow generation due to the Reynolds stress occurs through the nonlinear interaction of the resistive g-modes and reduces the transport. To supplement the numerical solutions we derive the Landau equation for the mode amplitude of the resistive g-mode taking into account the fluctuation-induced shear flow and analyze the opposite action of the Reynolds stress in the resistive g turbulence compared with the classical shear flow Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) driven turbulence
Edge radial electric field structure in quiescent H-mode plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burrell, K H [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); West, W P [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Doyle, E J [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Austin, M E [University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); DeGrassie, J S [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Gohil, P [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Greenfield, C M [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Groebner, R J [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Jayakumar, R [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551-9900 (United States); Kaplan, D H [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Lao, L L [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Leonard, A W [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Makowski, M A [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551-9900 (United States); McKee, G R [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706-1687 (United States); Solomon, W M [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543-0451 (United States); Thomas, D M [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Rhodes, T L [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Wade, M R [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Wang, G [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Watkins, J G [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Zeng, L [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States)

2004-05-01

H-mode operation is the choice for next step tokamak devices based on either conventional or advanced tokamak physics. This choice, however, comes at a significant cost for both the conventional and advanced tokamaks because of the effects of edge localized modes (ELMs). ELMs can produce significant erosion in the divertor and can affect the {beta} limit and reduced core transport regions needed for advanced tokamak operation. Experimental results from DIII-D over the past four years have demonstrated a new operating regime, the quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) regime, that solves these problems. QH-mode plasmas have now been run for over 4 s (>30 energy confinement times). Utilizing the steady-state nature of the QH-mode edge allows us to obtain unprecedented spatial resolution of the edge ion profiles and the edge radial electric field, E{sub r}, by sweeping the edge plasma slowly past the view points of the charge exchange spectroscopy system. We have investigated the effects of direct edge ion orbit loss on the creation and sustainment of the QH-mode. Direct loss of ions injected into the velocity-space loss cone at the plasma edge is not necessary for creation or sustainment of the QH-mode. The direct ion orbit loss has little effect on the edge E{sub r} well. The E{sub r} at the bottom of the well in these cases is about -100 kV m{sup -1} compared with -20 to -30 kV m{sup -1} in the standard H-mode. The well is about 1 cm wide, which is close to the diameter of the deuteron gyro-orbit. We also have investigated the effect of changing edge triangularity by changing the plasma shape from upwardly biased single null to magnetically balanced double null. We have now achieved the QH-mode in these double-null plasmas. The increased triangularity allows us to increase pedestal density in QH-mode plasmas by a factor of about 2.5 and overall pedestal pressure by a factor of 2. Pedestal {beta} and {nu}{sup *} values matching the values desired for ITER have been achieved. In
An interpretation of the structure of ELMs and the H to L transition on JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cripwell, P.; Edwards, A.; Galvao, R.

1989-01-01

Initial studies on JET have described the characteristics of edge fluctuations in X-point plasmas and their effects on energy and particle confinement. In this paper we perform a detailed magnetic analysis of ELMs and their precursors, and make a comparison with the H to L transition. These magnetic results correlate with those of other diagnostics such as the microwave reflectometer and X-point langmuir probes. Localization of ELMs and H to L transition spike is determined with the soft X-ray camera, and particle transport estimated by an H-alpha detector. Finally possible theoretical explanations for ELMs are discussed. (author) 5 refs., 3 figs
Momentum confinement at low torque

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solomon, W M [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Burrell, K H [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); De Grassie, J S [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Budny, R [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Groebner, R J [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Kinsey, J E [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Kramer, G J [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Luce, T C [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Makowski, M A [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Mikkelsen, D [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Nazikian, R [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Petty, C C [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Politzer, P A [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Scott, S D [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Zeeland, M A Van [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Zarnstorff, M C [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States)

2007-12-15

Momentum confinement was investigated on DIII-D as a function of applied neutral beam torque at constant normalized beta {beta}{sub N}, by varying the mix of co (parallel to the plasma current) and counter neutral beams. Under balanced neutral beam injection (i.e. zero total torque to the plasma), the plasma maintains a significant rotation in the co-direction. This 'intrinsic' rotation can be modeled as being due to an offset in the applied torque (i.e. an 'anomalous torque'). This anomalous torque appears to have a magnitude comparable to one co neutral beam source. The presence of such an anomalous torque source must be taken into account to obtain meaningful quantities describing momentum transport, such as the global momentum confinement time and local diffusivities. Studies of the mechanical angular momentum in ELMing H-mode plasmas with elevated q{sub min} show that the momentum confinement time improves as the torque is reduced. In hybrid plasmas, the opposite effect is observed, namely that momentum confinement improves at high torque/rotation. GLF23 modeling suggests that the role of E x B shearing is quite different between the two plasmas, which may help to explain the different dependence of the momentum confinement on torque.
Neoclassical tearing modes on ASDEX Upgrade: Improved scaling laws, high confinement at high βN and new stabilization experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenter, S.; Gude, A.; Igochine, V.; Maraschek, M.; Sips, A.C.C.; Zohm, H.; Gantenbein, G.; Sauter, O.

2003-01-01

In this paper recent results on the physics of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) achieved on ASDEX Upgrade are reported. A scaling law for NTM decay has been found, showing that the minimum local bootstrap current density required for mode growth is proportional to the ion gyro radius. As this scaling law does not depend on the seed island size, and thus on the background MHD activity, it is more reliable than previously derived scaling laws for the NTM onset. Furthermore, the recently reported Frequently Interrupted Regime (FIR) is discussed. In this new regime (m,n) NTMs are characterized by frequent amplitude drops caused by interaction with (m+1,n+1) background MHD activity. Due to the resulting reduced time averaged island size this leads to lower confinement degradation compared to that caused by the usual NTMs. As shown here, the transition into this regime can actively be triggered by lowering the magnetic shear at the q=(m+1)/=(n+1) rational surface. Further investigations regard mechanisms to increase the β N value for NTM onset such as plasma shaping, seed island size and density profile control. Using these studies, a scenario with high β N (β N = 3:5) at high density (n/n GW = 0.83) and confinement (H 98(y,2) = 1.2) has been developed. Moreover, this scenario is characterized by type II ELM activity and thus by moderate heat load to the target plates. Finally, new NTM stabilization experiments are reported, demonstrating an increase in β N after NTM stabilization. (author)
Momentum Confinement at Low Torque

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomon, W.M.; Burrell, K.H.; deGrassie, J.S.; Budny, R.; Groebner, R.J.; Heidbrink, W.W.; Kinsey, J.E.; Kramer, G.J.; Makowski, M.A.; Mikkelsen, D.; Nazikian, R.; Petty, C.C.; Politzer, P.A.; Scott, S.D.; Van Zeeland, M.A.; Zarnstorff, M.C.

2007-01-01

Momentum confinement was investigated on DIII-D as a function of applied neutral beam torque at constant normalized β N , by varying the mix of co (parallel to the plasma current) and counter neutral beams. Under balanced neutral beam injection (i.e. zero total torque to the plasma), the plasma maintains a significant rotation in the co-direction. This 'intrinsic' rotation can be modeled as being due to an offset in the applied torque (i.e. an 'anomalous torque'). This anomalous torque appears to have a magnitude comparable to one co-neutral beam source. The presence of such an anomalous torque source must be taken into account to obtain meaningful quantities describing momentum transport, such as the global momentum confinement time and local diffusivities. Studies of the mechanical angular momentum in ELMing H-mode plasmas with elevated q min show that the momentum confinement time improves as the torque is reduced. In hybrid plasmas, the opposite effect is observed, namely that momentum confinement improves at high torque/rotation. The relative importance of E x B shearing between the two is modeled using GLF23 and may suggest a possible explanation.
Normal Modes of Magnetized Finite Two-Dimensional Yukawa Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Marleau, Gabriel-Dominique; Kaehlert, Hanno; Bonitz, Michael

2009-11-01

The normal modes of a finite two-dimensional dusty plasma in an isotropic parabolic confinement, including the simultaneous effects of friction and an external magnetic field, are studied. The ground states are found from molecular dynamics simulations with simulated annealing, and the influence of screening, friction, and magnetic field on the mode frequencies is investigated in detail. The two-particle problem is solved analytically and the limiting cases of weak and strong magnetic fields are discussed.[4pt] [1] C. Henning, H. K"ahlert, P. Ludwig, A. Melzer, and M.Bonitz. J. Phys. A 42, 214023 (2009)[2] B. Farokhi, M. Shahmansouri, and P. K. Shukla. Phys.Plasmas 16, 063703 (2009)[3] L. Cândido, J.-P. Rino, N. Studart, and F. M. Peeters. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 10, 11627--11644 (1998)
Beta limits in H-modes and VH-modes in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smeulders, P; Hender, T C; Huysmans, G; Marcus, F; Ali-Arshad, S; Alper, B; Balet, B; Bures, M; Deliyanakis, N; Esch, H de; Fshpool, G; Jarvis, O N; Jones, T T.C.; Ketner, W; Koenig, R; Lawson, K; Lomas, P; O` Brien, D; Sadler, G; Stok, D; Stubberfield, P; Thomas, P; Thomen, K; Wesson, J [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Nave, M F [Universidade Tecnica, Lisbon (Portugal). Inst. Superior Tecnico

1994-07-01

In Hot-ion H- and VH-modes, the highest achieved beta was about 10% below the Troyon value in the best case of discharge 26087. The operational space of the high beta discharges obtained before March 1992 has been explored as function of the parameters H{sub ITER89P}, {beta}{sub n}, q{sub 95}, I{sub p}. Also, a limiting envelope on the fusion reactivity as a function of the average plasma pressure and beta has been observed with R{sub DD} related to {beta}{sub {phi}}{sup 2}.B{sub {phi}}{sup 4}. MHD stability analysis shows that the JET VH modes at the edge are in the second region for ballooning mode stability. The dependence of ballooning stability and the n=1 external kink on the edge current density is analyzed. (authors). 6 figs., 6 refs.
Theory of tokamak resistive fishbone modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Bingren; Sui Guofang

1995-12-01

A special kind of internal kink mode, the fishbone, can be excited by the energetic particles in tokamak plasmas. Theoretical analyses of fishbone modes based on the ideal MHD framework have predicted that two branches of modes exists. One is the Chen-White branch with ω∼ω-bar dm , corresponding to a higher threshold in β h ; the other is the Coppis branch with ω∼ω *i , and a much lower threshold in β h . The latter mode would put a rather unfavourable restriction on heating efficiency and on plasma confinement. However. It is found that the resistivity effect is essential for this mode. In this paper, a new resistive fishbone mode analysis is carried out. In the (γ mhd ,β H ) space, the stability diagram shows complicate structure, the Coppis branch is replaced by a weakly unstable mode and there is no longer closed stable region. The growth rate of this mode varies with β h , its peak value is still very low compared to other internal modes. The implications of these results to future tokamak experiments are discussed. (8 figs.)
Formation of an internal transport barrier in the ohmic H-mode in the TUMAN-3M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrejko, M.V.; Askinazi, L.G.; Golant, V.E.; Zhubr, N.A.; Kornev, V.A.; Krikunov, S.V.; Lebedev, S.V.; Levin, L.S.; Razdobarin, G.T.; Rozhdestvensky, V.V.; Smirnov, A.I.; Tukachinsky, A.S.; Yaroshevich, S.P.

2000-01-01

In experiments on studying the ohmic H-mode in the TUMAN-3M tokamak, it is found that, in high-current (I p ∼ 120-170 kA) discharges, a region with high electron-temperature and density gradients is formed in the plasma core. In this case, the energy confinement time τ E attains 9-18 ms, which is nearly twice as large as that predicted by the ELM-free ITER-93H scaling. This is evidence that the internal transport barrier in a plasma can exist without auxiliary heating. Calculations of the effective thermal diffusivity by the ASTRA transport code demonstrate a strong suppression of heat transport in the region where the temperature and density gradients are high
Comparison of H-mode barrier width with a model of neutral penetration length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Leonard, A.W.; Osborne, T.H.; Brooks, N.S.; Wolf, N.S.; Porter, G.D.; Stangeby, P.C.; Colchin, R.J.; Owen, L.W.

2004-01-01

Pedestal studies in DIII-D find that the width of the region of steep gradient in the H-mode density is comparable with the neutral penetration length, as computed from a simple analytic model. This model has analytic solutions for the edge plasma and neutral density profiles, which are obtained from the coupled particle continuity equations for electrons and deuterium atoms. In its range of validity (edge temperature between 40 and 500 eV), the analytic model quantitatively predicts the observed decrease in the width as the pedestal density increases and the observed strong increase in the gradient of the density as the pedestal density increases. The model successfully predicts that L-mode and H-mode profiles with the same pedestal density have gradients that differ by less than a factor of 2. The width of the density barrier, measured from the edge of the electron temperature barrier, is the lower limit for the observed width of the temperature barrier. These results support the hypothesis that particle fuelling is an important part of the physics that determines the structure of the H-mode transport barrier. (author)
Helium transport and exhaust studies in enhanced confinement regimes in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Maingi, R.; West, W.P.; Burrell, K.H.; Finkenthal, D.F.; Gohil, P.; Groebner, R.J.

1995-02-01

A better understanding of helium transport in the plasma core and edge in enhanced confinement regimes is now emerging from recent experimental studies on DIII-D. Overall, the results are encouraging. Significant helium exhaust (τ* He /τ E ∼ 11) has been obtained in a diverted, ELMing H-mode plasma simultaneous with a central source of helium. Detailed analysis of the helium profile evolution indicates that the exhaust rate is limited by the exhaust efficiency of the pump (∼5%) and not by the intrinsic helium transport properties of the plasma. Perturbative helium transport studies using gas puffing have shown that D He /X eff ∼1 in all confinement regimes studied to date (including H-mode and VH-mode). Furthermore, there is no evidence of preferential accumulation of helium in any of these regimes. However, measurements in the core and pumping plenum show a significant dilution of helium as it flows from the plasma core to the pumping plenum. Such dilution could be the limiting factor in the overall removal rate of helium in a reactor system
Advances towards QH-mode viability for ELM-stable operation in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garofalo, A.M.; Burrell, K.H.; DeBoo, J.C.; Schaffer, M.J.; Snyder, P.B.; Solomon, W.M.; Park, J.-K.; Lanctot, M.J.; Reimerdes, H.; McKee, G.R.; Schmitz, L.

2011-01-01

The application of static, non-axisymmetric, nonresonant magnetic fields (NRMFs) to high beta DIII-D plasmas has allowed sustained operation with a quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) edge and both toroidal rotation and neutral beam injected torque near zero. Previous studies have shown that QH-mode operation can be accessed only if sufficient radial shear in the plasma flow is produced near the plasma edge. In past experiments, this flow shear was produced using neutral beam injection (NBI) to provide toroidal torque. In recent experiments, this torque was nearly completely replaced by the torque from applied NRMFs. The application of the NRMFs does not degrade the global energy confinement of the plasma. Conversely, the experiments show that the energy confinement quality increases with lower plasma rotation. Furthermore, the NRMF torque increases plasma resilience to locked modes at low rotation. These results open a path towards QH-mode utilization as an edge-localized mode (ELM)-stable H-mode in the self-heated burning plasma scenario, where toroidal momentum input from NBI may be small or absent.
Investigation into the formation of the scrape-off layer density shoulder in JET ITER-like wall L-mode and H-mode plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Wynn, A.; Lipschultz, B.; Cziegler, I.; Harrison, J.; Jaervinen, A.; Matthews, G. F.; Schmitz, J.; Tal, B.; Brix, M.; Guillemaut, C.; Frigione, D.; Huber, A.; Joffrin, E.; Kruzei, U.; Militello, F.; Nielsen, A.; Walkden, N. R.; Wiesen, S.; Contributors, JET

2018-05-01

The low temperature boundary layer plasma (scrape-off layer or SOL) between the hot core and the surrounding vessel determines the level of power loading, erosion and implantation of material surfaces, and thus the viability of tokamak-based fusion as an energy source. This study explores mechanisms affecting the formation of flattened density profiles, so-called ‘density shoulders’, in the low-field side (LFS) SOL, which modify ion and neutral fluxes to surfaces—and subsequent erosion. We find that increases in SOL parallel resistivity, Λdiv (=[L || ν eiΩi]/c sΩe), postulated to lead to shoulder growth through changes in SOL turbulence characteristics, correlates with increases in SOL shoulder amplitude, A s, only under a subset of conditions (D2-fuelled L-mode density scans with outer strike point on the horizontal target). Λdiv fails to correlate with A s for cases of N2 seeding or during sweeping of the strike point across the horizontal target. The limited correlation of Λdiv and A s is also found for H-mode discharges. Thus, while it may be necessary for Λdiv to be above a threshold of ~1 for shoulder formation and/or growth, another mechanism is required. More significantly, we find that in contrast to parallel resistivity, outer divertor recycling, as quantified by the total outer divertor Balmer D α emission, I-D α , does scale with A s where Λdiv does and even where Λdiv does not. Divertor recycling could lead to SOL density shoulder formation through: (a) reducing the parallel to the field flow (loss) of ions out of the SOL to the divertor; and (b) changes in radial electric fields which lead to E × B poloidal flows as well as potentially affecting SOL turbulence birth characteristics. Thus, changes in divertor recycling may be the sole process involved in bringing about SOL density shoulders or it may be that it acts in tandem with parallel resistivity.
Plasma current dependence of the edge pedestal height in JET ELM-free H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nave, M.F.F; Lomas, P.; Gowers, C.; Guo, H.; Hawkes, N.; Huysmans, G.T.A.; Jones, T.; Parail, V.V.; Rimini, F.; Schunke, B.

2000-01-01

Some models for the suppression of turbulence in the L to H transition, suggest that the width of the H-mode edge barrier is either proportional or is of the order of the thermal or the fast-ion poloidal Larmor radius. This would require that the width of the edge barrier should depend on the plasma current. This dependence has been clearly verified at JET in experiments designed to control the edge MHD stability of ELM-free hot-ion H-mode plasmas. The effects of isotopic mass and the applicability of several edge barrier models to the hot-ion H-mode plasmas were analysed in (Guo H Y et al 2000 Edge transport barrier in JET hot-ion H-modes Nucl. Fusion 40 69) using a large database containing both deuterium-only and deuterium-tritium plasmas. This database has now been enlarged to include discharges from a plasma shape scan, allowing one to study the dependence of the pedestal height on the edge shear. In addition, the range of plasma currents was extended up to 6 MA. It is shown that the edge data are best described by a model where the edge barrier width is determined by the fast ions weighted towards the components with largest poloidal Larmor radii. However, it is not possible to conclusively eliminate the thermal ion model. (author)
Report on the combined meeting of the core confinement and internal transport barrier expert group, confinement database and modeling expert group and edge pedestal expert group, 12-16 April 1999, Garching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janeschitz, G.; Connor, J.W.; Cordey, G.; Kardaun, O.; Mukhovatov, V.; Stambaugh, R.; Ryter, F.; Wakatani, M.

1999-01-01

This contribution to the ITER EDA Newsletter reports on the combined meeting of the core confinement and internal transport barrier expert group, confinement database and modeling expert group and edge pedestal expert group in Garching, Germany. This is the first workshop of its kind after the re-organisation of the expert groups. The new scheme of the meetings, namely to permit more interaction between groups by arranging them at the same time and location turned out to be very successful. The main issues discussed were for the Confinement Database: merging of edge pedestal and confinement data, improvement of the density- and magnetic shape parameters, addition of new dedicated threshold data, the effect of different divertors in JET; for the H-Mode Power Threshold Database: assembly of a new version of the database with about 650 time points from 10 tokamaks; for the 1-D Modelling Workshop: management of the database after the re-organisation of the Joint Central Team an ongoing efforts in plasma transport modelling; for the newly formed pedestal group: issues of the H-mode shear layer at the plasma edge. There was also an executive summary given of a recent USA workshop on internal transport barriers and regimes with weak or negative magnetic shear
2D heat flux pattern in ASDEX upgrade L-mode with magnetic perturbation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faitsch, Michael; Sieglin, Bernhard; Eich, Thomas; Herrmann, Albrecht; Suttrop, Wolfgang [Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Collaboration: the ASDEDX Upgrade Team

2016-07-01

A future fusion reactor is likely to operate in high confinement mode (H-mode). This mode is associated with a periodic instability at the plasma edge that expels particles and energy. This instability is called edge localized mode (ELM). External magnetic perturbation (MP) is one technique that is thought to be able to mitigate or even suppress large ELMs in next step fusion devices such as ITER, where the ELM induced heat load for unmitigated ELMs might limit the lifetime of the divertor. Applying an external magnetic perturbation breaks the axisymmetry and leads to a 2D steady state heat flux pattern at the divertor. The ASDEX Upgrade tokamak is equipped with 16 perturbation coils, 8 above (upper row) and 8 below (lower row) the outer mid plane, toroidal equally distributed. A high resolution infra red system is measuring the heat flux at the outer target at a fixed toroidal position with a resolution of around 0.6 mm. In order to measure the 2D structure a slow rotation of the MP field was applied (1 Hz) with a toroidal mode number n=2. The differential phase between the upper and lower row was changed to investigate the effect of the alignment with the field lines at the edge. The density was varied to study the density dependence of the heat transport with applied external MP and compare it to the axisymmetric scenario.
Effect of Wave Accessibility on Lower Hybrid Wave Current Drive in Experimental Advanced Superconductor Tokamak with H-Mode Operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xin-Xia; Xiang Nong; Gan Chun-Yun

2015-01-01

The effect of the wave accessibility condition on the lower hybrid current drive in the experimental advanced superconductor Tokamak (EAST) plasma with H-mode operation is studied. Based on a simplified model, a mode conversion layer of the lower hybrid wave between the fast wave branch and the slow wave branch is proved to exist in the plasma periphery for typical EAST H-mode parameters. Under the framework of the lower hybrid wave simulation code (LSC), the wave ray trajectory and the associated current drive are calculated numerically. The results show that the wave accessibility condition plays an important role on the lower hybrid current drive in EAST plasma. For wave rays with parallel refractive index n ‖ = 2.1 or n ‖ = 2.5 launched from the outside midplane, the wave rays may penetrate the core plasma due to the toroidal geometry effect, while numerous reflections of the wave ray trajectories in the plasma periphery occur. However, low current drive efficiency is obtained. Meanwhile, the wave accessibility condition is improved if a higher confined magnetic field is applied. The simulation results show that for plasma parameters under present EAST H-mode operation, a significant lower hybrid wave current drive could be obtained for the wave spectrum with peak value n ‖ = 2.1 if a toroidal magnetic field B T = 2.5 T is applied. (paper)
Comprehensive energy transport scalings derived from DIII-D similarity experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petty, C.C.; Luce, T.C.; Baity, F.W.

1998-12-01

The dependences of heat transport on the dimensionless plasma physics parameters has been measured for both L-mode and H-mode plasmas on the DIII-D tokamak. Heat transport in L-mode plasmas has a gyroradius scaling that is gyro-Bohm-like for electrons and worse than Bohm-like for ions, with no measurable beta or collisionality dependence; this corresponds to having an energy confinement time that scales like τ E ∝ n 0.5 P -0.5 . H-mode plasmas have gyro-Bohm-like scaling of heat transport for both electrons and ions, weak beta scaling, and moderate collisionality scaling. In addition, H-mode plasmas have a strong safety factor scaling (χ ∼ q 2 ) at all radii. Combining these four dimensionless parameter scalings together gives an energy confinement time scaling for H-mode plasmas like τ E ∝ B -1 ρ -3.15 β 0.03 v -0.42 q 95 -1.43 ∝ I 0.84 B 0.39 n 0.18 P -0.41 L 2.0 , which is similar to empirical scalings derived from global confinement databases

Comprehensive energy transport scalings derived from DIII-D similarity experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petty, C.C.; Luce, T.C.; Baity, F.W.

1999-01-01

The dependences of heat transport on the dimensionless plasma physics parameters has been measured for both L-mode and H-mode plasmas on the DIII-D tokamak. Heat transport in L-mode plasmas has a gyroradius scaling that is gyro-Bohm-like for electrons and worse than Bohm-like for ions, with no measurable beta or collisionality dependence; this corresponds to having an energy confinement time that scales like τ E ∝ n 0.5 P -0.5 . H-mode plasmas have gyro-Bohm-like scaling of heat transport for both electrons and ions, weak beta scaling, and moderate collisionality scaling. In addition, H-mode plasmas have a strong safety factor scaling (χ ∼ q 2 ) at all radii. Combining these four dimensionless parameter scalings together gives an energy confinement time scaling for H-mode plasmas like τ E ∝ B -1 ρ -3.15 β 0.03 ν -0.42 q 95 -1.43 ∝ I 0.84 B 0.39 n 0.18 P -0.41 L 2.0 , which is similar to empirical scalings derived from global confinement databases. (author)
Comprehensive energy transport scalings derived from DIII-D similarity experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petty, C.C.; Luce, T.C.; Baker, D.R.

2001-01-01

The dependences of heat transport on the dimensionless plasma physics parameters has been measured for both L-mode and H-mode plasmas on the DIII-D tokamak. Heat transport in L-mode plasmas has a gyroradius scaling that is gyro-Bohm-like for electrons and worse than Bohm-like for ions, with no measurable beta or collisionality dependence; this corresponds to having an energy confinement time that scales like τ E ∝n 0.5 P -0.5 . H-mode plasmas have gyro-Bohm-like scaling of heat transport for both electrons and ions, weak beta scaling, and moderate collisionality scaling. In addition, H-mode plasmas have a strong safety factor scaling (χ∼q 2 ) at all radii. Combining these four dimensionless parameter scalings together gives an energy confinement time scaling for H-mode plasmas like τ E ∝ B -1 ρ -3.15 β 0.03 ν -0.42 q 95 -1.43 ∝ I 0.84 B 0.39 n 0.18 P -0.41 L 2.0 , which is similar to empirical scalings derived from global confinement databases. (author)
Status of global energy confinement studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaye, S.M.; Bell, M.G.; DeBoo, J.C.; Waltz, R.; Greenwald, M.; Sigmar, D.

1990-02-01

Empirical scaling expressions, reflecting the parametric dependence of the L-mode energy confinement time, have been used not only as benchmarks for tokamak operation and theories of energy transport, but for predicting the performance of proposed tokamak devices. Several scaling expressions based on data from small-and medium-sized devices have done well in predicting performance in larger devices, although great uncertainty exists in extrapolating yet farther, into the ignition regime. Several approaches exist for developing higher confidence scaling expressions. These include reducing the statistical uncertainty by identifying and filling in gaps in the present database, making use of more sophisticated statistical techniques, and developing scalings for confinement regimes within which future devices will operate. Confidence in the scaling expressions will be increased still if the expressions can be more directly tied to transport physics theory. This can be done through the use of dimensionless parameters, better describing the edge and core confinement regimes separately, and by incorporating transport models directly into the scaling expressions. 50 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs
Attainment of high confinement in neutral beam heated divertor discharges in the PDX tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaye, S.M.; Bell, M.; Bol, K.

1983-11-01

The PDX divertor configuration has recently been converted from an open to a closed geometry to inhibit the return of neutral gas from the divertor region to the main chamber. Since then, operation in a regime with high energy confinement in neutral beam heated discharges (ASDEX H-mode) has been routine over a wide range of operating conditions. These H-mode discharges are characterized by a sudden drop in divertor density and H/sub α/ emission and a spontaneous rise in main chamber plasma density during neutral beam injection. The confinement time is found to scale nearly linearly with plasma current, but it can be degraded due to either the presence of edge instabilities or heavy gas puffing. Detailed Thomson scattering temperature profiles show high values of Te near the plasma edge (approx. 450 eV) with sharp radial gradients (approx. 400 eV/cm) near the separatrix. Density profiles are broad and also exhibit steep gradients close to the separatrix
Gyrokinetic Calculations of Microinstabilities and Transport During RF H-Modes on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redi, M.H.; Fiore, C.; Bonoli, P.; Bourdelle, C.; Budny, R.; Dorland, W.D.; Ernst, D.; Hammett, G.; Mikkelsen, D.; Rice, J.; Wukitch, S.

2002-01-01

Physics understanding for the experimental improvement of particle and energy confinement is being advanced through massively parallel calculations of microturbulence for simulated plasma conditions. The ultimate goal, an experimentally validated, global, non-local, fully nonlinear calculation of plasma microturbulence is still not within reach, but extraordinary progress has been achieved in understanding microturbulence, driving forces and the plasma response in recent years. In this paper we discuss gyrokinetic simulations of plasma turbulence being carried out to examine a reproducible, H-mode, RF heated experiment on the Alcator CMOD tokamak3, which exhibits an internal transport barrier (ITB). This off axis RF case represents the early phase of a very interesting dual frequency RF experiment, which shows density control with central RF heating later in the discharge. The ITB exhibits steep, spontaneous density peaking: a reduction in particle transport occurring without a central particle source. Since the central temperature is maintained while the central density is increasing, this also suggests a thermal transport barrier exists. TRANSP analysis shows that ceff drops inside the ITB. Sawtooth heat pulse analysis also shows a localized thermal transport barrier. For this ICRF EDA H-mode, the minority resonance is at r/a * 0.5 on the high field side. There is a normal shear profile, with q monotonic
Heuristic Drift-based Model of the Power Scrape-off width in H-mode Tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldston, Robert J.

2011-01-01

An heuristic model for the plasma scrape-off width in H-mode plasmas is introduced. Grad B and curv B drifts into the SOL are balanced against sonic parallel flows out of the SOL, to the divertor plates. The overall particle flow pattern posited is a modification for open field lines of Pfirsch-Shlueter flows to include sinks to the divertors. These assumptions result in an estimated SOL width of ∼ 2αρ p /R. They also result in a first-principles calculation of the particle confinement time of H-mode plasmas, qualitatively consistent with experimental observations. It is next assumed that anomalous perpendicular electron thermal diffusivity is the dominant source of heat flux across the separatrix, investing the SOL width, defined above, with heat from the main plasma. The separatrix temperature is calculated based on a two-point model balancing power input to the SOL with Spitzer-Haerm parallel thermal conduction losses to the divertor. This results in a heuristic closed-form prediction for the power scrape-off width that is in reasonable quantitative agreement both in absolute magnitude and in scaling with recent experimental data from deuterium plasmas. Further work should include full numerical calculations, including all magnetic and electric drifts, as well as more thorough comparison with experimental data.
Correlation of H-mode density barrier width and neutral penetration length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.

2002-01-01

Pedestal studies in DIII-D find a good correlation between the width of the H-mode particle barrier width(ne) and the neutral penetration length. These results are obtained by comparing experimental n e profiles to the predictions of an analytic model for the density profile, obtained from a solution of the particle continuity equations for electrons and deuterium atoms. Initial bench-marking shows that the model is consistent with the fluid neutrals model of the UEDGE code. In its range of validity (edge temperature between 0.02-0.3 keV), the model quantitatively predicts the observed values of width(ne), the observed decrease of width(ne) as the pedestal density n e,ped increases, the observed increase of the gradient of n e with the square of n e,ped , and the observation that L-mode and H-mode profiles with the same n e,ped have very similar widths. In the model, width(ne) depends on the fuelling source and on the plasma transport. Thus, these results provide evidence that the width of the particle barrier depends on both plasma physics and atomic physics. (author)
Near-wall effects in improved plasma confinement regimes in tokamak FT-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budnikov, V.N.; D'yachenko, V.V.; Esipov, L.A.

1997-01-01

Transition to the regime of improved plasma confinement (H-mode) revealed in experiments on low hybrid heating in tokamak ft-2 is analyzed. Main attention is paid to processes, taking place in near-wall region. The data are correlated with results of experiments in large tokamaks
Optimized profiles for improved confinement and stability in the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, T.S.; St. John, H.; Turnbull, A.D.

1995-02-01

Simultaneous achievement of high energy confinement, τ E , and high plasma beta, β, leads to an economically attractive compact tokamak fusion reactor. High confinement enhancement, H = τ E /τ E-ITER89P = 4, and high normalized beta β N = β/(I/aB) = 6%-m-T/MA, have been obtained in DIII-D experimental discharges. These improved confinement and/or improved stability limits are observed in several DIII-D high performance operational regimes: VH-mode, high ell i H-mode, second stable core, and high beta poloidal. The authors have identified several important features of the improved performance in these discharges: details of the plasma shape, toroidal rotation or ExB flow profile, q profile and current density profile, and pressure profile. From the improved physics understanding of these enhanced performance regimes, they have developed operational scenarios which maintain the essential features of the improved confinement and which increase the stability limits using localized current profile control. The stability limit is increased by modifying the interior safety factor profile to be nonmonotonic with high central q, while maintaining the edge current density consistent with the improved transport regimes and the high edge bootstrap current. They have calculated high beta equilibria with β N = 6.5, stable to ideal n = 1 kinks and stable to ideal ballooning modes. The safety factor at the 95% flux surface is 6, the central q value is 3.9 and the minimum in q is 2.6. The current density profile is maintained by the natural profile of the bootstrap current, and a modest amount of electron cyclotron current drive
Suppression of large edge localized modes with a stochastic magnetic boundary in high confinement DIII-D plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, T.E.; Moyer, R.A.; Watkins, J.G.

2005-01-01

Large sub-millisecond heat pulses due to Type-I ELMs have been eliminated reproducibly in DIII.D for periods approaching 7 energy confinement times with small dc currents driven in a simple magnetic perturbation coil. The current required to eliminate all but a few isolated Type-I ELM impulses during a coil pulse is less than 0.4% of plasma current. Based on vacuum magnetic field line modeling, the perturbation fields resonate strongly with plasma flux surfaces across most of the pedestal region (0.9 ≤ Ψ N ≤ 1.0) when q 95 = 3.7±0.2 creating small remnant magnetic islands surrounded by weakly stochastic field lines. The stored energy, β N , H-mode quality factor and global energy confinement time are unaltered. Although some isolated ELM-like events typically occur, long periods free of large Type-I ELMs (Δt > 4-6 τ E ) have been reproduced numerous times, on multiple experimental run days including cases matching the ITER scenario 2 flux surface shape. Since large Type-I ELM impulses represent a severe constraint on the survivability of the divertor target plates in future fusion devices such as ITER, a proven method of eliminating these impulses is critical for the development of tokamak reactors. Results presented in this paper indicate that non-axisymmetric edge magnetic perturbations could be a promising option for controlling ELMs in future tokamaks such as ITER. (author)
Recent TCV results. Innovative plasma shaping to improve plasma properties and insight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pochelon, Antoine; Angelino, Paolo; Behn, Roland

2012-01-01

The TCV tokamak facility is used to study the effect of innovative plasma shapes on core and edge confinement properties. In low collisionality L-mode plasmas with electron cyclotron heating (ECH) confinement increases with increasing negative triangularity δ. The confinement improvement correlates with a decrease of the inner core electron heat transport, even though triangularity vanishes to the core, pointing to the effect of nonlocal transport properties. TCV has recently started the study of the effects of negative triangularity in H-mode plasmas. H-mode confinement is known to improve towards positive triangularity, due to the increase of pedestal height, though plagued by increasingly large edge localised modes (ELMs). An optimum triangularity could thus be sought between steep edge barriers (δ > 0) with large ELMs, and improved core confinement (δ < 0) with small ELMs. This opens the possibility for a reactor of having H-mode-level confinement within an L-mode edge, or at least with mitigated ELMs. In TCV, ELMy H-modes with upper triangularity δ top < 0 are explored, showing a reduction of ELM peak energy losses compared to δ top > 0. Alternative shapes are proposed on the basis of ideal MHD stability calculations. Shaping has the potential to bring at the same time key solutions to confinement, stability and wall loading issues and, from the comparison of experimental and simulation results, to give deeper insight in transport and stability. (author)
Demonstration of high performance negative central magnetic shear discharges on the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, B.W.; Burrell, K.H.; Lao, L.L.

1996-01-01

Reliable operation of discharges with negative central magnetic shear has led to significant increases in plasma performance and reactivity in both low confinement, L-mode, and high confinement, H-mode, regimes in the DIII-D tokamak. Using neutral beam injection early in the initial current ramp, a large range of negative shear discharges have been produced with durations lasting up to 3.2 s. The total non- inductive current (beam plus bootstrap) ranges from 50% to 80% in these discharges. In the region of shear reversal, significant peaking of the toroidal rotation [f φ ∼ 30-60 kHz] and ion temperature [T i (0) ∼ 15-22 keV] profiles are observed. In high power discharges with an L-mode edge, peaked density profiles are also observed. Confinement enhancement factors up to H ≡ τ E /τ ITER-89P ∼ 2.5 with an L-mode edge, and H ∼ 3.3 in an Edge Localized Mode (ELM)-free H-mode, are obtained. Transport analysis shows both ion thermal diffusivity and particle diffusivity to be near or below standard neoclassical values in the core. Large pressure peaking in L- mode leads to high disruptivity with Β N ≡ Β T /(I/aB) ≤ 2.3, while broader pressure profiles in H- mode gives low disruptivity with Β N ≤ 4.2
Preliminary study of energy confinement data with a statistical analysis system in HL-2A tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Yuan; Cui Zhengying; Ji Xiaoquan; Dong Chunfeng; Yang Qingwei; O J W F Kardaun

2010-01-01

Taking advantage of the HL-2A experimental data,an energy confinement database facing ITERL DB2.0 version has been originally established. As for this database,a world widely used statistical analysis system (SAS) has been adopted for the first time to analyze and evaluate the confinement data from HL-2A and the research on scaling laws of energy confinement time corresponding to plasma density is developed, some preliminary results having been achieved. Finally, through comparing with both ITER scaling law and previous ASDEX database, the investigation about L-mode confinement quality on HL-2A and influence of temperature on Spitzer resistivity will be discussed. (authors)
Understanding of hysteresis behaviors at the L-H-L transitions in tokamak plasma based on bifurcation concept

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatthong, B. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla (Thailand); Onjun, T. [School of Manufacturing Systems and Mechanical Engineering, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani (Thailand)

2016-08-15

The hysteresis behaviour at the L-H-L transitions in tokamak plasma is investigated based on bifurcation concept. The formation of an edge transport barrier (ETB) is modeled via thermal and particle transport equations with the flow shear suppression effect on anomalous transport included. The anomalous transport is modeled based on critical gradients threshold and the flow shear is calculated from the force balance equation, couples the two transport equations leading to a non-linear behaviour. Analytical investigation reveals that the fluxes versus gradients space exhibits bifurcation behaviour with s -curve soft bifurcation type. Apparently, the backward H-L transition occurs at lower values than that of the forward L-H transition, illustrating hysteresis behaviour. The hysteresis properties, i.e. locations of threshold fluxes, gradients and their ratios are analyzed as a function of neoclassical and anomalous transport values and critical gradients. It is found that the minimum heat flux for maintaining H -mode depends on several plasma parameters including the strength of anomalous transport and neoclassical transport. In particular, the hysteresis depth becomes larger when neoclassical transport decreases or anomalous transport increases. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Simultaneous Measurements of Electrostatic and Magnetic Fluctuations in ASDEX Upgrade Edge Plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ionita, Codrina; Vianello, Nicola; Müller, H.W.

2009-01-01

In ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations in the edge plasma region were measured simultaneously during ELMy H-mode (high confinement) plasmas and L-mode (low confinement) plasmas and during a transition between the two modes. A special probe was used containing six Langmuir...
Boundary perturbations coupled to core 3/2 tearing modes on the DIII-D tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobias, B; Yu, L; Domier, C W; Luhmann, N C Jr; Austin, M E; Paz-Soldan, C; Turnbull, A D; Classen, I G J

2013-01-01

High confinement (H-mode) discharges on the DIII-D tokamak are routinely subject to the formation of long-lived, non-disruptive magnetic islands that degrade confinement and limit fusion performance. Simultaneous, 2D measurement of electron temperature fluctuations in the core and edge regions allows for reconstruction of the radially resolved poloidal mode number spectrum and phase of the global plasma response associated with these modes. Coherent, n = 2 excursions of the plasma boundary are found to be the result of coupling to an n = 2, kink-like mode which arises locked in phase to the 3/2 island chain. This coupling dictates the relative phase of the displacement at the boundary with respect to the tearing mode. This unambiguous phase relationship, for which no counter-examples are observed, is presented as a test for modeling of the perturbed fields to be expected outside the confined plasma. (paper)
Nanomechanical inverse electromagnetically induced transparency and confinement of light in normal modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, G S; Huang, Sumei

2014-01-01

We demonstrate the existence of the phenomenon of the inverse electromagnetically induced transparency (IEIT) in an opto mechanical system consisting of a nanomechanical mirror placed in an optical cavity. We show that two weak counter-propagating identical classical probe fields can be completely absorbed by the system in the presence of a strong coupling field so that the output probe fields are zero. The light is completely confined inside the cavity and the energy of the incoming probe fields is shared between the cavity field and creation of a coherent phonon and resides primarily in one of the polariton modes. The energy can be extracted by a perturbation of the external fields or by suddenly changing the Q of the cavity. (paper)
Multi-Phonon Relaxation of H^- Local Modes in CaF_2

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, C. P.; Happek, U.; Campbell, J. A.; Engholm, J. R.; Schwettman, H. A.

1998-03-01

Local modes play an important role in the relaxation of vibrational modes of small molecules in solids (J.R. Engholm, C.W. Rella, H.A. Schwettman, and U. Happek; Phys. Rev. Lett. 77), 1302 (1996)., but only few attempts have been reported to study the relaxation of these local modes. Here we report on experiments to investigate the non-radiative relaxation of H^- local modes in CaF_2. Using a pump-probe technique, saturation experiments on the H^- local modes, both interstitial and substitutional, were performed at the Stanford Free Electron Laser Center. At low temperature we find a relaxation time T1 of 45 psec for the substitutional H^- local mode, and a more rapid relaxation for the interstitial H^- local modes next to La^3+ and Lu^3+ impurities. Information on the decay channels of the local modes are obtained from the characteristic temperature dependence of the relaxation rates. This work is supported in part by the ONR, Grant No. N00014-94-1024.
The L-H transition and the stability of the edge pedestal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, B.N.; Drake, J.F.; Zeiler, A.

2001-01-01

Based on three-dimensional simulations of the Braginskii equations, we identify two main parameters which control transport in the edge of tokamaks: the MHD ballooning parameter and a diamagnetic parameter. The space defined by these parameters delineates regions where typical L-mode levels of transport arise, where the transport is catastrophically large (density limit) and where the plasma spontaneously forms a transport barrier (H-mode). Ion diamagnetic effects allow the edge pedestal to steepen well beyond the first ideal MHD stability boundary. (author)
Improved confinement during ICRF heating on JFT-2M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Ogawa, Toshihide; Tamai, Hiroshi

1986-10-01

Significant improvement of energy confinement was observed on JFT-2M during ICRF heating. This improvement is associated with the sudden depression of H α /D α emission and the following increase of plasma stored energy, electron density and the radiation loss. This should be the same phenomena as H-mode transitions observed in ASDEX, PDX, and D-III divertor experiments with neutral beam injection heating. However, this transition is also observed in limiter discharges as well as in open divertor configurations on JFT-2M. (author)

Weak turbulence theory of ion temperature gradient modes for inverted density plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahm, T.S.; Tang, W.M.

1989-09-01

Typical profiles measured in H-mode (''high confinement'') discharges from tokamaks such as JET and DIII-D suggest that the ion temperature gradient instability threshold parameter η i (≡dlnT i /dlnn i ) could be negative in many cases. Previous linear theoretical calculations have established the onset conditions for these negative η i -modes and the fact that their growth rate is much smaller than their real frequency over a wide range of negative η i values. This has motivated the present nonlinear weak turbulence analysis to assess the relevance of such instabilities for confinement in H-mode plasmas. The nonlinear eigenmode equation indicates that the 3-wave coupling to shorter wavelength modes is the dominant nonlinear saturation mechanism. It is found that both the saturation level for these fluctuations and the magnitude of the associated ion thermal diffusivity are considerably smaller than the strong turbulence mixing length type estimates for the more conventional positive-η i -instabilities. 19 refs., 3 figs
Mean shear flows, zonal flows, and generalized Kelvin-Helmholtz modes in drift wave turbulence: A minimal model for L→H transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eun-jin; Diamond, P.H.

2003-01-01

The dynamics of and an interplay among structures (mean shear flows, zonal flows, and generalized Kelvin-Helmholtz modes) are studied in drift wave turbulence. Mean shear flows are found to inhibit the nonlinear generation of zonal flows by weakening the coherent modulation response of the drift wave spectrum. Based on this result, a minimal model for the L→H (low- to high-confinement) transition is proposed, which involves the amplitude of drift waves, zonal flows, and the density gradient. A transition to quiescent H-mode sets in as the profile becomes sufficiently steep to completely damp out drift waves, following an oscillatory transition phase where zonal flows regulate drift wave turbulence. The different roles of mean flows and zonal flows are elucidated. Finally, the effect of poloidally nonaxisymmetric structures (generalized Kelvin-Helmholtz mode) on anomalous transport is investigated, especially in reference to damping of collisionless zonal flows. Results indicate that nonlinear excitation of this structure can be potentially important in enhancing anomalous transport as well as in damping zonal flows
Quantum Electric Dipole Lattice - Water Molecules Confined to Nanocavities in Beryl

Science.gov (United States)

Dressel, Martin; Zhukova, Elena S.; Thomas, Victor G.; Gorshunov, Boris P.

2018-02-01

Water is subject to intense investigations due to its importance in biological matter but keeps many of its secrets. Here, we unveil an even other aspect by confining H2O molecules to nanosize cages. Our THz and infrared spectra of water in the gemstone beryl evidence quantum tunneling of H2O molecules in the crystal lattice. The water molecules are spread out when confined in a nanocage. In combination with low-frequency dielectric measurements, we were also able to show that dipolar coupling among the H2O molecules leads towards a ferroelectric state at low temperatures. Upon cooling, a ferroelectric soft mode shifts through the THz range. Only quantum fluctuations prevent perfect macroscopic order to be fully achieved. Beside the significance to life science and possible application, nanoconfined water may become the prime example of a quantum electric dipolar lattice.
Non-unique monopole oscillations of harmonically confined Yukawa systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ducatman, Samuel; Henning, Christian; Kaehlert, Hanno; Bonitz, Michael

2008-11-01

Recently it was shown that the Breathing Mode (BM), the mode of uniform radial expansion and contraction, which is well known from harmonically confined Coulomb systems [1], does not exist in general for other systems [2]. As a consequence the monopole oscillation (MO), the radial collective excitation, is not unique, but there are several MO with different frequencies. Within this work we show simulation results of those monopole oscillations of 2-dimensional harmonically confined Yukawa systems, which are known from, e.g., dusty plasma crystals [3,4]. We present the corresponding spectrum of the particle motion, including analysis of the frequencies found, and compare with theoretical investigations.[1] D.H.E. Dubin and J.P. Schiffer, Phys. Rev. E 53, 5249 (1996)[2] C. Henning at al., accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. (2008)[3] A. Melzer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 115002 (2001)[4] M. Bonitz et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 075001 (2006)
Probable mode prediction for H.264 advanced video coding P slices using removable SKIP mode distortion estimation

Science.gov (United States)

You, Jongmin; Jeong, Jechang

2010-02-01

The H.264/AVC (advanced video coding) is used in a wide variety of applications including digital broadcasting and mobile applications, because of its high compression efficiency. The variable block mode scheme in H.264/AVC contributes much to its high compression efficiency but causes a selection problem. In general, rate-distortion optimization (RDO) is the optimal mode selection strategy, but it is computationally intensive. For this reason, the H.264/AVC encoder requires a fast mode selection algorithm for use in applications that require low-power and real-time processing. A probable mode prediction algorithm for the H.264/AVC encoder is proposed. To reduce the computational complexity of RDO, the proposed method selects probable modes among all allowed block modes using removable SKIP mode distortion estimation. Removable SKIP mode distortion is used to estimate whether or not a further divided block mode is appropriate for a macroblock. It is calculated using a no-motion reference block with a few computations. Then the proposed method reduces complexity by performing the RDO process only for probable modes. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce encoding time by an average of 55.22% without significant visual quality degradation and increased bit rate.
An Heuristic Drift-Based Model of the Power Scrape-Off Width in H-Mode Tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldston, Robert J.

2011-01-01

An heuristic model for the plasma scrape-off width in H-mode plasmas is introduced. Grad B and curv B drifts into the SOL are balanced against sonic parallel flows out of the SOL, to the divertor plates. The overall mass flow pattern posited is a modification for open field lines of Pfirsch-Shlueter flows to include sinks to the divertors. These assumptions result in an estimated SOL width of 2αρ p /R. They also result in a first-principles calculation of the particle confinement time of H-mode plasmas, qualitatively consistent with experimental observations. It is next assumed that anomalous perpendicular electron thermal diffusivity is the dominant source of heat flux across the separatrix, investing the SOL width, defined above, with heat from the main plasma. The separatrix temperature is calculated based on a two-point model balancing power input to the SOL with Spitzer-Haerm parallel thermal conduction losses to the divertor. This results in an heuristic closed-form prediction for the power scrape-off width that is in remarkable quantitative agreement both in absolute magnitude and in scaling with recent experimental data. Further work should include full numerical calculations, including all magnetic and electric drifts, as well as more thorough comparison with experimental data.
Impact of plasma triangularity and collisionality on electron heat transport in TCV L-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camenen, Y.; Pochelon, A.; Behn, R.; Bottino, A.; Bortolon, A.; Coda, S.; Karpushov, A.; Sauter, O.; Zhuang, G.

2007-01-01

The impact of plasma shaping on electron heat transport is investigated in TCV L-mode plasmas. The study is motivated by the observation of an increase in the energy confinement time with decreasing plasma triangularity which may not be explained by a change in the temperature gradient induced by changes in the geometry of the flux surfaces. The plasma triangularity is varied over a wide range, from positive to negative values, and various plasmas conditions are explored by changing the total electron cyclotron (EC) heating power and the plasma density. The mid-radius electron heat diffusivity is shown to significantly decrease with decreasing triangularity and, for similar plasma conditions, only half of the EC power is required at a triangularity of -0.4 compared with +0.4 to obtain the same temperature profile. Besides, the observed dependence of the electron heat diffusivity on the electron temperature, electron density and effective charge can be grouped in a unique dependence on the plasma effective collisionality. In summary, the electron heat transport level exhibits a continuous decrease with decreasing triangularity and increasing collisionality. Local gyro-fluid and global gyro-kinetic simulations predict that trapped electron modes are the most unstable modes in these EC heated plasmas with an effective collisionality ranging from 0.2 to 1. The modes stability dependence on the plasma triangularity is investigated
Helium Exhaust Studies in H-Mode Discharges in the DIII-D Tokamak Using an Argon-Frosted Divertor Cryopump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Maingi, R.; West, W.P.; Brooks, N.H.; Burrell, K.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Jackson, G.L.; Klepper, C.C.; Laughon, G.; Menon, M.M.; Mioduszewski, P.K.

1995-01-01

The first experiments demonstrating exhaust of thermal helium in a diverted, H-mode deuterium plasma have been performed on the DIII-D tokamak. The helium, introduced via gas puffing, is observed to reach the plasma core, and then is readily removed from the plasma with a time constant of ∼10--20 energy-confinement times by an in-vessel cryopump conditioned with argon frosting. Detailed analysis of the helium profile evolution suggests that the exhaust rate is limited by the exhaust efficiency of the pump (∼5%) and not by the intrinsic helium-transport properties of the plasma
Tokamak confinement scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connor, J.

1998-01-01

The scaling of energy confinement with engineering parameters, such as plasma current and major radius, is important for establishing the size of an ignited fusion device. Tokamaks exhibit a variety of modes of operation with different confinement properties. At present there is no adequate first principles theory to predict tokamak energy confinement and the empirical scaling method is the preferred approach to designing next step tokamaks. This paper reviews a number of robust theoretical concepts, such as dimensional analysis and stability boundaries, which provide a framework for characterising and understanding tokamak confinement and, therefore, generate more confidence in using empirical laws for extrapolation to future devices. (author)
Rapid change of ion energy distribution and floating potential at L/H transition in the JFT-2M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Y.; Nagashima, K.; Okano, F.

1994-01-01

Rapid changes of the main ion energy distribution at transitions from L-to-H, H-to-L and during ELMs are studied with the time of flight neutral measurement in the JFT-2M tokamak. The change of the main ion energy distribution after sawtooth crash during an L-mode phase is also studied. The change of the ion energy distribution just after sawtooth crash is the same as that at L/H-transition. The floating potential measured in the SOL also shows the rapid jump to more positive just after the sawtooth crash (at the same time of the change of an ion energy distribution). This shows the increase of ion outflux in the SOL and might correspond to the change of the ion energy distribution. This may be the reason why most of H-modes are triggered by a sawtooth. (author)
Transition to H-mode by energetic electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Kimitaka; Itoh, Sanae.

1992-07-01

Effect of the electron loss due to the toroidal ripple on an H-mode transition is studied. When energetic electrons exist in tokamaks, e.g., in the case of the current drive by lower hybrid (LH) waves, the edge electric field can show the bifurcation to the more positive value. In this state, both the electron loss and ion loss (such as loss cone loss) are reduced. The criterion for the transition is derived. Comparison with H-mode in JT-60 LH plasma shows a qualitative agreement. (author)
Scaling of the H-mode power threshold for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Analysis of the latest ITER H-mode threshold database is presented. The power necessary for the transition to H-mode is estimated for ITER, with or without the inclusion of radiation losses from the bulk plasma, in terms of the main engineering variables. The main geometrical variables (aspect ratio ε, elongation κ and average triangularity δ) are also included in the analysis. The H-mode transition is also considered from the point of view of the local edge variables, and the electron temperature at 90% of the poloidal flux is expressed in terms of both local and global variables. (author)
Spatio-temporal evolution of the L → H and H → L transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miki, K.; Diamond, P.H.; Kosuga, Y.; Zhao, K.J.; Fedorczak, N.; Malkov, M.; Lee, C.; Tynan, G.; Gürcan, Ö.D.; Xu, G.S.; Estrada, T.; McDonald, D.; Schmitz, L.

2013-01-01

Understanding the L → H and H → L transitions is crucial to successful ITER operation. In this paper we present novel theoretical and modelling study results on the spatio-temporal dynamics of the transition. We place a special emphasis on the role of zonal flows and the micro → macro connection between dynamics and the power threshold (P T ) dependences. The model studied evolves five coupled fields in time and one space dimension, in simplified geometry. The content of this paper is (a) the model fundamentals and the space–time evolution during the L → I → H transition, (b) the physics origin of the well-known ∇B-drift asymmetry in P T , (c) the role of heat avalanches in the intrinsic variability of the L → H transition, (d) the dynamics of the H → L back transition and the physics of hysteresis, (e) conclusion and discussion, with a special emphasis on the implications of transition dynamics for the L → H power threshold scalings. (paper)
H L Bhat

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science. H L Bhat. Articles written in Bulletin of Materials Science. Volume 24 Issue 5 October 2001 pp 445-453 Crystal Growth. Growth and characterization of indium antimonide and gallium antimonide crystals · N K Udayashankar H L Bhat · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF.
Accounting of the Power Balance for Neutral-beam heated H-Mode Plasmas in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, S.F.; Maingi, R.; Soukhanovskii, V.; Kaye, S.M.; Kugel, H.

2004-01-01

A survey of the dependence of power balance on input power, shape, and plasma current was conducted for neutral-beam-heated plasmas in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). Measurements of heat to the divertor strike plates and divertor and core radiation were taken over a wide range of plasma conditions. The different conditions were obtained by inducing a L-mode to H-mode transition, changing the divertor configuration [lower single null (LSN) vs. double-null (DND)] and conducting a NBI power scan in H-mode. 60-70% of the net input power is accounted for in the LSN discharges with 20% of power lost as fast ions, 30-45% incident on the divertor plates, up to 10% radiated in the core, and about 12% radiated in the divertor. In contrast, the power accountability in DND is 85-90%. A comparison of DND and LSN data show that the remaining power in the LSN is likely to be directed to the upper divertor
H-mode profile parametrization for extrapolation and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imre, K.; Riedel, K.S.; Schissel, D.P.; Schunke, B.

1996-01-01

A steady-state ELMy H-mode profile data set of 68 DIII-D discharges and 74 JET discharges is fitted with an error of 7-8%. The advantages of a parametrization of the plasma profiles in terms of a semi-parametric representation, T(ρ, I p , n-bar, B t , P L , R), are described. The shape of the temperature profile depends almost exclusively upon the size, R and q 95 , with a secondary dependence on the heating power. The density profile depends primarily upon q95 with a secondary dependence on n-bar. The line-average temperature T-bar e scales as n-bar -0.31 instead of T-bar∼''n-bar'' -1.0 . The predicted ITER temperature is T-bar = 17.1 keV. (Author)
Langmuir-magnetic probe measurements of ELMs and dithering cycles in the EAST tokamak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Ning; Naulin, Volker; Xu, G. S.

2014-01-01

and dithering cycles have been investigated near the threshold power for the transition from the low confinement mode (L-mode) to the high confinement mode (H-mode). A precursor is observed prior to type-III ELM events with chirping frequency (130–70 kHz). It is located inside the separatrix and does not lead...
Recent results on steady state and confinement improvement research on JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ide, Shunsuke

2000-01-01

On the JT-60U tokamak, fusion plasma research for realization of a steady state tokamak reactor has been pursued. Towards that goal, confinement improved plasmas such as H-mode, high β p , reversed magnetic shear (RS) and latter two combined with H-mode edge pedestal have been developed and investigated intensively. A key issue to achieve non-inductive current drive relevant to a steady state fusion reactor is to increase the fraction of the bootstrap current and match the spatial profile to the optimum. In 1999, as the result of the optimization, the equivalent deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion gain (Q DT eq ) of 0.5 was sustained for 0.8 s, which is roughly equal to the energy confinement time, in a RS plasma. In order to achieve a RS plasma in steady state two approach have been explored. One is to use external current driver such as lower hybrid current drive (LHCD), and by optimizing LHCD a quasi-steady RS discharge was obtained. The other approach is to utilize bootstrap current as much as possible, and with highly increased fraction of the bootstrap current, a confinement enhancement factor of 3.6 was maintained for 2.7 s in a RS plasma with H-mode edge. A heating and current drive system in the electron cyclotron range of frequency for localized heating and current drive has been installed on JT-60U, and in initial experiments a clear increase of the central electron temperature in a RS high density central region was confirmed only with injected power of 0.75 MW. (author)
Status of the COMPASS tokamak and characterization of the first H-mode

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pánek, Radomír; Adámek, Jiří; Aftanas, Milan; Bílková, Petra; Böhm, Petr; Brochard, F.; Cahyna, Pavel; Cavalier, Jordan; Dejarnac, Renaud; Dimitrova, Miglena; Grover, O.; Harrison, J.; Háček, Pavel; Havlíček, Josef; Havránek, Aleš; Horáček, Jan; Hron, Martin; Imríšek, Martin; Janky, Filip; Kirk, A.; Komm, Michael; Kovařík, Karel; Krbec, Jaroslav; Kripner, Lukáš; Markovič, Tomáš; Mitošinková, Klára; Mlynář, Jan; Naydenkova, Diana; Peterka, Matěj; Seidl, Jakub; Stöckel, Jan; Štefániková, Estera; Tomeš, Matěj; Urban, Jakub; Vondráček, Petr; Varavin, Mykyta; Varju, Jozef; Weinzettl, Vladimír; Zajac, Jaromír

2016-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 1 (2016), č. článku 014015. ISSN 0741-3335 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011021; GA ČR(CZ) GAP205/12/2327; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-10723S Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : COMPASS * ELM * tokamak * H-mode Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.392, year: 2016
Bifurcation to Enhanced Performance H-mode on NSTX

Science.gov (United States)

Battaglia, D. J.; Chang, C. S.; Gerhardt, S. P.; Kaye, S. M.; Maingi, R.; Smith, D. R.

2015-11-01

The bifurcation from H-mode (H98 Performance (EP)H-mode (H98 = 1.2 - 2.0) on NSTX is found to occur when the ion thermal (χi) and momentum transport become decoupled from particle transport, such that the ion temperature (Ti) and rotation pedestals increase independent of the density pedestal. The onset of the EPH-mode transition is found to correlate with decreased pedestal collisionality (ν*ped) and an increased broadening of the density fluctuation (dn/n) spectrum in the pedestal as measured with beam emission spectroscopy. The spectrum broadening at decreased ν*ped is consistent with GEM simulations that indicate the toroidal mode number of the most unstable instability increases as ν*ped decreases. The lowest ν*ped, and thus largest spectrum broadening, is achieved with low pedestal density via lithium wall conditioning and when Zeff in the pedestal is significantly reduced via large edge rotation shear from external 3D fields or a large ELM. Kinetic neoclassical transport calculations (XGC0) confirm that Zeff is reduced when edge rotation braking leads to a more negative Er that shifts the impurity density profiles inward relative to the main ion density. These calculations also describe the role kinetic neoclassical and anomalous transport effects play in the decoupling of energy, momentum and particle transport at the bifurcation to EPH-mode. This work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Plasma current dependence of the edge pedestal height in JET ELM-free H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nave, M.; Lomas, P.; Gowers, C.

2000-01-01

Models for the suppression of turbulence in the L to H transition, suggest that the width of the H-mode edge barrier is either proportional or is of the order of the ion poloidal Larmor radius. This would require that the width of the edge barrier should depend on the plasma current. This dependence has been clearly verified at JET in experiments designed to control the edge MHD stability of ELM-free hot-ion H-mode plasmas. The effects of isotopic mass and the applicability of several edge barrier models to the hot-ion H-mode plasmas were analysed in using a large database containing both Deuterium-only (DD) and Deuterium-Tritium (DT) plasmas. This database has now been enlarged to include discharges from a plasma shape scan, allowing to study the dependence of the pedestal height on the edge shear. In addition the range of plasma currents was extended up to 6 MA. It is shown that the edge data is best described by a model where the edge barrier width is determined by the fast ions weighted towards the components with largest poloidal Larmor radii. However, it is not possible to eliminate conclusively the thermal ion model. (author)
H-mode transition physics close to double null on MAST and its applications to other tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, H.; Carolan, P.G.; Cunningham, G.; Kirk, A.; Lloyd, B.; Saarelma, S.; Wilson, H.R.; Conway, G.D.; Horton, L.D.; Ryter, F.; Schirmer, J.; Suttrop, W.; Maingi, R.

2005-01-01

By accessing extreme parameter regimes combined with well diagnosed edge MAST data contribute towards the understanding of H-mode physics. The first inter-machine comparisons with respect to the influence of the magnetic topology on the power threshold with ASDEX Upgrade and NSTX reveal a reduction of the power threshold in true double null (C-DN) configuration opening new operation regimes in both devices. In L-mode, the negative radial electric field close to the separatrix was found to be more negative in C-DN than in single null (SN), whilst most of the other edge parameters are similar. Pedestal temperatures in MAST are lower than in ASDEX Upgrade in MAST-equivalent discharges, whereas the pedestal densities can be similar, although in long inter ELM periods the MAST density pedestal is higher than on ASDEX Upgrade. In order to test four leading H-mode theories MAST data are compared statistically to their H-mode access criteria. The usual DN operating regime with co current NBI in MAST has been extended to include single null (SN) configurations, to provide more direct comparisons with conventional tokamaks. The plasma edge in SN on MAST is more stable to ELMs and the typical type-III ELMs, often observed in C-DN, are absent, despite input powers close to the H-mode threshold power. In this respect, the stability of measured plasma edge profiles in SN and DN against ideal peeling-ballooning modes will be discussed. (author)
Characteristics of edge-localized modes in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, M.; Xu, G.S.; Xiao, C.

2012-01-01

Edge-localized modes (ELMs) are the focus of tokamak edge physics studies because the large heat loads associated with ELMs have great impact on the divertor design of future reactor-grade tokamaks such as ITER. In the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), the first ELMy high...... confinement modes (H-modes) were obtained with 1 MW lower hybrid wave power in conjunction with wall conditioning by lithium (Li) evaporation and real-time Li powder injection. The ELMs in EAST at this heating power are mostly type-III ELMs. They were observed close to the H-mode threshold power and produced...
Threshold for the destabilisation of the ion-temperature-gradient mode in magnetically confined toroidal plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Zocco, A.; Xanthopoulos, P.; Doerk, H.; Connor, J. W.; Helander, P.

2018-02-01

The threshold for the resonant destabilisation of ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) driven instabilities that render the modes ubiquitous in both tokamaks and stellarators is investigated. We discover remarkably similar results for both confinement concepts if care is taken in the analysis of the effect of the global shear . We revisit, analytically and by means of gyrokinetic simulations, accepted tokamak results and discover inadequacies of some aspects of their theoretical interpretation. In particular, for standard tokamak configurations, we find that global shear effects on the critical gradient cannot be attributed to the wave-particle resonance destabilising mechanism of Hahm & Tang (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 1185-1192), but are consistent with a stabilising contribution predicted by Biglari et al. (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 109-118). Extensive analytical and numerical investigations show that virtually no previous tokamak theoretical predictions capture the temperature dependence of the mode frequency at marginality, thus leading to incorrect instability thresholds. In the asymptotic limit , where is the rotational transform, and such a threshold should be solely determined by the resonant toroidal branch of the ITG mode, we discover a family of unstable solutions below the previously known threshold of instability. This is true for a tokamak case described by a local local equilibrium, and for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X, where these unstable solutions are present even for configurations with a small trapped-particle population. We conjecture they are of the Floquet type and derive their properties from the Fourier analysis of toroidal drift modes of Connor & Taylor (Phys. Fluids, vol. 30, 1987, pp. 3180-3185), and to Hill's theory of the motion of the lunar perigee (Acta Math., vol. 8, 1886, pp. 1-36). The temperature dependence of the newly determined threshold is given for both confinement concepts. In the first case, the new temperature
Effects of ExB velocity shear and magnetic shear on turbulence and transport in magnetic confinement devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.

1996-11-01

One of the scientific success stories of fusion research over the past decade is the development of the ExB shear stabilization model to explain the formation of transport barriers in magnetic confinement devices. This model was originally developed to explain the transport barrier formed at the plasma edge in tokamaks after the L (low) to H (high) transition. This concept has the universality needed to explain the edge transport barriers seen in limiter and divertor tokamaks, stellarators, and mirror machines. More recently, this model has been applied to explain the further confinement improvement from H (high)-mode to VH (very high)-mode seen in some tokamaks, where the edge transport barrier becomes wider. Most recently, this paradigm has been applied to the core transport barriers formed in plasmas with negative or low magnetic shear in the plasma core. These examples of confinement improvement are of considerable physical interest; it is not often that a system self-organizes to a higher energy state with reduced turbulence and transport when an additional source of free energy is applied to it. The transport decrease that is associated with ExB velocity shear effects also has significant practical consequences for fusion research. The fundamental physics involved in transport reduction is the effect of ExB shear on the growth, radial extent and phase correlation of turbulent eddies in the plasma. The same fundamental transport reduction process can be operational in various portions of the plasma because there are a number ways to change the radial electric field Er. An important theme in this area is the synergistic effect of ExB velocity shear and magnetic shear. Although the ExB velocity shear appears to have an effect on broader classes of microturbulence, magnetic shear can mitigate some potentially harmful effects of ExB velocity shear and facilitate turbulence stabilization
Edge-localized mode avoidance and pedestal structure in I-mode plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walk, J. R., E-mail: jrwalk@psfc.mit.edu; Hughes, J. W.; Hubbard, A. E.; Terry, J. L.; Whyte, D. G.; White, A. E.; Baek, S. G.; Reinke, M. L.; Theiler, C.; Churchill, R. M.; Rice, J. E. [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Snyder, P. B.; Osborne, T. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States); Dominguez, A [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543-0451 (United States); Cziegler, I. [UCSD Center for Momentum Transport and Flow Organization, La Jolla, CA 92093-0417 (United States)

2014-05-15

I-mode is a high-performance tokamak regime characterized by the formation of a temperature pedestal and enhanced energy confinement, without an accompanying density pedestal or drop in particle and impurity transport. I-mode operation appears to have naturally occurring suppression of large Edge-Localized Modes (ELMs) in addition to its highly favorable scalings of pedestal structure and overall performance. Extensive study of the ELMy H-mode has led to the development of the EPED model, which utilizes calculations of coupled peeling-ballooning MHD modes and kinetic-ballooning mode (KBM) stability limits to predict the pedestal structure preceding an ELM crash. We apply similar tools to the structure and ELM stability of I-mode pedestals. Analysis of I-mode discharges prepared with high-resolution pedestal data from the most recent C-Mod campaign reveals favorable pedestal scalings for extrapolation to large machines—pedestal temperature scales strongly with power per particle P{sub net}/n{sup ¯}{sub e}, and likewise pedestal pressure scales as the net heating power (consistent with weak degradation of confinement with heating power). Matched discharges in current, field, and shaping demonstrate the decoupling of energy and particle transport in I-mode, increasing fueling to span nearly a factor of two in density while maintaining matched temperature pedestals with consistent levels of P{sub net}/n{sup ¯}{sub e}. This is consistent with targets for increased performance in I-mode, elevating pedestal β{sub p} and global performance with matched increases in density and heating power. MHD calculations using the ELITE code indicate that I-mode pedestals are strongly stable to edge peeling-ballooning instabilities. Likewise, numerical modeling of the KBM turbulence onset, as well as scalings of the pedestal width with poloidal beta, indicates that I-mode pedestals are not limited by KBM turbulence—both features identified with the trigger for large ELMs
Warm-ion drift Alfven turbulence and the L-H transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, B.

1998-01-01

Computations of fluid drift turbulence treating ions and electrons on equal footing, including both temperatures, are conducted in a model toroidal geometry. The resulting 'ion mixing mode' turbulence bears features of both electron drift-Alfven and ion temperature gradient turbulence, and nonlinear sensitivity to the relative strengths of the density and temperature gradients provides a possible route to the bifurcation needed for the L-H transition. (author)
Fuel ion rotation measurement and its implications on H-mode theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J.; Burrell, K.H.; Gohil, P.; Groebner, R.J.; Hinton, F.L.; Kim, Y.B.; Seraydarian, R.; Mandl, W.

1993-10-01

Poloidal and toroidal rotation of the fuel ions (He 2+ ) and the impurity ions (C 6+ and B 5+ ) in H-mode helium plasmas have been investigated in the DIII-D tokamak by means of charge exchange recombination spectroscopy, resulting in the discovery that the fuel ion poloidal rotation is in the ion diamagnetic drift direction while the impurity ion rotation is in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. The radial electric field obtained from radial force balance analysis of the measured pressure gradients and rotation velocities is shown to be the same regardless of which ion species is used and therefore is a more fundamental parameter than the rotation flows in studying H-mode phenomena. It is shown that the three contributions to the radial electric field (diamagnetic, poloidal rotation, and toroidal rotation terms) are comparable and consequently the poloidal flow does not solely represent the E x B flow. In the high-shear edge region, the density scale length is comparable to the ion poloidal gyroradius, and thus neoclassical theory is not valid there. In view of this new discovery that the fuel and impurity ions rotate in opposite sense, L-H transition theories based on the poloidal rotation may require improvement
Verification of GENE and GYRO with L-mode and I-mode plasmas in Alcator C-Mod

Science.gov (United States)

Mikkelsen, D. R.; Howard, N. T.; White, A. E.; Creely, A. J.

2018-04-01

Verification comparisons are carried out for L-mode and I-mode plasma conditions in Alcator C-Mod. We compare linear and nonlinear ion-scale calculations by the gyrokinetic codes GENE and GYRO to each other and to the experimental power balance analysis. The two gyrokinetic codes' linear growth rates and real frequencies are in good agreement throughout all the ion temperature gradient mode branches and most of the trapped electron mode branches of the kyρs spectra at r/a = 0.65, 0.7, and 0.8. The shapes of the toroidal mode spectra of heat fluxes in nonlinear simulations are very similar for kyρs ≤ 0.5, but in most cases GENE has a relatively higher heat flux than GYRO at higher mode numbers. The ratio of ion to electron heat flux is similar in the two codes' simulations, but the heat fluxes themselves do not agree in almost all cases. In the I-mode regime, GENE's heat fluxes are ˜3 times those from GYRO, and they are ˜60%-100% higher than GYRO in the L-mode conditions. The GYRO under-prediction of Qe is much reduced in GENE's L-mode simulations, and it is eliminated in the I-mode simulations. This largely improved agreement with the experimental electron heat flux is offset, however, by the large overshoot of GENE's ion heat fluxes, which are 2-3 times the experimental level, and its electron heat flux overshoot at r/a = 0.80 in the I-mode. Rotation effects can explain part of the difference between the two codes' predictions, but very significant differences remain in simulations without any rotation effects.
New Edge Coherent Mode Providing Continuous Transport in Long Pulse H-mode Plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, H.Q.; Xu, G.S.; Wan, B.N.

2014-01-01

An electrostatic coherent mode near the electron diamagnetic frequency (20–90 kHz) is observed in the steep-gradient pedestal region of long pulse H-mode plasmas in the Experimental Advanced Super-conducting Tokamak, using a newly developed dual gas-puff-imaging system and diamond-coated reciproc...
H-mode access during plasma current ramp-up in TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Y.; Behn, R.; Furno, I.; Labit, B.; Reimerdes, H.

2014-01-01

A recent TCV experiment has investigated the dependence of the L–H transition threshold power on the plasma current ramp-rate and the X-point height above the divertor target, which both have previously been seen to affect the transition behaviour. Systematic scans in ohmically heated plasmas do not show any dependence on the plasma current ramp-up rate. In contrast, the threshold power is found to increase by a factor of two while the X-point is moved from about 10 cm up to 35 cm above the vessel floor. However, further increase, up to 60 cm, does not lead to any further increase of the required power. The Fundamenski et al model is tested against the measurements. Estimates of the Wagner number (Wa) at L–H transitions are generally close to unity, in accordance with the model. In contrast, estimates of Wa before the L–H transition, i.e. in L-mode, do not show the expected evolution towards unity. (paper)
Tokamak turbulence in self-regulated differentially rotating flow and L-H transition dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terry, P.W.; Carreras, B.A.; Sidikman, K.

1992-01-01

An analytical study of turbulence in the presence of turbulently generated differentially rotating flow is presented as a paradigm for fluctuation dynamics in L- and H-mode plasmas. Using a drift wave model, the role of both flow shear and flow curvature (second radial derivative of the poloidal ExB flow) is detailed in linear and saturated turbulence phases. In the strong turbulence saturated state, finite amplitude-induced modification of the fluctuation structure near low order rational surfaces strongly inhibits flow shear suppression. Suppression by curvature is not diminished, but it occurs through a frequency shift. A description of L-H mode transition dynamics based on the self-consistent linking of turbulence suppression by differentially rotating flow and generation of flow by turbulent momentum transport is presented. In this model, rising edge temperature triggers a transition characterized by spontaneous generation of differentially rotating flow and decreasing turbulence intensity
Measurement of electric fields in the H-1NF heliac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, B.W.; Howard, J.

1999-01-01

There are a number of laser induced fluorescence techniques which can be used to measure internal plasma electric fields. It is planned to use a technique based on Stark mixing of energy levels in a supersonic beam containing metastable helium atoms to measure radial electric fields in H-1NF. Enhanced values of radial electric field are associated with improved confinement modes in H-1NF and other magnetically confined plasmas
First-wall heat-flux measurements during ELMing H-mode plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasnier, C.J.; Allen, S.L.; Hill, D.N.; Leonard, A.W.; Petrie, T.W.

1994-01-01

In this report we present measurements of the diverter heat flux in DIII-D for ELMing H-mode and radiative diverter conditions. In previous work we have examined heat flux profiles in lower single-null diverted plasmas and measured the scaling of the peak heat flux with plasma current and beam power. One problem with those results was our lack of good power accounting. This situation has been improved to better than 80--90% accountability with the installation of new bolometer arrays, and the operation of the entire complement of 5 Infrared (IR) TV cameras using the DAPS (Digitizing Automated Processing System) video processing system for rapid inter-shot data analysis. We also have expanded the scope of our measurements to include a wider variety of plasma shapes (e.g., double-null diverters (DND), long and short single-null diverters (SND), and inside-limited plasmas), as well as more diverse discharge conditions. Double-null discharges are of particular interest because that shape has proven to yield the highest confinement (VH-mode) and beta of all DIII-D plasmas, so any future diverter modifications for DIII-D will have to support DND operation. In addition, the proposed TPX tokamak is being designed for double-null operation, and information on the magnitude and distribution of diverter heat flux is needed to support the engineering effort on that project. So far, we have measured the DND power sharing at the target plates and made preliminary tests of heat flux reduction by gas injection
Field reversal experiments (FRX). [Equilibrium, confinement, and stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linford, R.K.; Armstrong, W.T.; Platts, D.A.; Sherwood, E.G.

1978-01-01

The equilibrium, confinement, and stability properties of the reversed-field configuration (RFC) are being studied in two theta-pinch facilities. The RFC is an elongated toroidal plasma confined in a purely poloidal field geometry. The open field lines of the linear theta pinch support the closed-field RFC much like the vertical field centers the toroidal plasma in a tokamak. Depending on stability and confinement properties, the RFC might be used to greatly reduce the axial losses in linear fusion devices such as mirrors, theta pinches, and liners. The FRX systems produce RFC's with a major radius R = 2-6 cm, minor radius a approximately 2 cm, and a total length l approximately 35 cm. The observed temperatures are T/sub e/ approximately 100 eV and T/sub i/ = 150-350 eV with a peak density n approximately 2 x 10/sup 15/ cm/sup -3/. After the plasma reaches equilibrium, the RFC remains stable for up to 30 ..mu..s followed by the rapid growth of the rotational m = 2 instability, which terminates the confinement. During the stable equilibrium, the particle and energy confinement times are more than 10 times longer than in an open-field system. The behavior of the m = 2 mode qualitatively agrees with the theoretically predicted instability for rotational velocities exceeding some critical value.
Investigation of fluctuations in the HDH and H* regime of Wendelstein 7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeumel, S.; Werner, A.; McCormick, K.

2003-01-01

The High Density H-Mode Regime was discovered in Island Divertor operation of the Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-AS)stellerator. This regime is characterized by low impurity, high-energy confinement times - up to twice the value of the International Stellarator Scaling ISS95 - and edge radiated power fractions of up to 90% in detached state. Regarding the enhanced impurity transport at good energy confinement there are similarities to the enhanced D α H-mode found on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. In W7-AS studies were performed in order to compare the HDH regime with the classical ELM-free discharges (H * ). Although both regimes are similar in collisionality and have almost the same n e (r)- and T e (r)-profile shapes, the H * regime suffers a radiation collapse due to impurity accumulation. The short impurity confinement times in HDH discharges requires enhanced transport at the plasma edge. The cause is not clear and this contribution looks for similarities to the enhanced D α H-mode of Alcator C-Mod, that is, whether quasicoherent modes exist in W7-AS causing enhanced edge transport. Discharges with a variation of magnetic configurations, densities (up to 4.10 20 m -3 ) and powers (up to 3.2 MW absorbed) will be discussed with respect to the different behaviour of fluctuations. (orig.)
Summary of experimental progress and suggestions for future work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, K.H.

1994-03-01

Since the last H-mode workshop in 1991, there has been significant progress in a number of areas. In addition to H-modes in tokamaks, H-mode has been achieved in a current-free stellarator, a heliotron/torsatron with some net toroidal current and in a linear, tandem mirror. Because H-mode has been seen in a variety of magnetic confinement devices and has been produced by a variety of methods, a universal explanation is needed for the H-mode confinement improvement. The hypothesis of turbulence stabilization by sheared E x B flow has this universality. New diagnostics have confirmed the structure of E r at the plasma edge in tokamaks and have lead to direct determination of the reduction in turbulence-driven transport in the H-mode. Improved measurements of the edge rotation and pressure gradients in tokamaks have lead to better understanding of the physics of the E r formation and to tighter tests of L to H transition theories. Significant improvements in core confinement have also been seen in several tokamaks; the data here indicate that sheared E x B flow may be playing a role in the core confinement improvement. Power balance studies of the change in core thermal diffusivity after the L to H transition have raised fundamental questions about the relationship between heat flux and the temperature gradient. Finally, helium transport studies have show that helium transport is quite similar to deuterium transport, indicating that helium ash removal in a reactor operating in ELMing H-mode should be feasible
Development of ITER 15 MA ELMy H-mode Inductive Scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

C. E. Kessel, D. Campbell, Y. Gribov, G. Saibene, G. Ambrosino, T. Casper, M. Cavinato, H. Fujieda, R. Hawryluk, L. D. Horton, A. Kavin, R. Kharyrutdinov, F. Koechl, J. Leuer, A. Loarte, P. J. Lomas, T. Luce, V. Lukash, M. Mattei, I.Nunes, V. Parail, A. Polevoi, A. Portone, R. Sartori, A.C.C. Sips, P. R. Thomas, A. Welander and J. Wesley

2008-01-01

The poloidal field (PF) coil system on ITER, which provides both feedforward and feedback control of plasma position, shape, and current, is a critical element for achieving mission performance. Analysis of PF capabilities has focused on the 15 MA Q = 10 scenario with a 300-500 s flattop burn phase. The operating space available for the 15 MA ELMy H-mode plasma discharges in ITER and upgrades to the PF coils or associated systems to establish confidence that ITER mission objectives can be reached have been identified. Time dependent self-consistent free-boundary calculations were performed to examine the impact of plasma variability, discharge programming, and plasma disturbances. Based on these calculations a new reference scenario was developed based upon a large bore initial plasma, early divertor transition, low level heating in L-mode, and a late H-mode onset. Equilibrium analyses for this scenario indicate that the original PF coil limitations do not allow low li (<0.8) operation or lower flux states, and the flattop burn durations were predicted to be less than the desired 400 s. This finding motivates the expansion of the operating space, considering several upgrade options to the PF coils. Analysis was also carried out to examine the feedback current reserve required in the CS and PF coils during a series of disturbances and a feasibility assessment of the 17 MA scenario was undertaken. Results of the studies show that the new scenario and modified PF system will allow a wide range of 15 MA 300-500 s operation and more limited but finite 17 MA operation
Evolution of the Turbulence Radial Wavenumber Spectrum near the L-H Transition in NSTX Ohmic Discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubota, S.; Peebles, W.A., E-mail: skubota@ucla.edu [UCLA, Los Angeles (United States); Bush, C. E.; Maingi, R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge (United States); Zweben, S. J.; Bell, R.; Crocker, N.; Diallo, A.; Kaye, S.; LeBlanc, B. P.; Park, J. K.; Ren, Y. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton (United States); Maqueda, R. J. [Nova Photonics, Princeton (United States); Raman, R. [University of Washington, Seattle (United States)

2012-09-15

Full text: The measurement of radially extended meso-scale structures such as zonal flows and streamers, as well as the underlying microinstabilities driving them, is critical for understanding turbulence-driven transport in plasma devices. In particular, the shape and evolution of the radial wavenumber spectrum indicate details of the nonlinear spectral energy transfer, the spreading of turbulence, as well as the formation of transport barriers. In the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), the FMCW backscattering diagnostic is used to probe the turbulence radial wavenumber spectrum (k{sub r} = 0 - 22 cm-1 ) across the outboard minor radius near the L- to H-mode transition in Ohmic discharges. During the L-mode phase, a broad spectral component (k{sub r} {approx} 2 - 10 cm{sup -1} ) extends over a significant portion of the edge-core from R = 120 to 155 cm ({rho} = 0.4 - 0.95). At the L-H transition, turbulence is quenched across the measurable k{sub r} range at the ETB location, where the radial correlation length drops from {approx} 1.5 - 0.5 cm. The k{sub r} spectrum away from the ETB location is modified on a time scale of tens of microseconds, indicating that nonlocal turbulence dynamics are playing a strong role. Close to the L-H transition, oscillations in the density gradient and edge turbulence quenching become highly correlated. These oscillations are also present in Ohmic discharges without an L-H transition, but are far less frequent. Similar behavior is also seen near the L-H transition in NB-heated discharges. (author)
Observation of precursor magnetic oscillations to the H-mode transition of ASDEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, K.; Gernhardt, J.; Klueber, O.; Kornherr, M.

1988-05-01

Precursor oscillations to the H-mode transition are identified in magnetic fluctuations of the ASDEX H-mode discharges initiated without a sawtooth. This precursor is m=4/n=1 mode, rotating with f ≅ 10 kHz in the opposite direction to co-injected neutral beams. Time behaviour of the amplitude suggests that the H-mode transition is caused, not by the edge electron temperature, but by the edge current density. (orig.)

Investigation of the critical edge ion heat flux for L-H transitions in Alcator C-Mod and its dependence on B T

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidtmayr, M.; Hughes, J. W.; Ryter, F.; Wolfrum, E.; Cao, N.; Creely, A. J.; Howard, N.; Hubbard, A. E.; Lin, Y.; Reinke, M. L.; Rice, J. E.; Tolman, E. A.; Wukitch, S.; Ma, Y.; ASDEX Upgrade Team; Alcator C-Mod Team

2018-05-01

This paper presents investigations on the role of the edge ion heat flux for transitions from L-mode to H-mode in Alcator C-Mod. Previous results from the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak indicated that a critical value of edge ion heat flux per particle is needed for the transition. Analysis of C-Mod data confirms this result. The edge ion heat flux is indeed found to increase linearly with density at given magnetic field and plasma current. Furthermore, the Alcator C-Mod data indicate that the edge ion heat flux at the L-H transition also increases with magnetic field. Combining the data from Alcator C-Mod and ASDEX Upgrade yields a general expression for the edge ion heat flux at the L-H transition. These results are discussed from the point of view of the possible physics mechanism of the L-H transition. They are also compared to the L-H power threshold scaling and an extrapolation for ITER is given.
Investigation of lower hybrid current drive during H-mode in EAST tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Miao-Hui; Ding Bo-Jiang; Kong Er-Hua; Zhang Lei; Zhang Xin-Jun; Qian Jin-Ping; Yan Ning; Han Xiao-Feng; Shan Jia-Fang; Liu Fu-Kun; Wang Mao; Xu Han-Dong; Wan Bao-Nian

2011-01-01

H-mode discharges with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) alone are achieved in EAST divertor plasma over a wide parameter range. These H-mode discharges are characterized by a sudden drop in D α emission and a spontaneous rise in main plasma density. Good lower hybrid (LH) coupling during H-mode is obtained by putting the plasma close to the antenna and by injecting D 2 gas from a pipe near the grill mouse. The analysis of lower hybrid current drive properties shows that the LH deposition profile shifts off axis during H-mode, and current drive (CD) efficiency decreases due to the increase in density. Modeling results of H-mode discharges with a general ray tracing code GENRAY are reported. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)
Strongly coupled modes of M and H for perpendicular resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Chen; Saslow, Wayne M.

2018-05-01

We apply the equations for the magnetization M ⃗ and field H ⃗ to study their coupled modes for a semi-infinite ferromagnet, conductor, or insulator with magnetization M0 and field H0 normal to the plane (perpendicular resonance) and wave vector normal to the plane, which makes the modes doubly degenerate. With dimensionless damping constant α and dimensionless transverse susceptibility χ⊥=M0/He(He≡H0-M0) , we derive an analytic expression for the wave vector squared, showing that M ⃗ and H ⃗ are nearly decoupled only if α ≫χ⊥ . This is violated in the ferromagnetic regime, although a first correction is found to give good agreement away from resonance. Emphasizing the conductor permalloy as a function of H0 we study the eigenvalues and eigenmodes and the dissipation rate due to absorption both from the total effective field and from the Joule heating. (We include the contribution of the nonuniform exchange energy term, needed for energy conservation.) Using these modes we then apply, for a semi-infinite ferromagnet, a range of boundary conditions (i.e., surface anisotropies) on M⊥ to find the reflection coefficient R and the reflectivity |R| 2. As a function of H0, absorption is dominated by the the skin depth mode (primarily H ⃗) except near the resonance and at a higher-field Hd associated with a dip in the reflectivity, whose position above the main resonance varies quadratically with the surface anisotropy Ks. The dip is driven by the boundary condition on M ⃗; the coefficient of the (primarily) M ⃗ mode becomes very small at the dip, being compensated by an increase in the amplitude of the M ⃗ mode, which has a Lorentzian line shape of height ˜α-1 and width ˜α .
Effect of ELMs on rotation and momentum confinement in H-mode discharges in JET

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versloot, T.W.; de Vries, P.C.; Giroud, C.; Hua, M.D.; Beurskens, M.N.A.; Brix, M.; Eich, T.; Luna, de la E.; Tala, T.; Naulin, V.; Zastrov, K.D.

2010-01-01

The loss of plasma toroidal angular momentum and thermal energy by edge localized modes (ELMs) has been studied in JET. The analysis shows a consistently larger drop in momentum in comparison with the energy loss associated with the ELMs. This difference originates from the large reduction in
Evidence of Zonal-Flow-Driven Limit-Cycle Oscillations during L-H Transition and at H-mode Pedestal of a New Small-ELM Regime in EAST

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, G.; Wang, H.; Guo, H.

Small-amplitude edge localized oscillations have been observed, for the first time, in EAST preceding the L-H transition at marginal input power, which manifest themselves as dithering in the divertor D signals at a frequency under 4 kHz, much lower than the GAM frequency. Detailed measurements...... edge turbulence in the range of 30 100 kHz and low-frequency Er oscillations. Just prior to the L-H transition, the Er oscillations often evolve into intermittent negative Er spikes. The Er oscillations, as well as the Er spikes, are strongly correlated with the turbulence driven Reynolds stress, thus...... providing a direct evidence of the zonal flows for the L-H transition at marginal input power. Furthermore, near the transition threshold sawtooth heat pulses appear to periodically enhance the dithering, finally triggering the L-H transition after a big sawtooth crash. The zonal flow induced limit...
Rotation characteristics of main ions and impurity ions in H-mode tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J.; Burrell, K.H.; Gohil, P.; Groebner, R.J.; Kim, Y.; St. John, H.E.; Seraydarian, R.P.; Wade, M.R.

1994-01-01

Poloidal and toroidal rotation of the main ions (He 2+ ) and the impurity ions (C 6+ and B 5+ ) in H-mode helium plasmas have been measured via charge exchange recombination spectroscopy in the DIII-D tokamak. It was discovered that the main ion poloidal rotation is in the ion diamagnetic drift direction while the impurity ion rotation is in the electron diamagnetic drift direction, in qualitative agreement with the neoclassical theory. The deduced radial electric field in the edge is of the same negative-well shape regardless of which ion species is used, validating the fundamental nature of the electric field in L-H transition phenomenology
W transport and accumulation control in the termination phase of JET H-mode discharges and implications for ITER

Science.gov (United States)

Köchl, F.; Loarte, A.; de la Luna, E.; Parail, V.; Corrigan, G.; Harting, D.; Nunes, I.; Reux, C.; Rimini, F. G.; Polevoi, A.; Romanelli, M.; Contributors, JET

2018-07-01

Tokamak operation with W PFCs is associated with specific challenges for impurity control, which may be particularly demanding in the transition from stationary H-mode to L-mode. To address W control issues in this phase, dedicated experiments have been performed at JET including the variation of the decrease of the power and current, gas fuelling and central ion cyclotron heating (ICRH), and applying active ELM control by vertical kicks. The experimental results obtained demonstrate the key role of maintaining ELM control to control the W concentration in the exit phase of H-modes with slow (ITER-like) ramp-down of the neutral beam injection power in JET. For these experiments, integrated fully predictive core+edge+SOL transport modelling studies applying discrete models for the description of transients such as sawteeth and ELMs have been performed for the first time with the JINTRAC suite of codes for the entire transition from stationary H-mode until the time when the plasma would return to L-mode focusing on the W transport behaviour. Simulations have shown that the existing models can appropriately reproduce the plasma profile evolution in the core, edge and SOL as well as W accumulation trends in the termination phase of JET H-mode discharges as function of the applied ICRH and ELM control schemes, substantiating the ambivalent effect of ELMs on W sputtering on one side and on edge transport affecting core W accumulation on the other side. The sensitivity with respect to NB particle and momentum sources has also been analysed and their impact on neoclassical W transport has been found to be crucial to reproduce the observed W accumulation characteristics in JET discharges. In this paper the results of the JET experiments, the comparison with JINTRAC modelling and the adequacy of the models to reproduce the experimental results are described and conclusions are drawn regarding the applicability of these models for the extrapolation of the applied W
Nonlinear theory of trapped electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in flat density H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahm, T.S.

1990-12-01

Ion temperature gradient turbulence based transport models have difficulties reconciling the recent DIII-D H-mode results where the density profile is flat, but χ e > χ i in the core region. In this work, a nonlinear theory is developed for recently discovered ion temperature gradient trapped electron modes propagating in the electron diamagnetic direction. This instability is predicted to be linearly unstable for L Ti /R approx-lt κ θ ρ s approx-lt (L Ti /R) 1/4 . They are also found to be strongly dispersive even at these long wavelengths, thereby suggesting the importance of the wave-particle-wave interactions in the nonlinear saturation phase. The fluctuation spectrum and anomalous fluxes are calculated. In accordance with the trends observed in DIII-D, the predicted electron thermal diffusivity can be larger than the ion thermal diffusivity. 17 refs., 3 figs
Effect of progressively increasing lithium conditioning on edge transport and stability in high triangularity NSTX H-modes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maingi, R., E-mail: rmaingi@pppl.gov [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Canik, J.M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bell, R.E. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Boyle, D.P. [Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Diallo, A.; Kaita, R.; Kaye, S.M.; LeBlanc, B.P. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Sabbagh, S.A. [Columbia University, New York, NY (United States); Scotti, F.; Soukhanovskii, V.A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-04-15

A sequence of H-mode discharges with increasing levels of pre-discharge lithium evaporation (‘dose’) was conducted in high triangularity and elongation boundary shape in NSTX. Energy confinement increased, and recycling decreased with increasing lithium dose, similar to a previous lithium dose scan in medium triangularity and elongation plasmas. Data-constrained SOLPS interpretive modeling quantified the edge transport change: the electron particle diffusivity decreased by 10–30x. The electron thermal diffusivity decreased by 4x just inside the top of the pedestal, but increased by up to 5x very near the separatrix. These results provide a baseline expectation for lithium benefits in NSTX-U, which is optimized for a boundary shape similar to the one in this experiment.
Transport analysis of the edge zone of H-mode plasmas by computer simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, G.; Murmann, H.

1988-01-01

Local transport and ideal ballooning stability in the L-phase and ELM-free H-phase in ASDEX are analysed by computer modelling. It is found that the diffusivities χ e and D at the edge are reduced by a factor of six a few milliseconds after the H-transition. Local transport in the inner plasma improves at an early stage by a typical factor of two. A change in the collisionality regime of electrons and ions does not take place. During the L-phase and the quiescent H-phase ideal ballooning modes are found to be stable. Computer experiments further show that a significant reduction in the particle flux at the separatrix takes place which is closely connected with the H-transition process. This explains the observed buildup of a density shoulder on a millisecond time-scale and the drop of the particle flow into the divertor. A strong decrease of the electron heat conduction flux at the separatrix is, however, ruled out in ELM-free periods. On the assumption of electrostatic turbulence induced transport, these results are consistent with measured density fluctuation levels near the separatrix. (author). 20 refs, 9 figs
Trapped ion mode in toroidally rotating plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artun, M.; Tang, W.M.; Rewoldt, G.

1995-04-01

The influence of radially sheared toroidal flows on the Trapped Ion Mode (TIM) is investigated using a two-dimensional eigenmode code. These radially extended toroidal microinstabilities could significantly influence the interpretation of confinement scaling trends and associated fluctuation properties observed in recent tokamak experiments. In the present analysis, the electrostatic drift kinetic equation is obtained from the general nonlinear gyrokinetic equation in rotating plasmas. In the long perpendicular wavelength limit k τ ρ bi much-lt 1, where ρ bi is the average trapped-ion banana width, the resulting eigenmode equation becomes a coupled system of second order differential equations nmo for the poloidal harmonics. These equations are solved using finite element methods. Numerical results from the analysis of low and medium toroidal mode number instabilities are presented using representative TFTR L-mode input parameters. To illustrate the effects of mode coupling, a case is presented where the poloidal mode coupling is suppressed. The influence of toroidal rotation on a TFTR L-mode shot is also analyzed by including a beam species with considerable larger temperature. A discussion of the numerical results is presented
Investigation of the influence of divertor recycling on global plasma confinement in JET ITER-like wall

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamain, P.; Joffrin, E.; Bufferand, H.; Jarvinen, A.; Brezinsek, S.; Ciraolo, G.; Delabie, E.; Frassinetti, L.; Giroud, C.; Groth, M.; Lipschultz, B.; Lomas, P.; Marsen, S.; Menmuir, S.; Oberkofler, M.; Stamp, M.; Wiesen, S.; JET-EFDA Contributors,

2015-01-01

Abstract The impact of the divertor geometry on global plasma confinement in type I ELMy H-mode has been investigated in the JET tokamak equipped with ITER-Like Wall. Discharges have been performed in which the position of the strike-points was changed while keeping the bulk plasma equilibrium
Are low-dimensional dynamics typical in magnetically confined plasmas?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, R.; Dewar, R.L.

2000-01-01

Full text: Since 1988 there have been many serious attempts to construct low-dimensional dynamical systems that model L-H transitions and associated oscillatory phenomena in magnetically confined plasmas. Such models usually consist of coupled ordinary differential equations in a few dynamical state variables and several parameters that represent physical properties or external controls. The advantages of a unified, low-dimensional approach to modelling plasma behaviour are multifold. Most importantly, the qualitative analysis of nonlinear ODE and algebraic systems is supported by a substantial body of theory. The toolkits of singularity and stability theory are well-developed and accessible, and contain the right tools for the job of charting the state and parameter space. One of the driving forces behind the development of low-dimensional dynamical models is the predictive potential of a parameter map. For example, a model that talks of the shape and extent of hysteresis in the L-H transition would help engineers who are interested in controlling access to H-mode. We can express this problem another way: given the enormous number of variables and parameters that could be varied around a hysteretic regime, it would be cheaper to know in advance which ones actually do influence the quality and quantity of the hysteresis. The quest for a low-dimensional state space that contains the qualitative dynamics of L-H transitions also introduces other problems. We need to identify the essential (few) dynamical variables and the essential (few) independent parameter groups, clarify the mechanisms for the feedback that is modelled by nonlinear terms, and identify symmetries in the physics. Before jumping the gun on these questions the fundamental issue should be addressed of whether a confined plasma, having many important length and time scales, steep gradients, strong anisotropy, and an uncountable multiplicity of states, can indeed exhibit low-dimensional dynamics. In this
Dynamics of water confined in clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Caer, S.; Pommeret, S.; Renault, J.Ph.; Lima, M.; Righini, R.; Gosset, D.; Simeone, D.; Bergaya, F.

2012-01-01

Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of the O-D stretching mode of dilute HOD in H 2 O probes the local environment and the hydrogen bond network of confined water. The dynamics of water molecules confined in the interlayer space of montmorillonites (Mt) and in interaction with two types of cations (Li + and Ca 2+ ) but also with the negatively charged siloxane surface are studied. The results evidence that the OD vibrational dynamics is significantly slowed down in confined media: it goes from 1.7 ps in neat water to 2.6 Ps in the case of Li + cations with two water pseudo-layers (2.2-2.3 ps in the case of Ca 2+ cations) and to 4.7 ps in the case of Li + cations with one water pseudo-layer. No significant difference between the two cations is noticed. In this 2D confined geometry (the interlayer space being about 0.6 nm for two water pseudo-layers), the relaxation time constants obtained are comparable to the ones measured in analogous concentrated salt solutions. Nevertheless, and in strong opposition to the observations performed in the liquid phase, anisotropy experiments evidence the absence of rotational motions on a 5 ps time scale, proving that the hydrogen bond network in the interlayer space of the clay mineral is locked at this time scale. (authors)
Low-to-high confinement transition mediated by turbulence radial wave number spectral shift in a fusion plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, G. S.; Wan, B. N.; Wang, H. Q.

2016-01-01

A new model for the low-to-high (L-H) confinement transition has been developed based on a new paradigm for turbulence suppression by velocity shear [G. M. Staebler et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.110, 055003 (2013)]. The model indicates that the L-H transition can be mediated by a shift in the radial wa...
Investigation of the hydrogen fluxes in the plasma edge of W7-AS during H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langer, U.; Taglauer, E.; Fischer, R.

2001-01-01

In the stellarator W7-AS the H-mode is characterized by an edge transport barrier which is localized within a few centimeters inside the separatrix. The corresponding L-H transition shows well-known features such as the steepening of the temperature and density profiles in the region of the separatrix. With a so-called sniffer probe the temporal development of the hydrogen and deuterium fluxes has been studied in the plasma edge during different H-mode discharges with deuterium gas puffing. Prior to the transition a significant reduction of the deuterium and also the hydrogen fluxes can be observed. This fact confirms the assumption that the steepening of the density profiles starts at the outermost edge of the plasma. Moreover, sniffer probe measurements in the plasma edge could therefore identify a precursor for the L-H transition. The analysis of the hydrogen neutral gases shows a distinct change of the hydrogen isotope ratio during the transition. This observation is in agreement with the change in the particle fluxes onto the targets and can also be seen in the reduced H α signals from the limiters. It is further demonstrated that significant improvement in the time resolution of the measured data can be obtained by deconvolution of the data with the apparatus function using Bayesian probability theory and the Maximum Entropy method with adaptive kernels
Plasma confinement in a magnetic dipole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesner, J.; Bromberg, L.; Garnier, D.; Mauel, M.

1999-01-01

A dipole fusion confinement device is stable to MHD interchange and ballooning modes when the pressure profile is sufficiently gentle. The plasma can be confined at high beta, is steady state and disruption free. Theory indicates that when the pressure gradient is sufficiently gentle to satisfy MHD requirements drift waves will also be stable. The dipole approach is particularly applicable for advanced fuels. A new experimental facility is presently being built to test the stability and transport properties of a dipole-confined plasma. (author)
Plasma confinement in a magnetic dipole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesner, J.; Bromberg, L.; Garnier, D.; Mauel, M.

2001-01-01

A dipole fusion confinement device is stable to MHD interchange and ballooning modes when the pressure profile is sufficiently gentle. The plasma can be confined at high beta, is steady state and disruption free. Theory indicates that when the pressure gradient is sufficiently gentle to satisfy MHD requirements drift waves will also be stable. The dipole approach is particularly applicable for advanced fuels. A new experimental facility is presently being built to test the stability and transport properties of a dipole-confined plasma. (author)
Excitation and deexcitation of the Si-H stretching mode in a Si:H with picosecond free electron laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Z.; Fauchet, M.; Rella, C.W.

1995-01-01

Hydrogen in amorphous and crystalline silicon has been the topic of intense theoretical and experimental investigations for more than one decade. To better understand how the Si-H bonds interact with the Si matrix and how they can be broken, it would be useful to excite selectively these bonds and monitor the energy flow from the Si-H bonds into the bulk Si modes. One attractive way of exciting the Si-H modes selectively is with an infrared laser tuned to a Si-H vibrational mode. Unfortunately, up to now, this type of experiment had not been possible because of the lack of a laser producing intense, ultrashort pulses that are tunable in the mid infrared. In this presentation, we report the first measurement where a 1 picosecond long laser pulse was used to excite the Si-H stretching modes near 2000 cm -1 and another identical laser pulse was used to measure the deexcitation from that specific vibrational mode. The laser was the Stanford free electron laser generating ∼1 ps-long pulses, tunable in the 5 μm region and focussed to an intensity of ∼1 GW/cm 2 . The pump-probe measurements were performed in transmission at room temperature on several 2 μm thick a-Si:H films deposited on c-Si. Samples with predominant Si-H 1 modes, predominant Si-H n>1 modes and with a mixture of modes were prepared. The laser was tuned on resonance with either of these modes. Immediately after excitation, we observe a bleaching of the infrared absorption, which can be attributed to excitation of the Si-H mode. Beaching is expected since, as a result of anharmonicity, the detuning between the (E 3 - E 2 ) resonance and the (E 2 - E 1 ) resonance is larger than the laser bandwidth. Note that despite the anharmonicity, it should be possible to climb the vibrational ladder due to power broadening
Plasma transport simulation modeling for helical confinement systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, K.; Amano, T.

1991-08-01

New empirical and theoretical transport models for helical confinement systems are developed based on the neoclassical transport theory including the effect of radial electric field and multi-helicity magnetic components, and the drift wave turbulence transport for electrostatic and electromagnetic modes, or the anomalous semi-empirical transport. These electron thermal diffusivities are compared with CHS (Compact Helical System) experimental data, which indicates that the central transport coefficient of the ECH plasma agrees with the neoclassical axi-symmetric value and the transport outside the half radius is anomalous. On the other hand, the transport of NBI-heated plasmas is anomalous in the whole plasma region. This anomaly is not explained by the electrostatic drift wave turbulence models in these flat-density-profile discharges. For the detailed prediction of plasma parameters in LHD (Large Helical Device), 3-D(dimensional) equilibrium/1-D transport simulations including empirical or drift wave turbulence models are carried out, which suggests that the global confinement time of LHD is determined mainly by the electron anomalous transport near the plasma edge region rather than the helical ripple transport in the core region. Even if the ripple loss can be eliminated, the increase of the global confinement is 10%. However, the rise in the central ion temperature is more than 20%. If the anomalous loss can be reduced to the half level of the present scaling, like so-called 'H-mode' of the tokamak discharge, the neoclassical ripple loss through the ion channel becomes important even in the plasma core. The 5% radial inward shift of the plasma column with respect to the major radius is effective for improving plasma confinement and raising more than 50% of the fusion product by reducing this neoclassical asymmetric ion transport loss and increasing 10% in the plasma radius. (author)

Atom-atom scattering under cylindrical harmonic confinement: Numerical and analytic studies of the confinement induced resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeman, T.; Moore, M.G.; Olshanii, M.

2003-01-01

It was recently predicted [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 938 (1998)10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.938] that atom-atom scattering under transverse harmonic confinement is subject to a 'confinement-induced resonance' where the effective one-dimensional coupling strength diverges at a particular ratio of the confinement and scattering lengths. As the initial prediction made use of the zero-range pseudopotential approximation, we now report numerical results for finite-range interaction potentials that corroborate this resonance. In addition, we now present a physical interpretation of this effect as a novel type of Feshbach resonance in which the transverse modes of the confining potential assume the roles of 'open' and 'closed' scattering channels
A probabilistic model for the identification of confinement regimes and edge localized mode behavior, with implications to scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verdoolaege, Geert; Van Oost, Guido

2012-01-01

Pattern recognition is becoming an important tool in fusion data analysis. However, fusion diagnostic measurements are often affected by considerable statistical uncertainties, rendering the extraction of useful patterns a significant challenge. Therefore, we assume a probabilistic model for the data and perform pattern recognition in the space of probability distributions. We show the considerable advantage of our method for identifying confinement regimes and edge localized mode behavior, and we discuss the potential for scaling laws.
Energy Confinement of both Ohmic and LHW Plasma on EAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yao; Gao Xiang

2011-01-01

Study on the characters of energy confinement in both Ohmic and lower hybrid wave (LHW) discharges on EAST is conducted and the linear Ohmic confinement (LOC), saturated ohmic confinement (SOC) and improved Ohmic confinement (IOC) regimes are investigated in this paper. It is observed that an improved confinement mode characterized by both a drop of D α line intensity and an increase in line average density can be triggered by a gas puffing pulse. (magnetically confined plasma)
Bifurcated equilibria in centrifugally confined plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamim, I.; Teodorescu, C.; Guzdar, P. N.; Hassam, A. B.; Clary, R.; Ellis, R.; Lunsford, R.

2008-01-01

A bifurcation theory and associated computational model are developed to account for abrupt transitions observed recently on the Maryland Centrifugal eXperiment (MCX) [R. F. Ellis et al. Phys. Plasmas 8, 2057 (2001)], a supersonically rotating magnetized plasma that relies on centrifugal forces to prevent thermal expansion of plasma along the magnetic field. The observed transitions are from a well-confined, high-rotation state (HR-mode) to a lower-rotation, lesser-confined state (O-mode). A two-dimensional time-dependent magnetohydrodynamics code is used to simulate the dynamical equilibrium states of the MCX configuration. In addition to the expected viscous drag on the core plasma rotation, a momentum loss term is added that models the friction of plasma on the enhanced level of neutrals expected in the vicinity of the insulators at the throats of the magnetic mirror geometry. At small values of the external rotation drive, the plasma is not well-centrifugally confined and hence experiences the drag from near the insulators. Beyond a critical value of the external drive, the system makes an abrupt transition to a well-centrifugally confined state in which the plasma has pulled away from the end insulator plates; more effective centrifugal confinement lowers the plasma mass near the insulators allowing runaway increases in the rotation speed. The well-confined steady state is reached when the external drive is balanced by only the viscosity of the core plasma. A clear hysteresis phenomenon is shown.
Synthesis and characterization of iron(III), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of salicylidene-N-anilinoacetohydrazone (H2L1) and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylidene-N-anilinoacetohydrazone (H2L2).

Science.gov (United States)

AbouEl-Enein, S A; El-Saied, F A; Kasher, T I; El-Wardany, A H

2007-07-01

Salicylidene-N-anilinoacetohydrazone (H(2)L(1)) and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylidene-N-anilinoacetohydrazone (H(2)L(2)) and their iron(III), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by IR, electronic spectra, molar conductivities, magnetic susceptibilities and ESR. Mononuclear complexes are formed with molar ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 (M:L). The IR studies reveal various modes of chelation. The electronic absorption spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the iron(III), nickel(II) and cobalt(II) complexes of H(2)L(1) have octahedral geometry. While the cobalt(II) complexes of H(2)L(2) were separated as tetrahedral structure. The copper(II) complexes have square planar stereochemistry. The ESR parameters of the copper(II) complexes at room temperature were calculated. The g values for copper(II) complexes proved that the Cu-O and Cu-N bonds are of high covalency.
Theoretical investigation of flute modes in a magnetic quadrupole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, H.S.

1988-01-01

This research developed theories and conducted numerical investigations of electrostatic flute modes in a plasma confined in a magnetic quadrupole. Chapter I presents the discussion of relevant background. Chapter II contains a brief discussion of the basic flute-mode operator L 0 for intermediate- and low-frequency regimes. Chapter III develops a simple theory for a flute mode with frequency between the electron and ion bounce frequencies in the uniform density and temperature regions of a magnetic quadrupole. The frequency is predicted to be inversely proportional to the wave number. Chapter IV describes the kinetic approach. Chapter V contains the derivation of an eigenvalue equation for electrostatic waves with frequencies below the ion frequency in the private flux region of a magnetic quadrupole. Chapter VI develops a theory for electrostatic waves with frequency below the ion bounce frequency in the shared flux region of a magnetic quadrupole. Chapter VII contains the derivation of a dispersion equation for flute modes with frequencies between the electron and ion bounce frequencies in a plasma confined to a magnetic quadrupole. Chapter VIII presents a summary of the research described
Ballooning stability analysis of JET H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, D.P.; Galvao, R.; Keilhacker, M.; Lazzaro, E.; Watkins, M.L.

1989-01-01

Previous studies of the stability of a large aspect ratio model equilibrium to ideal MHD ballooning modes have shown that across the bulk of the plasma there exist two marginally stable values of the pressure gradient parameter α. These define an unstable zone which separates the first (small α) stable region from the second (large α) stable region. Close to the separatrix, however, the first and second regions can coalesce when the surface averaged current density, Λ, exceeds a critical value. The plasma in this region is then stable to ballooning modes at all values of the pressure gradient. In this paper we extend these results to JET H-mode equilibria using a finite aspect ratio ballooning formalism, and assess the relevance of ideal ballooning stability in these discharges. In particular we analyse shot 15894 at time 56 sec. which is 1.3 s into the H-phase. (author) 4 refs., 4 figs
First HIBP Measurement of Plasma Potential During the H-Mode Transition on the TUMAN-3M Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Askinazi, L.G.; Golant, V.E.; Kornev, V.A.; Lebedev, S.V.; Shevkin, E.A.; Tukachinsky, A.S.; Zhubr, N.A.; Chmyga, A.A.; Dreval, N.B.; Khrebtov, S.M.; Komarov, A.S.; Krupnik, L.I.; Oost, G. van; Tendler, M.

2003-01-01

The difficulty of Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) application on the TUMAN-3M (R=0.53m, a=0.22m, BT=0.8T, Ip=140kA, Te=0.5keV, n<4 1019m-3) -- significant toroidal shift of beam trajectory -- is caused by high ratio of poloidal field to toroidal one. Strong UV radiation from the plasma loads the energy analyzer's detector and complicates the problem even more. This paper presents the results of first measurement of plasma potential evolution in the discharges performed in ohmic H-mode using 80 keV K+ beam and a Proca-Green secondary ion energy analyzer. Spatial region covered by the diagnostic in the experiments discussed was 0< r<0.6a. Spatial scan was performed utilizing the toroidal field decrease due to capacity power supply battery discharge. The change in plasma potential of the order of 100V has been measured during the H-mode formation. The potential in core plasma (r<0.6a) starts to change simultaneously with L-H transition, and than changes during ∼6-8ms after the transition. Thus, the potential changes rather slowly in a comparison with L-H transition timescale (∼2ms for TUMAN-3M ohmic H-mode). Possible explanation to the slow change in central plasma potential may be a formation of potential well structure at the plasma edge, in which radial electric field changes direction. This kind of structure is beneficial for the edge turbulent transport suppression because of high |∂Er/∂r|, but not necessary requires a strong change in central plasma potential to occur immediately. The results from microwave reflectometry support this hypothesis
Controlled fusion and plasma physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bickerton, R.J.

1991-01-01

On JET results were presented on additional heating power, on a recently discovered regime of enhanced pellet performance (PEP), on low-density H-mode plasma confinement with hot ions, bounds on very high electric currents by material limiters, the first experiments on lower hybrid current drive, on the L-H transition threshold dependence on the direction of the gradient-B drift, and on alpha-particle physics issues. The TFTR presentations focused on transport. Particle loss ramifications of the toroidal Alfven eigenmodes were found to be small, while their threshold of excitation is lower than theoretically predicted. On DIII-D a scaling study of transport with gyroradius as the only variable was reported, with approximately Bohm scaling emerging; but the effective heat diffusivity scaling could not be established due to profile consistency effects. While beta-limit investigations with DIII-D generally confirm the ideal, MHD limit found by Troyon, evidence of a reduction of the accessible range for the internal inductance with the safety factor seems to favour current-density control in a steady-state D-T burner. Onset of strongly sheared poloidal rotation in a thin layer during the L-H mode transition was experimentally shown, while a new, so-called VH (''very high'') confinement mode was discovered by boronization of the wall. The JT-90 tokamak has recently been upgraded to JT-60-U. Presentations by the ASDEX team summarized the lack of agreement with theory of L-mode confinement. With TEXTOR, an improved mode (I-mode) of confinement was found by boronization. Finally, reviews are included on the status of impurity transport and helium removal in tokamaks, on stellarators, alternative magnetic confinement systems, inertial confinement, and non-fusion plasma physics. 2 tabs
Regime identification in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannone, L; Sips, A C C; Kardaun, O; Spreitler, F; Suttrop, W

2004-01-01

The ability to recognize the transition from the L-mode to the H-mode or from the H-mode to the improved H-mode reliably from a conveniently small number of measurements in real time is of increasing importance for machine control. Discriminant analysis has been applied to regime identification of plasma discharges in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. An observation consists of a set of plasma parameters averaged over a time slice in a discharge. The data set consists of all observations over different discharges and time slices. Discriminant analysis yields coefficients allowing the classification of a new observation. The results of a frequentist and a formal Bayesian approach to discriminant analysis are compared. With five plasma variables, a failure rate of 1.3% for predicting the L-mode and the H-mode confinement regime was achieved. With five plasma variables, a failure rate of 5.3% for predicting the H-mode and the improved H-mode confinement regime was achieved. The coefficients derived by discriminant analysis have been applied subsequently to discharges to illustrate the operation of regime identification in a real time control system
Plasma dynamics with second and third-harmonic ECRH and access to quasi-stationary ELM-free H-mode on TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porte, L.; Coda, S.; Alberti, S.; Arnoux, G.; Blanchard, P.; Bortolon, A.; Fasoli, A.; Goodman, T.P.; Klimanov, Y.; Martin, Y.; Maslov, M.; Scarabosio, A.; Weisen, H.

2007-01-01

Intense electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) are employed on the Tokamak a Configuration Variable (TCV) both in second- and third-harmonic X-mode (X2 and X3). The plasma behaviour under such conditions is driven largely by the electron dynamics, motivating extensive studies of the heating and relaxation phenomena governing both the thermal and suprathermal electron populations. In particular, the dynamics of suprathermal electrons are intimately tied to the physics of X2 ECCD. ECRH is also a useful tool for manipulating the electron distribution function in both physical and velocity space. Fundamental studies of the energetic electron dynamics have been performed using periodic, low-duty-cycle bursts of ECRH, with negligible average power injection, and with electron cyclotron emission (ECE). The characteristic times of the dynamical evolution are clearly revealed. Suprathermal electrons have also been shown to affect the absorption of X3 radiation. Thermal electrons play a crucial role in high density plasmas where indirect ion heating can be achieved through ion-electron collisions. In recent experiments ∼ 1.35 MW of vertically launched X3 ECRH was coupled to a diverted ELMy H-mode plasma. In cases where ≥ 1.1 MW of ECRH power was coupled, the discharge was able to transition into a quasi-stationary ELM-free H-mode regime. These H-modes operated at β N ∼ 2, n-bar e /n G approx. 0.25 and had high energy confinement, H IPB98(y,2) up to ∼ 1.6. Despite being purely electron heated and having no net particle source these discharges maintained a density peaking factor (n e,o /(n e ) ∼ 1.6). They also exhibited spontaneous toroidal momentum production in the co-current direction. The momentum production is due to a transport process as there is no external momentum input. This process supports little or no radial gradient of the toroidal velocity
Heuristic drift-based model of the power scrape-off width in low-gas-puff H-mode tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldston, R.J.

2012-01-01

A heuristic model for the plasma scrape-off width in low-gas-puff tokamak H-mode plasmas is introduced. Grad B and curv B drifts into the scrape-off layer (SOL) are balanced against near-sonic parallel flows out of the SOL, to the divertor plates. The overall particle flow pattern posited is a modification for open field lines of Pfirsch–Schlüter flows to include order-unity sinks to the divertors. These assumptions result in an estimated SOL width of ∼2aρ p /R. They also result in a first-principles calculation of the particle confinement time of H-mode plasmas, qualitatively consistent with experimental observations. It is next assumed that anomalous perpendicular electron thermal diffusivity is the dominant source of heat flux across the separatrix, investing the SOL width, derived above, with heat from the main plasma. The separatrix temperature is calculated based on a two-point model balancing power input to the SOL with Spitzer–Härm parallel thermal conduction losses to the divertor. This results in a heuristic closed-form prediction for the power scrape-off width that is in reasonable quantitative agreement both in absolute magnitude and in scaling with recent experimental data. Further work should include full numerical calculations, including all magnetic and electric drifts, as well as more thorough comparison with experimental data.
Coherent edge fluctuation measurements in H-mode discharges on JFT-2M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagashima, Y; Shinohara, K; Hoshino, K; Ejiri, A; Tsuzuki, K; Ido, T; Uehara, K; Kawashima, H; Kamiya, K; Ogawa, H; Yamada, T; Shiraiwa, S; Ohara, S; Takase, Y; Asakura, N; Oyama, N; Fujita, T; Ide, S; Takenaga, H; Kusama, Y; Miura, Y

2004-01-01

Results of coherent edge fluctuation measurements using three diagnostics (a reciprocating Langmuir probe, a two channel O-mode reflectometer, and fast magnetic probes) in H-mode discharges on JFT-2M are presented. In discharges in which a high recycling steady (HRS) H-mode phase is obtained through a transient phase with slightly enhanced D α intensity, two types of coherent fluctuations are observed. The higher frequency mode (around 300 kHz) is the high frequency mode (HFM) observed in the HRS H-mode (Kamiya K et al 2003 9th IAEA Tech. Meeting H-mode Workshop Topic B-14). The lower frequency mode has a frequency of around 80 kHz. The HFM is detected by a Langmuir probe over a wide region in the SOL, as well as by the reflectometer and magnetic probes. However, the HFM is not detected by the higher frequency (38 GHz) channel of the reflectometer after the HRS transition, suggesting that the HFM is not located deeply inside the plasma. The 80 kHz mode is detected by both channels of the reflectometer and by a Langmuir probe, but not by magnetic probes, suggesting that it is an electrostatic mode. In contrast to the HFM, the 80 kHz mode is detected by the Langmuir probe only near the separatrix during the transient phase, which leads to either the HRS phase or the ELMy phase, and is similar to the fluctuations reported in Shinohara K et al (1998 J. Plasma Fusion Res. 74 607)
One-dimensional Tamm plasmons: Spatial confinement, propagation, and polarization properties

Science.gov (United States)

Chestnov, I. Yu.; Sedov, E. S.; Kutrovskaya, S. V.; Kucherik, A. O.; Arakelian, S. M.; Kavokin, A. V.

2017-12-01

Tamm plasmons are confined optical states at the interface of a metal and a dielectric Bragg mirror. Unlike conventional surface plasmons, Tamm plasmons may be directly excited by an external light source in both TE and TM polarizations. Here we consider the one-dimensional propagation of Tamm plasmons under long and narrow metallic stripes deposited on top of a semiconductor Bragg mirror. The spatial confinement of the field imposed by the stripe and its impact on the structure and energy of Tamm modes are investigated. We show that the Tamm modes are coupled to surface plasmons arising at the stripe edges. These plasmons form an interference pattern close to the bottom surface of the stripe that involves modification of both the energy and loss rate for the Tamm mode. This phenomenon is pronounced only in the case of TE polarization of the Tamm mode. These findings pave the way to application of laterally confined Tamm plasmons in optical integrated circuits as well as to engineering potential traps for both Tamm modes and hybrid modes of Tamm plasmons and exciton polaritons with meV depth.
GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY OF ROTATING, PRESSURE-CONFINED, POLYTROPIC GAS DISKS WITH VERTICAL STRATIFICATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jeong-Gyu; Kim, Woong-Tae; Seo, Young Min; Hong, Seung Soo

2012-01-01

We investigate the gravitational instability (GI) of rotating, vertically stratified, pressure-confined, polytropic gas disks using a linear stability analysis as well as analytic approximations. The disks are initially in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium and bounded by a constant external pressure. We find that the GI of a pressure-confined disk is in general a mixed mode of the conventional Jeans and distortional instabilities, and is thus an unstable version of acoustic-surface-gravity waves. The Jeans mode dominates in weakly confined disks or disks with rigid boundaries. On the other hand, when the disk has free boundaries and is strongly pressure confined, the mixed GI is dominated by the distortional mode that is surface-gravity waves driven unstable under their own gravity and thus incompressible. We demonstrate that the Jeans mode is gravity-modified acoustic waves rather than inertial waves and that inertial waves are almost unaffected by self-gravity. We derive an analytic expression for the effective sound speed c eff of acoustic-surface-gravity waves. We also find expressions for the gravity reduction factors relative to a razor-thin counterpart that are appropriate for the Jeans and distortional modes. The usual razor-thin dispersion relation, after correcting for c eff and the reduction factors, closely matches the numerical results obtained by solving a full set of linearized equations. The effective sound speed generalizes the Toomre stability parameter of the Jeans mode to allow for the mixed GI of vertically stratified, pressure-confined disks.
Formation of discrete solitons as a function of waveguide array geometry under the well-confined mode condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vergara-Betancourt, A; Martí-Panameño, E; Luis-Ramos, A; Parada-Alfonso, R

2013-01-01

Based on numerical techniques, in this paper, we study light propagation in two types of waveguide arrays. One array contains hexagonal cells, and the second contains honeycomb cells. The waveguides demonstrate the well-confined mode condition and possess Kerr nonlinearity. The mathematical model is based on the modified discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which allows us to evaluate the influence of the array geometry on nonlinear light propagation, primarily the process of discrete soliton formation. The main conclusion involves the role of the coupling length; the greater the coupling length, the lower the power threshold required for discrete soliton formation. (paper)
Peeling-off of the external kink modes at tokamak plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, L. J.; Furukawa, M.

2014-01-01

It is pointed out that there is a current jump between the edge plasma inside the last closed flux surface and the scrape-off layer and that the current jump can lead the external kink modes to convert to the tearing modes, due to the current interchange effects [L. J. Zheng and M. Furukawa, Phys. Plasmas 17, 052508 (2010)]. The magnetic reconnection in the presence of tearing modes subsequently causes the tokamak edge plasma to be peeled off to link to the divertors. In particular, the peeling or peeling-ballooning modes can become the “peeling-off” modes in this sense. This phenomenon indicates that the tokamak edge confinement can be worse than the expectation based on the conventional kink mode picture
Peeling-off of the external kink modes at tokamak plasma edge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, L. J. [Institute for Fusion Studies, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Furukawa, M. [Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8552 (Japan)

2014-08-15

It is pointed out that there is a current jump between the edge plasma inside the last closed flux surface and the scrape-off layer and that the current jump can lead the external kink modes to convert to the tearing modes, due to the current interchange effects [L. J. Zheng and M. Furukawa, Phys. Plasmas 17, 052508 (2010)]. The magnetic reconnection in the presence of tearing modes subsequently causes the tokamak edge plasma to be peeled off to link to the divertors. In particular, the peeling or peeling-ballooning modes can become the “peeling-off” modes in this sense. This phenomenon indicates that the tokamak edge confinement can be worse than the expectation based on the conventional kink mode picture.
PREFACE: 11th IAEA Technical Meeting on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Takizuka, Tomonori

2008-07-01

This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains papers based on invited talks and contributed posters presented at the 11th IAEA Technical Meeting on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers. This meeting was held at the Tsukuba International Congress Center in Tsukuba, Japan, on 26-28 September 2007, and was organized jointly by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the University of Tsukuba. The previous ten meetings in this series were held in San Diego (USA) 1987, Gut Ising (Germany) 1989, Abingdon (UK) 1991, Naka (Japan) 1993, Princeton (USA) 1995, Kloster Seeon (Germany) 1997, Oxford (UK) 1999, Toki (Japan) 2001, San Diego (USA) 2003, and St Petersburg (Russia) 2005. The purpose of the eleventh meeting was to present and discuss new results on H-mode (edge transport barrier, ETB) and internal transport barrier, ITB, experiments, theory and modeling in magnetic fusion research. It was expected that contributions give new and improved insights into the physics mechanisms behind high confinement modes of H-mode and ITBs. Ultimately, this research should lead to improved projections for ITER. As has been the tradition at the recent meetings of this series, the program was subdivided into six topics. The topics selected for the eleventh meeting were: H-mode transition and the pedestal-width Dynamics in ETB: ELM threshold, non-linear evolution and suppression, etc Transport relations of various quantities including turbulence in plasmas with ITB: rotation physics is especially highlighted Transport barriers in non-axisymmetric magnetic fields Theory and simulation on transport barriers Projections of transport barrier physics to ITER For each topic there was an invited talk presenting an overview of the topic, based on contributions to the meeting and on recently published external results. The six invited talks were: A Leonard (GA, USA): Progress in characterization of the H-mode pedestal and L-H transition N Oyama (JAEA, Japan): Progress and issues in
Amplification of 12 OAM Modes in an air-core erbium doped fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Qiongyue; Gregg, Patrick; Jung, Yongmin; Lim, Ee Leong; Alam, Shaif-ul; Ramachandran, Siddharth; Richardson, David J

2015-11-02

We theoretically propose an air-core erbium doped fiber amplifier capable of providing relatively uniform gain for 12 orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes (|L| = 5, 6 and 7, where |L| is the OAM mode order) over the C-band. Amplifier performance under core pumping conditions for a uniformly doped core for each of the supported pump modes (110 in total) was separately assessed. The differential modal gain (DMG) was found to vary significantly depending on the pump mode used, and the minimum DMG was found to be 0.25 dB at 1550 nm provided by the OAM (8,1) pump mode. A tailored confined doping profile can help to reduce the pump mode dependency for core pumped operation and help to increase the number of pump modes that can support a DMG below 1 dB. For the more practical case of cladding-pumped operation, where the pump mode dependency is almost removed, a DMG of 0.25 dB and a small signal gain of >20 dB can be achieved for the 12 OAM modes across the full C-band.

Modeling cavities exhibiting strong lateral confinement using open geometry Fourier modal method

Science.gov (United States)

Häyrynen, Teppo; Gregersen, Niels

2016-04-01

We have developed a computationally efficient Fourier-Bessel expansion based open geometry formalism for modeling the optical properties of rotationally symmetric photonic nanostructures. The lateral computation domain is assumed infinite so that no artificial boundary conditions are needed. Instead, the leakage of the modes due to an imperfect field confinement is taken into account by using a basis functions that expand the whole infinite space. The computational efficiency is obtained by using a non-uniform discretization in the frequency space in which the lateral expansion modes are more densely sampled around a geometry specific dominant transverse wavenumber region. We will use the developed approach to investigate the Q factor and mode confinement in cavities where top DBR mirror has small rectangular defect confining the modes laterally on the defect region.
Energy confinement in the torsatron URAGAN-3M during the rf-heating mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pashnev, V.K.; Burchenko, P.Ya.; Lozin, A.V. and others

2008-01-01

Energy confinement time of plasma in torsatron U-3M was measured both during quasi-stationary study of RF-discharge and after RF-power cut-off. Power absorbed by plasma in the confinement region was estimated. A mechanism which explain the plasma density behavior in the confinement region is proposed
Tokamak local transport model and scaling relations under high power heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Bingren

1997-05-01

A simple, phenomenologically determined thermal conductivity model is suggested which will suit for L-mode and H-mode confinement analysis for high auxiliary heatings. By assuming that the central conductivity is proportional to the central temperature, the resultant energy confinement time will be automatically proportional to P tot -1/2 . The sawtooth effect, edge H-mode and central thermal barrier situations are discussed. This model can be extended to discuss the D, T burning process to greatly improve the usually used zero-dimensional POPC on analysis. (9 figs.)
The influence of gas pressure on E↔H mode transition in argon inductively coupled plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao; Zhang, Zhong-kai; Cao, Jin-xiang; Liu, Yu; Yu, Peng-cheng

2018-03-01

Considering the gas pressure and radio frequency power change, the mode transition of E↔H were investigated in inductively coupled plasmas. It can be found that the transition power has almost the same trend decreasing with gas pressure, whether it is in H mode or E mode. However, the transition density increases slowly with gas pressure from E to H mode. The transition points of E to H mode can be understood by the propagation of electromagnetic wave in the plasma, while the H to E should be illustrated by the electric field strength. Moreover, the electron density, increasing with the pressure and power, can be attributed to the multiple ionization, which changes the energy loss per electron-ion pair created. In addition, the optical emission characteristics in E and H mode is also shown. The line ratio of I750.4 and I811.5, taken as a proxy of the density of metastable state atoms, was used to illustrate the hysteresis. The 750.4 nm line intensity, which has almost the same trend with the 811.5 nm line intensity in H mode, both of them increases with power but decreases with gas pressure. The line ratio of 811.5/750.4 has a different change rule in E mode and H mode, and at the transition point of H to E, it can be one significant factor that results in the hysteresis as the gas pressure change. And compared with the 811.5 nm intensity, it seems like a similar change rule with RF power in E mode. Moreover, some emitted lines with lower rate constants don't turn up in E mode, while can be seen in H mode because the excited state atom density increasing with the electron density.
Helical Confinement Concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beidler, C; Brakel, R; Burhenn, R; Dinklage, A; Erckmann, V; Feng, Y; Geiger, J; Hartmann, D; Hirsch, M; Jaenicke, R; Koenig, R; Laqua, H P; Maassberg, H; Wagner, F; Weller, A; Wobig, H [Max-Planck Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Greifswald (Germany)

2012-09-15

Stellarators, conceived 1951 by Lyman Spitzer in Princeton, are toroidal devices that confine a plasma in a magnetic field which originates from currents in coils outside the plasma. A plasma current driven by external means, for example by an ohmic transformer, is not required for confinement. Supplying the desired poloidal field component by external coils leads to a helically structured plasma topology. Thus stellarators - or helical confinement devices - are fully three-dimensional in contrast to the toroidal (rotational) symmetry of tokamaks. As stellarators can be free of an inductive current, whose radial distribution depends on the plasma parameters, their equilibrium must not be established via the evolving plasma itself, but to a first order already given by the vacuum magnetic field. They do not need an active control (like positional feedback) and therefore cannot suffer from its failure. The outstanding conceptual advantage of stellarators is the potential of steady state plasma operation without current drive. As there is no need for current drive, the recirculating power is expected to be smaller than in equivalent tokamaks. The lack of a net current avoids current driven instabilities; specifically, no disruptions, no resistive wall modes and no conventional or neoclassical tearing modes appear. Second order pressure-driven currents (Pfirsch-Schlueter, bootstrap) exist but they can be modified and even minimized by the magnetic design. The magnetic configuration of helical devices naturally possesses a separatrix, which allows the implementation of a helically structured divertor for exhaust and impurity control. (author)
The Effect of Plasma Shape on H-Mode Pedestal Characteristics on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

T.H. Osborne; J.R. Ferron; R.J. Groebner; L.L. Lao; A.W. Leonard; R. Maingi; R.L. Miller; A.D. Turnbull; M.R. Wade; J.G. Watkins

1999-01-01

The characteristics of the H-mode are studied in discharges with varying triangularity and squareness. The pressure at the top of the H-mode pedestal increases strongly with triangularity primarily due to an increase in the margin by which the edge pressure gradient exceeds the ideal ballooning mode first stability limit. Two models are considered for how the edge may exceed the ballooning mode limit. In one model [1], access to the ballooning mode second stable regime allows the edge pressure gradient and associated bootstrap current to continue to increase until an edge localized, low toroidal mode number, ideal kink mode is destabilized. In the second model [2], the finite width of the H-mode transport barrier, and diamagnetic effects raise the pressure gradient limit above the ballooning mode limit. We observe a weak inverse dependence of the width of the H-mode transport barrier, Δ, on triangularity relative to the previously obtained [3] scaling Δ ∞ (β P PED ) 1/2 . The energy loss for Type I ELMs increases with triangularity in proportion to the pedestal energy increase. The temperature profile is found to respond stiffly to changes in T PED at low temperature, while at high temperature the response is additive. The response of the density profile is also found to play a role in the response of the total stored energy to changes in the W PED
The influence of gas fuelling location on H-mode access in the MAST spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Field, A R; Carolan, P G; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Cunningham, G; Helander, P; Meyer, H; Taylor, D; Tournianski, M R; Walsh, M J

2004-01-01

The observation that high-field side (HFS) gas puff refuelling facilitates access to the improved confinement (H-mode) regime on the COMPASS-D and MAST tokamaks prompted a theoretical investigation of the role of the neutral gas dynamics in controlling the edge plasma rotation and radial E-field, E r . Within the framework of neo-classical theory, higher edge plasma flow, and hence E r , are predicted when fuelling from the HFS-rather than from the more usual low-field side (LFS)-provided neutral viscosity dominates the transport of toroidal angular momentum. Here, these predictions are compared with experiments on MAST, where the influence of the gas-puff location on the edge E r profile is measured spectroscopically. An increase in E r is indeed observed with HFS refuelling in the region where the edge transport barrier forms, provided the neutral density at the LFS is sufficiently low so as not to damp the toroidal flow
H-mode threshold power scaling and the ∇B drift effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlstrom, T.N.; Burrell, K.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Staebler, G.M.

1997-06-01

One of the largest influences on the H-mode power threshold (P TH ) is the direction of the ion ∇B drift relative to the X-point location, where factors of 2--3 increase in P TH are observed for the ion ∇B drift away from the X-point. It is proposed that the threshold power scaling observed in single-null configurations with the ion ∇B drift toward the X-point location (P TH ∼ nB, where n is the plasma density, and B is the toroidal field) is due to the scaling of the magnitude of the ∇B drift effect. Hinton and later Hinton and Stebler have modeled this effect as neoclassical cross field fluxes of both heat and particles driven by poloidal temperature gradients on the open field lines in the scrape-off layer (SOL). The ∇B drift effect influences the power threshold by affecting the edge conditions needed for the L-H transition. It is not essential for the L-H transition itself since transitions are observed with either direction of B. Predictions of this model include saturation of the B scaling of P TH at high field, 1/B scaling of P TH with reverse B, and no B scaling of P TH in balanced double-null configurations. This last prediction is consistent with the observed scaling of p TH in double-null plasma sin DIII-D
Divertor and scoop limiter experiments on PDX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGuire, K.; Beirsdorfer, P.; Bell, M.

1985-01-01

Routine operation in the enhanced-energy-confinement (or H-mode) regime during neutral-beam injection was achieved by modifying the PDX divertor hardware to inhibit the influx of neutral gas from the divertor region to the main plasma chamber. A particle scoop limiter has been studied as a mechanical means of controlling particles at the plasma edge, and neutral-beam-heated discharges with this limiter show similar confinement times (normalized to tausub(E)/Isub(p)) to average H-mode plasma. Two new instabilities are observed near the plasma edge in PDX during H-mode operation. The first, a quasi-coherent fluctuation, occurred in bursts at well-defined frequencies (Δω/ω<=0.1) in the range 50 to 180 kHz, and had no obvious effects on confinement. The second instability, the edge relaxation phenomena (ERP), did cause deterioration in the global confinement time. The ERPs are characterized by sharp spikes in the divertor plasma density, Hsub(α) emission, and on the X-ray signals they appear as sawtooth-like relaxations at the plasma edge with an inversion radius near the separatrix. Attempts to obtain high βsub(T) in the H-mode discharges were hampered by a deterioration in the H-mode confinement and major disruptions which limited the achievable βsub(T). A study of the stability of both the limiter L-mode and divertor H-mode discharge close to the theoretical β boundary showed that the major disruptions observed there are sometimes caused by a fast growing m/n=1/1 mode with no observable external precursor oscillations. (author)
Evidence of L-mode electromagnetic wave pumping of ionospheric plasma near geomagnetic zenith

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. B. Leyser

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The response of ionospheric plasma to pumping by powerful HF (high frequency electromagnetic waves transmitted from the ground into the ionosphere is the strongest in the direction of geomagnetic zenith. We present experimental results from transmitting a left-handed circularly polarized HF beam from the EISCAT (European Incoherent SCATter association Heating facility in magnetic zenith. The CASSIOPE (CAScade, Smallsat and IOnospheric Polar Explorer spacecraft in the topside ionosphere above the F-region density peak detected transionospheric pump radiation, although the pump frequency was below the maximum ionospheric plasma frequency. The pump wave is deduced to arrive at CASSIOPE through L-mode propagation and associated double (O to Z, Z to O conversion in pump-induced radio windows. L-mode propagation allows the pump wave to reach higher plasma densities and higher ionospheric altitudes than O-mode propagation so that a pump wave in the L-mode can facilitate excitation of upper hybrid phenomena localized in density depletions in a larger altitude range. L-mode propagation is therefore suggested to be important in explaining the magnetic zenith effect.
Confinement in W7-AS and the role of radial electric field and magnetic shear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brakel, R.; Anton, M.; Baldzuhn, J.; Burhenn, R.; Erckmann, V.; Fiedler, S.; Geiger, J.; Hartfuss, H.J.; Heinrich, O.; Hirsch, M.; Jaenicke, R.; Kick, M.; Kuehner, G.; Maassberg, H.; Stroth, U.; Wagner, F.; Weller, A.

1997-01-01

Improved neoclassical electron confinement in the centre of low-density ECRH plasmas has been observed in the presence of a strong positive radial electric field, which resembles the electron root solution of the neoclassical ambipolarity condition but is obviously driven by the loss of ECRH-generated suprathermal electrons. At higher densities and with NBI heating, a high confinement regime substantially above the ISS95-scaling and different from the H-mode is established with a strongly sheared negative radial electric field at the boundary. The application of plasma-current induced magnetic shear reveals that confinement in W7-AS is essentially determined by perturbations at high-order rational surfaces. For optimum confinement, these resonances have either to be avoided in the boundary region or magnetic shear must be sufficiently large. Independent of its sign, magnetic shear can reduce electron energy transport which is enhanced in the presence of such resonances to the neoclassical level. (author)
Isotope effect on confinement in DT plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuyama, A.; Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.; Yagi, M.; Azumi, M.

1994-03-01

Isotope effect on the energy confinement time is discussed for the DT plasma. The transport theory which is based on the ballooning mode turbulence is applied. When the DT plasma is produced under the condition of β p >1, the energy confinement time of DT plasma (50% mixture) is expected to be about 1.2 times better than the D plasma with the same operation condition. (author)
Plasma transport simulation modelling for helical confinement systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, K.; Amano, T.

1992-01-01

New empirical and theoretical transport models for helical confinement systems are developed on the basis of the neoclassical transport theory, including the effect of the radial electric field and of multi-helicity magnetic components as well as the drift wave turbulence transport for electrostatic and electromagnetic modes or the anomalous semi-empirical transport. These electron thermal diffusivities are compared with experimental data from the Compact Helical System which indicate that the central transport coefficient of a plasma with electron cyclotron heating agrees with neoclassical axisymmetric value and the transport outside the half-radius is anomalous. On the other hand, the transport of plasmas with neutral beam injection heating is anomalous in the whole plasma region. This anomaly is not explained by the electrostatic drift wave turbulence models in these discharges with flat density profiles. For a detailed prediction of the plasma parameters in the Large Helical Device (LHD), 3-D equilibrium/1-D transport simulations including empirical or drift wave turbulence models are performed which suggest that the global confinement time of the LHD is determined mainly by the electron anomalous transport in the plasma edge region rather than by the helical ripple transport in the core region. Even if the ripple loss can be eliminated, the increase in global confinement is 10%. However, the rise in the central ion temperature is more than 20%. If the anomalous loss can be reduced to half of the value used in the present scaling, as is the case in the H-mode of tokamak discharges, the neoclassical ripple loss through the ion channel becomes important even in the plasma core. The 5% radial inward shift of the plasma column with respect to the major radius improves the plasma confinement and increases the fusion product by more than 50% by reducing the neoclassical asymmetric ion transport loss and increasing the plasma radius (10%). (author). 32 refs, 7 figs
Divertor and scoop limiter experiments on PDX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGuire, K.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Bell, M.

1985-01-01

Routine operation in the enhanced energy confinement (or H-mode) regime during neutral beam injection was achieved by modifying the PDX divertor hardware to inhibit the influx of neutral gas from the divertor region to the main plasma chamber. A particle scoop limiter has been studied as a mechanical means of controlling particles at the plasma edge, and neutral beam heated discharges with this limiter show similar confinement times (normalized to tau/sub E//I/sub p/) to average H-mode plasmas. Two new instabilities are observed near the plasma edge in PDX during H-mode operation. The first, a quasicoherent fluctuation, occurred in bursts at well-defined frequencies (Δω/ω less than or equal to 0.1) in the range 50 to 180 kHz, and had no obvious effects on confinement. The second instability, the edge relaxation phenomena (ERP), did cause deterioration in the global confinement time. The ERP's are characterized by sharp spikes in the divertor plasma density, H/sub α/ emission, and on the x-ray signals they appear as sawtoothlike relaxations at the plasma edge with an inversion radius near the separatrix. Attempts to obtain high β/sub T/ in the H-mode discharges were hampered by a deterioration in the H-mode confinement and major disruptions which limited the achievable β/sub T/. A study of the stability of both the limiter L-mode and divertor H-mode discharges close to the theoretical β boundary, showed that the major disruptions observed there are sometimes caused by a fast growing m/n = 1/1 mode with no observable external precursor oscillations
H-mode pedestal characteristics on MAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirk, A; Counsell, G F; Arends, E; Meyer, H; Taylor, D; Valovic, M; Walsh, M; Wilson, H

2004-01-01

The H-mode pedestal characteristics on the mega ampere spherical tokamak (MAST) are measured in a variety of disconnected double null discharges and the effect of edge localized modes (ELMs) on the pedestal is presented. The edge density pedestal width in spatial co-ordinates is similar on both the inboard and outboard sides. Neutral penetration may be able to explain the density pedestal width but it alone cannot explain the characteristics of the temperature pedestal. The data from MAST can be used to improve temperature pedestal width scalings by extending the ranges in pedestal collisionality, magnetic field, elongation and aspect ratio studied by other machines. Convective transport is found to dominate energy losses during ELMs and the fractional loss of pedestal energy during an ELM on MAST correlates better with SOL ion transit time than with pedestal collisionality
Tunable zero-line modes via magnetic field in bilayer graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ke; Qiao, Zhenhua

Zero-line modes appear in bilayer graphene at the internal boundary between two opposite vertical electrostatic confinements. These one-dimensional modes are metallic along the boundary and exhibit quantized conductance in the absence of inter-valley scattering. However, experimental results show that the conductance is around 0.5 e2/h rather than quantized. This observation can be explained from our numerical results, which suggest that the scattering between zero-line mode and bound states and the presence of atomic scale disorders that provide inter-valley scattering can effectively reduce the conductance to about 0.5 e2/h. We further find that out-of-plane magnetic field can strongly suppress these scattering mechanisms and gives rise to nearly quantized conductance. On one hand, the presence of magnetic field makes bound states become Landau levels, which reduces the scattering between zero-line mode and bound states. On the other hand, the wave function distributions of oppositely propagating zero-line modes at different valleys are spatially separated, which can strongly suppress the inter-valley scattering. Specifically speaking, the conductance can be increased to 3.2 e2/h at 8 T even when the atomic Anderson type disorders are considered.
One-dimensional Confinement Effect on the Self-assembly of Symmetric H-shaped Copolymers in a Thin Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Dan; Li, Jian-Quan; Feng, Sheng-Yu

2017-10-19

The self-assembly of a reformed symmetric H-shaped copolymer with four hydrophilic branches and one hydrophobic stem was systematically investigated. The existence of vacancies is vital to regulate the sizes of self-assembled cylinders to be able to form a hexagonal arrangement. With the introduction of horizontal-orientated confinement, a micellar structure is formed through a coalescence mechanism. The short acting distance and large influencing area of the confinement produces numerous small-sized micelles. Additionally, the cycled "contraction-expansion" change helps achieve hexagonal arrangement. In contrast, the introduction of lateral-oriented confinement with long acting distance and small influencing area cannot change the cylindrical structure. Under the fission mechanism, in which the larger cylinder splits into smaller ones, it is quite efficient to generate hierarchical-sized cylinders from larger-sized cylinders in the middle region and smaller-sized cylinders near both walls. The results indicate the possibility of regulating the characteristics of a nanomaterial by tuning the molecular structure of the copolymer and the parameters of the introduced confinement, which are closely related to the self-assembly structure.
Unusual large-pitch banding in poly(L-lactic acid): Effects of composition and geometry confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Eamor M.; Lugito, Graecia; Hsieh, Ya-Ting; Nurkhamidah, Siti

2014-01-01

Lamellar patterns and orientations in blends of two crystalline polymers: poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and low-molecular-weight poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) were investigated using polarizing light optical microscopy (POM), and atomic and scanning electron microscopy (AFM, SEM). Specific etching off of PEO was used to reveal the complex earlier-grown PLLA lamellae patterns with various PEO content in blends. Banding of extremely long pitch (50 μm) in crystallized PLLA spherulites was induced by two kinetic factors: geometry confinement by top cover and introduction of diluent such as PEO. The mechanisms and correlation among the lamellar assembly, ring bands, and cracks are exemplified. Lamellar patterns and ring-band types in blends were found to vary with respect to not only blend compositions, but also confinement of top-cover
Overview of Tokamak Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unterberg, Bernhard; Samm, Ulrich

2004-01-01

An overview is given of recent results obtained in tokamak devices. We introduce basic confinement scenarios as L-mode, H-mode and plasmas with an internal transport barrier and discuss methods for profile control. Important findings in DT-experiments at JET as α-particle heating are described. Methods for power exhaust like plasma regimes with a radiating mantle and radiative divertor scenarios are discussed. The overall impact of plasma edge conditions on the general plasma performance in tokamaks is illustrated by describing the impact of wall conditions on confinement and the edge operational diagram of H-mode plasmas
Experimental studies of tearing mode and resistive wall mode dynamics in the reversed field pinch configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malmberg, Jenny-Ann

2003-06-01

It is relatively straightforward to establish equilibrium in magnetically confined plasmas, but the plasma is frequently susceptible to a variety of instabilities that are driven by the free energy in the magnetic field or in the pressure gradient. These unstable modes exhibit effects that affect the particle, momentum and heat confinement properties of the configuration. Studies of the dynamics of several of the most important modes are the subject of this thesis. The studies are carried out on plasmas in the reversed field pinch (RFP) configuration. One phenomenon commonly observed in RFPs is mode wall locking. The localized nature of these phase- and wall locked structures results in localized power loads on the wall which are detrimental for confinement. A detailed study of the wall locked mode phenomenon is performed based on magnetic measurements from three RFP devices. The two possible mechanisms for wall locking are investigated. Locking as a result of tearing modes interacting with a static field error and locking due to the presence of a non-ideal boundary. The characteristics of the wall locked mode are qualitatively similar in a device with a conducting shell system (TPE-RX) compared to a device with a resistive shell (Extrap T2). A theoretical model is used for evaluating the threshold values for wall locking due to eddy currents in the vacuum vessel in these devices. A good correlation with experiment is observed for the conducting shell device. The possibility of successfully sustaining discharges in a resistive shell RFP is introduced in the recently rebuilt device Extrap T2R. Fast spontaneous mode rotation is observed, resulting in low magnetic fluctuations, low loop voltage and improved confinement. Wall locking is rarely observed. The low tearing mode amplitudes allow for the theoretically predicted internal non-resonant on-axis resistive wall modes to be observed. These modes have not previously been distinguished due to the formation of wall

Topology of polymer chains under nanoscale confinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Satarifard, Vahid; Heidari, Maziar; Mashaghi, Samaneh; Tans, Sander J; Ejtehadi, Mohammad Reza; Mashaghi, Alireza

2017-08-24

Spatial confinement limits the conformational space accessible to biomolecules but the implications for bimolecular topology are not yet known. Folded linear biopolymers can be seen as molecular circuits formed by intramolecular contacts. The pairwise arrangement of intra-chain contacts can be categorized as parallel, series or cross, and has been identified as a topological property. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we determine the contact order distributions and topological circuits of short semi-flexible linear and ring polymer chains with a persistence length of l p under a spherical confinement of radius R c . At low values of l p /R c , the entropy of the linear chain leads to the formation of independent contacts along the chain and accordingly, increases the fraction of series topology with respect to other topologies. However, at high l p /R c , the fraction of cross and parallel topologies are enhanced in the chain topological circuits with cross becoming predominant. At an intermediate confining regime, we identify a critical value of l p /R c , at which all topological states have equal probability. Confinement thus equalizes the probability of more complex cross and parallel topologies to the level of the more simple, non-cooperative series topology. Moreover, our topology analysis reveals distinct behaviours for ring- and linear polymers under weak confinement; however, we find no difference between ring- and linear polymers under strong confinement. Under weak confinement, ring polymers adopt parallel and series topologies with equal likelihood, while linear polymers show a higher tendency for series arrangement. The radial distribution analysis of the topology reveals a non-uniform effect of confinement on the topology of polymer chains, thereby imposing more pronounced effects on the core region than on the confinement surface. Additionally, our results reveal that over a wide range of confining radii, loops arranged in parallel and cross
Particle-confinement criteria for axisymmetric field-reversed magnetic configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsiao, M.Y.; Miley, G.H.

1984-01-01

Based on two constants of motion, H and Psub(theta), where H is the total energy of a particle and Psub(theta) is its canonical angular momentum, particle confinement criteria are derived which impose constraints on H and Psub(theta). With no electric field at the ends of field-reversed magnetic configurations, confinement criteria for closed-field and absolute confinements are obtained explicitly, including both lower and upper bounds of Psub(theta)/q, where q is the charge of the species considered, for a class of Hill's vortex field-reversed magnetic configurations. The commonly used criterion for the Hamiltonian, H 0 Psub(theta), where ω 0 is identical to qB 0 /mc, is deduced from a more general form as a special case. In this special case, it is found necessary to impose a new criterion, -B 0 R 2 sub(w)/2c 0 is the vacuum field, which reduces the confinement region in (H,Psub(theta)) space. With the presence of electric fields at the ends of field-reversed magnetic configurations, confinement criteria are obtained for two interesting cases. In addition to lower and upper bounds of H, both lower and upper bounds of Psub(theta)/q are found. For axially confined particles, the lower bound of Psub(theta)/q reduces the confinement region in (H,Psub(theta)) space and represents a new criterion. These results can be applied to calculations for field-reversed mirrors and field-reversed theta pinches. (author)
Ohmic H-mode and confinement in TCV

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Moret, J. M.; Anton, M.; Barry, S.; Behn, R.; Besson, G.; Buhlmann, F.; Burri, A.; Chavan, R.; Corboz, M.; Deschenaux, C.; Dutch, M. J.; Duval, B. P.; Fasel, A.; Favre, A.; Franke, S.; Hirt, A.; Hofmann, F.; Hollenstein, C.; Isoz, P. F.; Joye, B.; Lister, J. B.; Llobet, X.; Magnin, J. C.; Mandrin, P.; Marletaz, B.; Marmillod, P.; Martin, Y.; Mayor, J. M.; Moravec, Jaroslav; Nieswand, C.; Paris, P. J.; Perez, A.; Pietrzyk, Z. A.; Piffl, Vojtěch; Pitts, R. A.; Pochelon, A.; Sauter, O.; Toledo van, W.; Tonetti, G.; Tran, M. Q.; Troyon, F.; Ward, D. J.; Weisen, H.

1995-01-01

Roč. 37, 11A (1995), s. A215-A226 ISSN 0741-3335. [EPS Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics /22./. Bournemouth, 03.07.1995-07.07.1995] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1043501 Impact factor: 2.020, year: 1995
ROLE OF NEUTRALS IN CORE FUELING AND PEDESTAL STRUCTURE IN H-MODE DIII-D DISCHARGES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WOLF, NS; PETRIE, TW; PORTER, GD; ROGNLIEN, TD; GROEBNER, RJ; MAKOWSKI, MA

2002-01-01

OAK A271 ROLE OF NEUTRALS IN CORE FUELING AND PEDESTAL STRUCTURE IN H-MODE DIII-D DISCHARGES. The 2-D fluid code UEDGE was used to analyze DIII-D experiments to determine the role of neutrals in core fueling, core impurities, and also the H-mode pedestal structure. The authors compared the effects of divertor closure on the fueling rate and impurity density of high-triangularity, H-mode plasmas. UEDGE simulations indicate that the decrease in both deuterium core fueling (∼ 15%-20%) and core carbon density (∼ 15%-30%) with the closed divertor compared to the open divertor configuration is due to greater divertor screening of neutrals. They also compared UEDGE results with a simple analytic model of the H-mode pedestal structure. The model predicts both the width and gradient of the transport barrier in n e as a function of the pedestal density. The more sophisticated UEDGE simulations of H-mode discharges corroborate the simple analytic model, which is consistent with the hypothesis that fueling processes play a role in H-mode transport barrier formation
pH-dependent optical properties of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped ZnSe(S) nanocrystals with intense/stable emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Soheyli, Ehsan; Sahraei, Reza; Nabiyouni, Gholamreza

2017-03-01

In the present study, a series of aqueous-based ZnSe(S) nanocrystals (NCs) was prepared at different solution pH ranging from 8 to 11.9, and using N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) as capping agent. In addition to zinc blende structure, the X-ray diffraction studies demonstrated the quantum size regime of the ZnSe(S) NCs. To gain further insight toward the influence of the quantum confinement and pH values on optical properties of the as-prepared NCs, their UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra were systematically analyzed. The absorption spectra experienced a red shift from 340 to 382 nm as the pH increased from 8.0 to 11.9, indicating the growth of the as-prepared ZnSe(S) NCs. The emission spectra also show the obvious red shift and the relative area of excitonic to trap emission, firstly increases from pH = 8.0 to 10.7, and then decreases by further increasing of the solution pH. The initial behavior might be due to the improved surface passivation of the trap dangling states by better deprotonation of thiol groups in NAC, whereas at pH >10.7, the faster growth rate of the ZnSe(s) NCs may lead to the formation of many defect sites. All of these phenomena were combined in the scheme which displays the effect of quantum confinement and solution pH on variation of the excitonic and trap-related emissions.
Linear stability of microtearing modes in ASDEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannone, L.

1987-12-01

The linear stability of microtearing modes in typical ASDEX discharges have been calculated. In the case of Ohmic discharges it was found that unstable modes are predicted to be located towards the centre of the plasma. For L and H discharges the zone of instability shifts towards the plasma edge. The interpretation of an increase or decrease in the amplitude of broadband magnetic fluctuations during L and H discharges must be interpreted with caution, since the amplitude observed is strongly dependent on the radial position of the instability. (orig./GG)
H-mode edge stability of Alcator C-mod plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossessian, D.A.; Hubbard, A.; Hughes, J.W.; Greenwald, M.; LaBombard, B.; Snipes, J.A.; Wolfe, S.; Snyder, P.; Wilson, H.; Xu, X.; Nevins, W.

2003-01-01

For steady state H-mode operation, a relaxation mechanism is required to limit build-up of the edge gradient and impurity content. C-Mod sees two such mechanisms - EDA and grassy ELMs, but not large type I ELMs. In EDA the edge relaxation is provided by an edge localized quasi coherent electromagnetic mode that exists at moderate pedestal temperature T 3.5 and does not limit the build up of the edge pressure gradient. The mode is not observed in the ideal MHD stability analysis, but is recorded in the nonlinear real geometry fluctuations modeling based on fluid equations and is thus tentatively identified as a resistive ballooning mode. At high edge pressure gradients and temperatures the mode is replaced by broadband fluctuations (f< 50 kHz) and small irregular ELMs are observed. Based on ideal MHD calculations that include the effects of edge bootstrap current, these ELMs are identified as medium n (10 < n < 50) coupled peeling/ballooning modes. The stability thresholds, its dependence on the plasma shape and the modes structure are studied experimentally and with the linear MHD stability code ELITE. (author)
Entanglement as a probe of confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klebanov, Igor R.; Kutasov, David; Murugan, Arvind

2008-01-01

We investigate the entanglement entropy in gravity duals of confining large N c gauge theories using the proposal of [S. Ryu, T. Takayanagi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 181602, (hep-th/0603001); S. Ryu, T. Takayanagi, JHEP 0608 (2006) 045, (hep-th/0605073)]. Dividing one of the directions of space into a line segment of length l and its complement, the entanglement entropy between the two subspaces is given by the classical action of the minimal bulk hypersurface which approaches the endpoints of the line segment at the boundary. We find that in confining backgrounds there are generally two such surfaces. One consists of two disconnected components localized at the endpoints of the line segment. The other contains a tube connecting the two components. The disconnected surface dominates the entropy for l above a certain critical value l crit while the connected one dominates below that value. The change of behavior at l=l crit is reminiscent of the finite temperature deconfinement transition: for l crit the entropy scales as N c 2 , while for l>l crit as N c 0 . We argue that a similar transition should occur in any field theory with a Hagedorn spectrum of non-interacting bound states. The requirement that the entanglement entropy has a phase transition may be useful in constraining gravity duals of confining theories
Millimeter wave absorption by confined acoustic modes in CdSe/CdTe core-shell quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T-M; Lu, J-Y; Kuo, C-C; Wen, Y-C; Lai, C-W; Yang, M-J; Chou, P-T; Murray, D B; Saviot, L; Sun, C-Kuang

2007-01-01

Taking advantage of the specific core-shell charge separation structure in the CdSe/CdTe core-shell Type-II quantum dots (QDs), we experimentally observed the resonant-enhanced dipolar interaction between millimeter-wave (MMW) photons and their corresponding (l = 1) confined acoustic phonons. With proper choice of size, the absorption band can be tuned to desired frequency of MMW imaging. Exploiting this characteristic absorption, in a fiber-scanned MMW imaging system, we demonstrated the feasibility of CdSe/CdTe QDs as the contrast agents of MMW imaging
catena-Poly[copper(II)-mu-L-tyrosyl-L-leucinato].

Science.gov (United States)

Baggio, Ricardo; Casado, Nieves M C; Calvo, Rafael; Rapp, Raul E; Garland, María Teresa

2005-05-01

In the title compound, [Cu(C15H20N2O4)]n, the copper(II) coordination is square planar. The anionic L-tyrosyl-L-leucinate ligand binds in an N,N',O-tridentate mode to one Cu(II) cation on one side and in an O-monodentate mode to a second Cu(II) cation on the other side, thus defining -Cu-O-C-O-Cu'- chains which run along the a axis. These chains are held together by a strong hydrogen bond involving the hydroxy H atom.
Neoclassical transport, poloidal rotation and radial electric field at the L-H transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minardi, E.; Gervasini, G.; Lazzaro, E.

1993-01-01

The transition to a high confinement regime in tokamaks operating with a magnetic divertor configuration is accompanied by the strong steepening of the edge temperature profile and the onset of a large positive poloidal mass rotation associated with a negative radial electric field. The latter phenomena are signatures of a neoclassical transport mechanism. We address the question of establishing whether neoclassical transport is indeed sufficient to establish high edge gradients and drive poloidal rotation under strong auxiliary heating. The heat transport equation is solved numerically in a narrow edge layer interfaced to the plasma body through heat flux continuity, but allowing for heat conductivity discontinuity. The results compared with recent experimental measurements support the assumption that a highly sheared neoclassical poloidal velocity profile can suppress the anomalous part of the heat transport, and that the neoclassical residual transport, characterizes the plasma behaviour at the edge during H modes. (author) 3 refs., 4 figs
L-mode SOL width scaling in the MAST spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, J-W; Counsell, G F; Kirk, A

2006-01-01

A new data-set of outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer (SOL) heat flux widths, Δ h , has been constructed for L-mode plasmas in the MAST spherical tokamak (ST). The scaling with key plasma parameters such as density, toroidal magnetic field, parallel connection length in the SOL and surface heat flux at the separatrix is investigated. An empirical scaling is developed for the Δ h data-set, which exhibits a strong positive dependence on both the connection length (or edge safety factor) and density and weak or moderate inverse dependences on the surface heat flux and magnetic field, respectively. The empirical scaling is compared with earlier results for a range of tokamaks with conventional geometry, which show weaker dependence on the density and edge safety factor. Importantly, however, the weak negative dependence on the surface heat flux (and thus heating power) is common in both conventional and ST geometries. The experimental data are also used to test a number of dimensionally correct Δ h scalings developed from theoretical models for perpendicular transport in the SOL coupled with classical transport parallel to the magnetic field. A scaling based on perpendicular transport driven by resistive MHD interchange provides the best fit, although several models are close. A subset of the better fitting theoretical scalings are used to extrapolate for Δ h in one design for a future burning ST machine and finally to predict the peak heat loading on the outboard divertor target plate
Three mode Er3+ ring-doped fiber amplifier for mode-division multiplexed transmission

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jung, Y.; Kang, Q.; Sleiffer, V.A.J.M.; Inan, B.; Kuschnerov, M.; Veljanovski, V.; Corbett, B.; Winfield, R.; Li, Z.; Teh, P.S.; Dhar, A.; Sahu, J.K.; Poletti, F.; Alam, S.U.; Richardson, D.J.

2013-01-01

We successfully fabricate three-mode erbium doped fiber with a confined Er3+ doped ring structure and experimentally characterize the amplifier performance with a view to mode-division multiplexed (MDM) transmission. The differential modal gain was effectively mitigated by controlling the relative
Review: study of single-pellet injection experiments and development of pellet injector in JFT-2M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Miura, Yukitoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Sengoku, Seio

1987-10-01

The single pellet injector developed for JFT-2M and the improvement of plasma characteristics in the auxiliary-heated discharges by single-pellet injection are reviewed for the period 1982 - 1986. The pellet injector is a pneumatic type and the designed pellet size is 1.65 mmD x 1.65 mmL and 1 mmD x 1 mmL. The hydrogen, deuterium and mixed (H 2 + D 2 ) pellets can be produced with good reproducibility. Maximum pellet velocity is about 970 m/s (pellet is deuterium and propellant gas is hydrogen). In the pellet injection experiments into auxiliary-heated (NB, ICRF) divertor or limiter discharges, the plasma confinement time is improved by a factor of 1.4 - 1.7 compared with the confinement time in the Ohmic discharges. The achieved confinement time is longer than that on the high confinement mode (H-mode) in gas fueled discharges, although the phenomena are transient. (author)
Operational range and transport barrier of the H-mode in the stellarator W7-AS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsch, M.; Amadeo, P.; Anton, M.; Baldzuhn, J.; Brakel, R.; Bleuel, J.; Fiedler, S.; Geist, T.; Grigull, P.; Hartfuss, H.J.; Jaenicke, R.; Kick, M.; Kisslinger, J.; Koponen, J.; Wagner, F.; Weller, A.; Wobig, H.; Zoletnik, S.; Holzhauer, E.

1998-01-01

In W7-AS the H-mode is characterized by an edge transport barrier localized in the first 3-4 cm inside the separatrix. In the ELMy H-mode preceding the quiescent state ELMs appear as a sudden breakdown of the edge transport barrier in coincidence with bursts of fluctuations. Between ELMs fluctuations are identical to those of the quiescent H-mode. The operational range of the quiescent H-mode is determined by narrow windows of the edge rotational transform and a threshold edge electron density. In contrast, ELM-like events are observed for a variety of plasma conditions by far exceeding the narrow operational windows for the quiescent state. (author)
Exploration of the Super H-mode regime on DIII-D and potential advantages for burning plasma devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solomon, W. M., E-mail: solomon@fusion.gat.com; Bortolon, A.; Grierson, B. A.; Nazikian, R.; Poli, F. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Snyder, P. B.; Burrell, K. H.; Garofalo, A. M.; Groebner, R. J.; Leonard, A. W.; Meneghini, O.; Osborne, T. H.; Petty, C. C. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Loarte, A. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon - CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France)

2016-05-15

A new high pedestal regime (“Super H-mode”) has been predicted and accessed on DIII-D. Super H-mode was first achieved on DIII-D using a quiescent H-mode edge, enabling a smooth trajectory through pedestal parameter space. By exploiting Super H-mode, it has been possible to access high pedestal pressures at high normalized densities. While elimination of Edge localized modes (ELMs) is beneficial for Super H-mode, it may not be a requirement, as recent experiments have maintained high pedestals with ELMs triggered by lithium granule injection. Simulations using TGLF for core transport and the EPED model for the pedestal find that ITER can benefit from the improved performance associated with Super H-mode, with increased values of fusion power and gain possible. Similar studies demonstrate that the Super H-mode pedestal can be advantageous for a steady-state power plant, by providing a path to increasing the bootstrap current while simultaneously reducing the demands on the core physics performance.
Electron Bernstein wave heating of over-dense H-mode plasmas in the TCV tokamak via O-X-B double mode conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pochelon, A.; Mueck, A.; Curchod, L.; Camenen, Y.; Coda, S.; Duval, B.P.; Goodman, T.P.; Klimanov, I.; Laqua, H.P.; Martin, Y.; Moret, J.-M.; Porte, L.; Sushkov, A.; Udintsev, V.S.; Volpe, F.

2007-01-01

This paper reports on the first demonstration of electron Bernstein wave heating (EBWH) by double mode conversion from ordinary (O-) to Bernstein (B-) via the extraordinary (X-) mode in an over-dense tokamak plasma, using low field side launch, achieved in the TCV tokamak H-mode, making use of its naturally generated steep density gradient. This technique offers the possibility of overcoming the upper density limit of conventional EC microwave heating. The sensitive dependence of the O-X mode conversion on the microwave launching direction has been verified experimentally. Localized power deposition, consistent with theoretical predictions, has been observed at densities well above the conventional cut-off. Central heating has been achieved, at powers up to two megawatts. This demonstrates the potential of EBW in tokamak H-modes, the intended mode of operation for a reactor such as ITER
Plasma transport properties at the L-H transition and high performance phase of JET discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balet, B; Cordey, J G; Erba, M; Jones, T T.C.; Lomas, P J; Smeulders, P; Springmann, E M; Stubberfield, P M; Taroni, A; Thomsen, K [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Parail, V V [Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1994-07-01

Numerical analysis are performed which show that both electron and ion thermal diffusivities are reduced by one order of magnitude everywhere, not only in a narrow region near separatrix during the L-H transition. There is no separate H-VH transition on JET, this transition coincides with the cessation of ELMs. In the ELM free phase ion transport in the core is close to its neoclassical value, but probably rises towards plasma edge (however still remaining much less than it was in L-mode). The best agreement with experiment is obtained with the model which simultaneously takes into account both the global reduction of Bohm type anomalous transport in plasma core and formation of temperature pedestal near plasma edge. (authors). 6 refs., 5 figs.
pH-dependent optical properties of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped ZnSe(S) nanocrystals with intense/stable emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soheyli, Ehsan [University of Arak, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sahraei, Reza, E-mail: r.sahraei@ilam.ac.ir [University of Ilam, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nabiyouni, Gholamreza [University of Arak, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-03-15

In the present study, a series of aqueous-based ZnSe(S) nanocrystals (NCs) was prepared at different solution pH ranging from 8 to 11.9, and using N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) as capping agent. In addition to zinc blende structure, the X-ray diffraction studies demonstrated the quantum size regime of the ZnSe(S) NCs. To gain further insight toward the influence of the quantum confinement and pH values on optical properties of the as-prepared NCs, their UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra were systematically analyzed. The absorption spectra experienced a red shift from ~340 to ~382 nm as the pH increased from 8.0 to 11.9, indicating the growth of the as-prepared ZnSe(S) NCs. The emission spectra also show the obvious red shift and the relative area of excitonic to trap emission, firstly increases from pH = 8.0 to 10.7, and then decreases by further increasing of the solution pH. The initial behavior might be due to the improved surface passivation of the trap dangling states by better deprotonation of thiol groups in NAC, whereas at pH >10.7, the faster growth rate of the ZnSe(s) NCs may lead to the formation of many defect sites. All of these phenomena were combined in the scheme which displays the effect of quantum confinement and solution pH on variation of the excitonic and trap-related emissions.
L-H transition dynamics in fluid turbulence simulations with neoclassical force balance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chôné, L. [Aix–Marseille Université, CNRS, PIIM UMR 7345, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Beyer, P.; Fuhr, G.; Benkadda, S. [Aix–Marseille Université, CNRS, PIIM UMR 7345, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Sarazin, Y.; Bourdelle, C. [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)

2014-07-15

Spontaneous transport barrier generation at the edge of a magnetically confined plasma is reproduced in flux-driven three-dimensional fluid simulations of electrostatic turbulence. Here, the role on the radial electric field of collisional friction between trapped and passing particles is shown to be the key ingredient. Especially, accounting for the self-consistent and precise dependence of the friction term on the actual plasma temperature allows for the triggering of a transport barrier, provided that the input power exceeds some threshold. In addition, the barrier is found to experience quasi-periodic relaxation events, reminiscent of edge localised modes. These results put forward a possible key player, namely, neoclassical physics via radial force balance, for the low- to high-confinement regime transition observed in most of controlled fusion devices.

Dependence of the L-Mode scrape-off layer power fall-off length on the upper triangularity in TCV

Science.gov (United States)

Faitsch, M.; Maurizio, R.; Gallo, A.; Coda, S.; Eich, T.; Labit, B.; Merle, A.; Reimerdes, H.; Sieglin, B.; Theiler, C.; the Eurofusion MST1 Team; the TCV Team

2018-04-01

This paper reports on experimental observations on TCV with a scan in upper triangularity {δ }up}, including negative triangularity, focusing on the power fall-off length {λ }{{q}} in L-Mode. The upper triangularity is scanned from -0.28 to 0.47. Smaller {λ }{{q}}out} is measured at the outer divertor target for decreasing {δ }up} together with higher edge temperature {T}{{e},{edge}} leading to increased confinement. This effect is observed for both magnetic drift directions for discharges in deuterium and helium. In helium larger {λ }{{q}} values are observed compared to deuterium. The power fall-off length at the inner divertor target {λ }{{q}}in} has a non-monotonic behaviour with changing triangularity. The largest values are around {δ }up}=0. The ratio {λ }{{q}}in}/{λ }{{q}}out} increases for decreasing {δ }up} for positive triangularity and is approximately constant for negative triangularity. {λ }{{q}}out} is compared to available scaling laws. Partial agreement is only observed for a scaling law containing a proxy for {T}{{e},{edge}} at ASDEX Upgrade (Sieglin 2016 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 58 055015). Extending this scaling to TCV and using {T}{{e},{edge}} at {ρ }pol}=0.95 suggests that {λ }{{q}}out} is independent of machine size {λ }{{q}}{{L} - {Mode}} ({mm}) = 165\\cdot {B}pol}{({{T}})}-0.66\\cdot A{({{u}})}-0.15\\cdot {T}{{e},{edge}}{({eV})}-0.93\\cdot R{({{m}})}-0.03. Possible explanations for smaller {λ }{{q}}out} for decreasing {δ }up} is a reduction in turbulence or a direct effect of increasing {T}{{e},{edge}}.
Global gyrokinetic simulations of the H-mode tokamak edge pedestal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan, Weigang; Parker, Scott E.; Chen, Yang [Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States); Groebner, Richard J. [General Atomics, Post Office Box 85068, San Diego, California 92186 (United States); Yan, Zheng [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Pankin, Alexei Y.; Kruger, Scott E. [Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)

2013-05-15

Global gyrokinetic simulations of DIII-D H-mode edge pedestal show two types of instabilities may exist approaching the onset of edge localized modes: an intermediate-n, high frequency mode which we identify as the “kinetic peeling ballooning mode (KPBM),” and a high-n, low frequency mode. Our previous study [W. Wan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 185004 (2012)] has shown that when the safety factor profile is flattened around the steep pressure gradient region, the high-n mode is clearly kinetic ballooning mode and becomes the dominant instability. Otherwise, the KPBM dominates. Here, the properties of the two instabilities are studied by varying the density and temperature profiles. It is found that the KPBM is destabilized by density and ion temperature gradient, and the high-n mode is mostly destabilized by electron temperature gradient. Nonlinear simulations with the KPBM saturate at high levels. The equilibrium radial electric field (E{sub r}) reduces the transport. The effect of the parallel equilibrium current is found to be weak.
Low- and high-mode separation of short wavelength turbulence in dithering Wendelstein 7-AS plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basse, N.P.; Zoletnik, S.; Saffman, M.

2002-01-01

In this article measurements of small scale electron density fluctuations in dithering high confinement (H)-mode plasmas obtained by collective scattering of infrared light are presented. A scan of the fluctuation wavenumber was made in a series of similar discharges in the Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-A...
LH transition theories and theory of H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, D.J.

1996-01-01

Recent developments in H-mode theory are discussed with earlier work described to put new theories in context. Much of the recent work concerns the development of the radial electric field near the plasma edge and its impact on transport driven by fluctuations, and is the main topic discussed. (author)
MHD instabilities and their effects on plasma confinement in the large helical device plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, K.

2002-01-01

MHD stability of NBI heated plasmas and impacts of MHD modes on plasma confinement are intensively studied in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Three characteristic MHD instabilities were observed, that is, (1) pressure driven modes excited in the plasma edge, (2) pressure driven mode in the plasma core, and (3) Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) driven by energetic ions. MHD mode excited in the edge region accompanies multiple satellites, and is called Edge Harmonic Modes (EHMs). EHM sometimes has a bursting character. The bursting EHM transiently decreases the stored energy by about 15 percent. In the plasma core region, m=2/n=1 pressure driven mode is typically destabilized. The mode often induces internal collapse in the higher beta regime more than 1 percent. The internal collapse appreciably affects the global confinement. Energetic ion driven AEs are often detected in NBI-heated LHD plasmas. Particular AE with the frequency 8-10 times larger than TAE-frequency was detected in high beta plasmas more than 2 percent. The AE may be related to helicity-induced AE. Excitation of these three types of MHD instabilities and their impacts on plasma confinement are discussed. (author)
Phenomenological model for H-mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohyabu, N.

1985-08-01

A phenomenological model has been developed to clarify the role of the boundary configuration in the heat transport of the H-mode regime. We assume that the dominant mechanism of heat loss at the edge of the plasma is convection and that the diffusion coefficient (D/sub edge/) at the edge of the plasma increases rapidly with plasma pressure, but drops to a low value when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold value. When particle refueling takes place without time delay, as in the case of a limiter discharge, the unfavorable temperature dependence of the D/sub edge/ prohibits even a modest rise of the edge temperature. In a divertor discharge, the particles lost from the closed surface are kept away from the edge region for a time comparable to or longer than the energy transport time in the edge region. Thus, rapid increase in the heat flux allows an excursion of the edge temperature to a higher value thereby reaching the threshold value of the H-transition
Study of the dynamical approach to the interface localization-delocalization transition of the confined Ising model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albano, Ezequiel V; Virgiliis, Andres de; Mueller, Marcus; Binder, Kurt

2004-01-01

Confined magnetic Ising films in a L x D geometry (L w (h). For T w (h) (T>T w (h)) such an interface is bounded (unbounded) to the walls, while right at T w (h) the interface is freely fluctuating around the centre of the film. Starting from disordered configurations, corresponding to T → ∞, we quench to the wetting critical temperature and study the dynamics of the approach to the stationary regime by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that for all layers parallel to the wall (rows), the row magnetizations exhibit a peak at a time τ max ∝ L 2 and subsequently relax to the stationary, equilibrium behaviour. The characteristic time for such a relaxation scales as τ R ∝ L 4 , as expected from theoretical arguments, that are discussed in detail
Fusion plasma physics research on the H-1 national facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, J.

1998-01-01

Full text: Australia has a highly leveraged fusion plasma research program centred on the H-1 National Facility device at the ANU. H-1 is a heliac, a novel helical axis stellarator that was experimentally pioneered in Australia, but has a close correlation with the worldwide research program on toroidal confinement of fusion grade plasma. Experiments are conducted on H-1 by university researchers from the Australian Fusion Research Group (comprising groups from the ANU, the Universities of Sydney, Western Sydney, Canberra, New England, and Central Queensland University) under the aegis of AINSE; the scientists also collaborate with fusion researchers from Japan and the US. Recent experiments on H-1 have focused on improved confinement modes that can be accessed at very low powers in H-1, but allow the study of fundamental physics effects seen on much larger machines at higher powers. H-1 is now being upgraded in magnetic field and heating power, and will be able to confine hotter plasmas beginning in 1999, offering greatly enhanced research opportunities for Australian plasma scientists and engineers, with substantial spillover of ideas from fusion research into other areas of applied physics and engineering
Numerical Analysis of Index-Guiding Photonic Crystal Fibers with Low Confinement Loss and Ultra-Flattened Dispersion by FDFD Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Pourmahyabadi

2009-09-01

Full Text Available In this article, perfectly matched layer (PML for the boundary treatment and an efficient compact two dimensional finite-difference frequency-domain (2-D FDFD method were combined to model photonic crystal fibers (PCF. For photonic crystal fibers, if we assume that the propagation constant along the propagation direction is fixed, three-dimensional hybrid guided modes can be calculated by using only a two-dimensional mesh. An index-guiding PCF with an array of air-holes surrounding the silica core region has special characteristics compared with conventional single-mode fibers (SMFs. Using this model, the fundamental characteristics of single mode photonic crystal fibers (SMPCFs such as confinement loss, bending loss, effective mode area and chromatic dispersion are numerically investigated. The results revealed that low confinement loss and zero-flattened chromatic dispersion can be obtained by varying the air-holes diameter of each ring along the PCF radius. In this work, an especial PCF with nearly zero-flattened dispersion (1.3 ps/nm/km over a wide wavelength range which covers O, E, S, C, L and U telecommunication wavelength bands and low confinement loss (0.06 dB/km at 1.55μm is designed. Macro-bending loss performance of the designed PCF is also studied and it is found that the fiber shows low bending losses for the smallest feasible bending radius of 5 mm. Also, it is revealed that the temperature sensitivity of PCFs is very low in compared with the conventional fibers.
Modification of H-Mode Pedestal Instabilities in the DIII-D Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J.R. Ferron; M.S. Chu; G.L. Jackson; L.L. Lao; R.L. Miller; T.H. Osborne; P.B. Snyder; E.J. Strait; T.S. Taylor; A.D. Turnbull; A.M. Garofalo; M.A. Makowski; B.W. Rice; M.S. Chance; L.R. Baylor; M. Murakami; M.R. Wade

1999-01-01

Through comparison of experiment and ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory, modes driven in the edge region of tokamak H-mode discharges [Type I edge-localized modes (ELMs)] are shown to result from low toroidal mode number (n) instabilities driven by pressure gradient and current density. The mode amplitude and frequency are functions of the discharge shape. Reductions in mode amplitude are observed in discharge shapes with either high squareness or low triangularity where the low-n stability threshold in the edge pressure gradient is predicted to be reduced and the most unstable mode is expected to have higher values of n. The importance of access to the ballooning mode second stability regime is demonstrated through the changes in the ELM character that occur when second regime access is not available. An edge stability model is presented that predicts that there is a threshold value of n for second regime access and that the most unstable mode has n near this threshold
Plasma Confinement in the UCLA Electric Tokamak.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Robert J.

2001-10-01

The main goal of the newly constructed large Electric Tokamak (R = 5 m, a = 1 m, BT 8 x 10^12 cm-3 when there is no MHD activity. The electron temperature, derived from the plasma conductivity is > 250 eV with a central electron energy confinement time > 350 msec in ohmic conditions. The sawteeth period is 50 msec. Edge plasma rotation is induced by plasma biasing via electron injection in an analogous manner to that seen in CCT(R.J. Taylor, M.L. Brown, B.D. Fried, H. Grote, J.R. Liberati, G.J. Morales, P. Pribyl, D. Darrow, and M. Ono. Phys. Rev Lett. 63 2365 1989.) and the neoclassical bifurcation is close to that described by Shaing et al(K.C. Shaing and E.C. Crume, Phys. Rev. Lett. 63 2369 (1989).). In the ohmic phase the confinement tends to be MHD limited. The ICRF heating eliminates the MHD disturbances. Under second harmonic heating conditions, we observe an internal confinement peaking characterized by doubling of the core density and a corresponding increase in the central electron temperature. Charge exchange data, Doppler data in visible H-alpha light, and EC radiation all indicate that ICRF heating works much better than expected. The major effort is focused on increasing the power input and controlling the resulting equilibrium. This task appears to be easy since our current pulses are approaching the 3 second mark without RF heating or current drive. Our initial experience with current profile control, needed for high beta plasma equilibrium, will be also discussed.
X-Divertor Geometries for Deeper Detachment Without Degrading the DIII-D H-Mode

Science.gov (United States)

Covele, Brent; Kotschenreuther, M. T.; Valanju, P. M.; Mahajan, S. M.; Leonard, A. W.; Hyatt, A. W.; McLean, A. G.; Thomas, D. M.; Guo, H. Y.; Watkins, J. G.; Makowski, M. A.; Hill, D. N.

2015-11-01

Recent DIII-D experiments comparing the standard divertor (SD) and X-Divertor (XD) geometries show heat and particle flux reduction at the divertor target plate. The XD features large poloidal flux expansion, increased connection length, and poloidal field line flaring, quantified by the Divertor Index. Both SD and XD were pushed deep into detachment with increased gas puffing, until core energy confinement and pedestal pressure were substantially reduced. As expected, outboard target heat fluxes are significantly reduced in the XD compared to the SD under similar upstream plasma conditions, even at low Greenwald fraction. The high-triangularity (floor) XD cases show larger reduction in temperature, heat, and particle flux relative to the SD in all cases, while low-triangularity (shelf) XD cases show more modest reductions over the SD. Consequently, heat flux reduction and divertor detachment may be achieved in the XD with less gas puffing and higher pedestal pressures. Further causative analysis, as well as detailed modeling with SOLPS, is underway. These initial experiments suggest the XD as a promising candidate to achieve divertor heat flux control compatible with robust H-mode operation. Work supported by US DOE under DE-FC02-04ER54698, DE-AC52-07NA27344, DE-FG02-04ER54754, and DE-FG02-04ER54742.
Generation and confinement of hot ions and electrons in a reversed-field pinch plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, B E; Almagri, A F; Anderson, J K; Caspary, K J; Clayton, D J; Den Hartog, D J; Ennis, D A; Fiksel, G; Gangadhara, S; Kumar, S; Magee, R M; O'Connell, R; Parke, E; Prager, S C; Reusch, J A; Sarff, J S; Stephens, H D; Brower, D L; Ding, W X; Craig, D

2010-01-01

By manipulating magnetic reconnection in Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) discharges, we have generated and confined for the first time a reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasma with an ion temperature >1 keV and an electron temperature of 2 keV. This is achieved at a toroidal plasma current of about 0.5 MA, approaching MST's present maximum. The manipulation begins with intensification of discrete magnetic reconnection events, causing the ion temperature to increase to several kiloelectronvolts. The reconnection is then quickly suppressed with inductive current profile control, leading to capture of a portion of the added ion heat with improved ion energy confinement. Electron energy confinement is simultaneously improved, leading to a rapid ohmically driven increase in the electron temperature. A steep electron temperature gradient emerges in the outer region of the plasma, with a local thermal diffusivity of about 2 m 2 s -1 . The global energy confinement time reaches 12 ms, the largest value yet achieved in the RFP and which is roughly comparable to the H-mode scaling prediction for a tokamak with the same plasma current, density, heating power, size and shape.
Confinement of a non cylindrical z discharge by a cusp geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watteau, J.H.

1968-03-01

The plasma of a non-cylindrical z discharge is accumulated in the centre of a cusp geometry and then captured and confined by the rising cusp magnetic field. The cusp geometry is produced by two identical coaxial coils the currents of which are equal but in opposite directions. Stability and confinement properties of this zero minimum B geometry are recalled; in particular it is shown (the coils cross section being supposed punctual) that the magnetic well depth of the configuration without plasma is maximum for an optimum coils distance. Two modes of confinement are observed experimentally : - a collisional mode for which the plasma confinement is limited to 10 μsec (temperature 5 eV, density 7 x 10 16 cm -3 ) as a result of the gradual interpenetration of the plasma and of the magnetic field. - a collisionless mode (temperature 40 eV) where the radial leak thickness is of the order of the ion cyclotron radius. Plasma accumulation occurs even without confinement and is due to the non-cylindrical shape of the discharge chamber. The two-dimensional snow-plough model gives good account of the discharge dynamics. A comparison is made with plasma focus experiments: in particular experimental conditions (deuterium, pressure 1 torr,energy 3 kJ, current 100 kA) a 10 7 neutron yield is detected which appears to be connected with the unstable behavior of the discharge. (authors) [fr
Predictions of the near edge transport shortfall in DIII-D L-mode plasmas using the trapped gyro-Landau-fluid model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinsey, J. E. [CompX, P.O. Box 2672, Del Mar, California 92014 (United States); Staebler, G. M.; Candy, J.; Petty, C. C.; Waltz, R. E. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Rhodes, T. L. [Physics Department and PSTI, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2015-01-15

Previous studies of DIII-D L-mode plasmas have shown that a transport shortfall exists in that our current models of turbulent transport can significantly underestimate the energy transport in the near edge region. In this paper, the Trapped Gyro-Landau-Fluid (TGLF) drift wave transport model is used to simulate the near edge transport in a DIII-D L-mode experiment designed to explore the impact of varying the safety factor on the shortfall. We find that the shortfall systematically increases with increasing safety factor and is more pronounced for the electrons than for the ions. Within the shortfall dataset, a single high current case has been found where no transport shortfall is predicted. Reduced neutral beam injection power has been identified as the key parameter separating this discharge from other discharges exhibiting a shortfall. Further analysis shows that the energy transport in the L-mode near edge region is not stiff according to TGLF. Unlike the H-mode core region, the predicted temperature profiles are relatively more responsive to changes in auxiliary heating power. In testing the fidelity of TGLF for the near edge region, we find that a recalibration of the collision model is warranted. A recalibration improves agreement between TGLF and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations performed using the GYRO code with electron-ion collisions. The recalibration only slightly impacts the predicted shortfall.
Quiescent H-mode plasmas with strong edge rotation in the cocurrent direction.

Science.gov (United States)

Burrell, K H; Osborne, T H; Snyder, P B; West, W P; Fenstermacher, M E; Groebner, R J; Gohil, P; Leonard, A W; Solomon, W M

2009-04-17

For the first time in any tokamak, quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) plasmas have been created with strong edge rotation in the direction of the plasma current. This confirms the theoretical prediction that the QH mode should exist with either sign of the edge rotation provided the magnitude of the shear in the edge rotation is sufficiently large and demonstrates that counterinjection and counteredge rotation are not essential for the QH mode. Accordingly, the present work demonstrates a substantial broadening of the QH-mode operating space and represents a significant confirmation of the theory.
Emergent patterns of collective cell migration under tubular confinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Wang; Sonam, Surabhi; Beng Saw, Thuan; Ladoux, Benoit; Teck Lim, Chwee

2017-11-15

Collective epithelial behaviors are essential for the development of lumens in organs. However, conventional assays of planar systems fail to replicate cell cohorts of tubular structures that advance in concerted ways on out-of-plane curved and confined surfaces, such as ductal elongation in vivo. Here, we mimic such coordinated tissue migration by forming lumens of epithelial cell sheets inside microtubes of 1-10 cell lengths in diameter. We show that these cell tubes reproduce the physiological apical-basal polarity, and have actin alignment, cell orientation, tissue organization, and migration modes that depend on the extent of tubular confinement and/or curvature. In contrast to flat constraint, the cell sheets in a highly constricted smaller microtube demonstrate slow motion with periodic relaxation, but fast overall movement in large microtubes. Altogether, our findings provide insights into the emerging migratory modes for epithelial migration and growth under tubular confinement, which are reminiscent of the in vivo scenario.
Effects of low-Z and high-Z impurities on divertor detachment and plasma confinement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.Q. Wang

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The impurity-seeded detached divertor is essential for heat exhaust in ITER and other reactor-relevant devices. Dedicated experiments with injection of N2, Ne and Ar have been performed in DIII-D to assess the impact of the different impurities on divertor detachment and confinement. Seeding with N2, Ne and Ar all promote divertor detachment, greatly reducing heat flux near the strike point. The upstream plasma density at the onset of detachment decreases with increasing impurity-puffing flow rates. For all injected impurity species, the confinement and pedestal pressure are correlated with the impurity content and the ratio of separatrix loss power to the l-H transition threshold power. As the divertor plasma approaches detachment, the high-Z impurity seeding tends to degrade the core confinement owing to the increased core radiation. In particular, Ar injection with up to 50% of the injected power radiating in the core cools the pedestal and core plasmas, thus significantly degrading the confinement. As for Ne seeding, medium confinement with H98∼0.8 can be maintained during the detachment phase with the pedestal temperature being reduced by about 50%. In contrast, in the N2 seeded plasmas, radiation is predominately confined in the boundary plasma, which leads to less effect on the confinement and pedestal. In the case of strong N2 gas puffing, the confinement recovers during the detachment, from ∼20% reduction at the onset of the detachment to greater than unity comparable to that before the seeding. The core and pedestal temperatures feature a reduction of 30% from the initial attached phase and remain nearly constant during the detachment phase. The improvement in confinement appears to arise from the increase in pedestal and core density despite the temperature reduction.
Three-dimensional simulation of H-mode plasmas with localized divertor impurity injection on Alcator C-Mod using the edge transport code EMC3-EIRENE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lore, J. D.; Reinke, M. L.; Lipschultz, B.; Brunner, D.; LaBombard, B.; Terry, J.; Pitts, R. A.; Feng, Y.

2015-01-01

Experiments in Alcator C-Mod to assess the level of toroidal asymmetry in divertor conditions resulting from poloidally and toroidally localized extrinsic impurity gas seeding show a weak toroidal peaking (∼1.1) in divertor electron temperatures for high-power enhanced D-alpha H-mode plasmas. This is in contrast to similar experiments in Ohmically heated L-mode plasmas, which showed a clear toroidal modulation in the divertor electron temperature. Modeling of these experiments using the 3D edge transport code EMC3-EIRENE [Y. Feng et al., J. Nucl. Mater. 241, 930 (1997)] qualitatively reproduces these trends, and indicates that the different response in the simulations is due to the ionization location of the injected nitrogen. Low electron temperatures in the private flux region (PFR) in L-mode result in a PFR plasma that is nearly transparent to neutral nitrogen, while in H-mode the impurities are ionized in close proximity to the injection location, with this latter case yielding a largely axisymmetric radiation pattern in the scrape-off-layer. The consequences for the ITER gas injection system are discussed. Quantitative agreement with the experiment is lacking in some areas, suggesting potential areas for improving the physics model in EMC3-EIRENE
Experimental evidence for the suitability of ELMing H-mode operation in ITER with regard to core transport of helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Burrell, K.H.

1996-09-01

Studies have been conducted in DIII-D to assess the viability of the ITER design with regard to helium ash removal, including both global helium exhaust studies and detailed helium transport studies. With respect to helium ash accumulation, the results are encouraging for successful operation of ITER in ELMing H-mode plasmas with conventional high-recycling divertor operation. Helium can be removed from the plasma core with a characteristic time constant of ∼ 8 energy confinement times, even with a central source of helium. Furthermore, the exhaust rate is limited by the pumping efficiency of the system and not by transport of helium within the plasma core. Helium transport studies have shown that D He /X eff ∼ 1 in all confinement regimes studied to date and there is little dependence of D He /X eff on normalized gyroradius in dimensionless scaling studies, suggesting that D He /X eff will be ∼ 1 in ITER. These observations suggest that helium transport within the plasma core should be sufficient to prevent unacceptable fuel dilution in ITER. However, helium exhaust is also strongly dependent on many factors (e.g., divertor plasma conditions, plasma and baffling geometry, flux amplification, pumping speed, etc.) that are difficult to extrapolate. Studies have revealed the helium diffusivity decreases as the plasma density increases, which is unfavorable to ITER's extremely high density operation

Dependence of recycling and edge profiles on lithium evaporation in high triangularity, high performance NSTX H-mode discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maingi, R., E-mail: rmaingi@pppl.gov [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Receiving 3, Route 1 North, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Osborne, T.H. [General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ct., San Diego, CA 92121 (United States); Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.E.; Boyle, D.P. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Receiving 3, Route 1 North, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Canik, J.M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Diallo, A.; Kaita, R.; Kaye, S.M.; Kugel, H.W.; LeBlanc, B.P. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Receiving 3, Route 1 North, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Sabbagh, S.A. [Applied Physics and Applied Math Dept., Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Skinner, C.H. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Receiving 3, Route 1 North, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Soukhanovskii, V.A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States)

2015-08-15

In this paper, the effects of a pre-discharge lithium evaporation variation on highly shaped discharges in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) are documented. Lithium wall conditioning (‘dose’) was routinely applied onto graphite plasma facing components between discharges in NSTX, partly to reduce recycling. Reduced D{sub α} emission from the lower and upper divertor and center stack was observed, as well as reduced midplane neutral pressure; the magnitude of reduction increased with the pre-discharge lithium dose. Improved energy confinement, both raw τ{sub E} and H-factor normalized to scalings, with increasing lithium dose was also observed. At the highest doses, we also observed elimination of edge-localized modes. The midplane edge plasma profiles were dramatically altered, comparable to lithium dose scans at lower shaping, where the strike point was farther from the lithium deposition centroid. This indicates that the benefits of lithium conditioning should apply to the highly shaped plasmas planned in NSTX-U.
Fluctuations and confinement in ATF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isler, R.C.; Harris, J.H.; Murakami, M.

1993-01-01

In the period immediately prior to the suspension of ATF operation in November, 1991, a great deal of emphasis was palced on investigations of the fundamental mechanisms controlling confinement in this device. At that time, measurements of the density fluctuations throughout the plasma volume indicated the existence of theoretically predicted dissipative trapped electron and resistive interchange instabilities. These identifications were supported by results of dynamic configuration scans of the magnetic fields during which the extent of the magnetic well, shear, and fraction of confined trapped particles were changed continuously. Interpretation of the data from these experiments has been an ongoing exercise. Most recently, analysis of discharges employing strong gas puffing to change density gradients and fluctuation levels have strengthened the view that dissipative trapped electron modes may be present but do not play a significant direct role in energy transport. The present paper summarizes the current understanding concerning the identification of instabilities and their relationship to confinement in ATF
Study on the L–H transition power threshold with RF heating and lithium-wall coating on EAST

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Leifeng; Xu, G.S.; Nielsen, Anders Henry

2016-01-01

The power threshold for low (L) to high (H) confinement mode transition achieved by radio-frequency (RF) heating and lithium-wall coating is investigated experimentally on EAST for two sets of walls: an all carbon wall (C) and molybdenum chamber and a carbon divertor (Mo/C). For both sets of walls...... Ploss increases with neutral density near the lower X-point in EAST with the Mo/C wall, consistent with previous results in the C wall (Xu et al 2011 Nucl. Fusion 51 072001). These findings suggest that the edge neutral density, the ion ∇B drift as well as the divertor pumping capability play important...
Overview of L-H power threshold studies in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingi, R.; Biewer, T.M.; Kaye, S.M.; Bell, R.E.; Gates, D.A.; Gerhardt, S.P.; Hosea, J.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Mueller, D.; Stevenson, T.A.; Wilson, J.R.; Chang, C.S.; Park, G-Y.; Meyer, H.; Raman, R.; Sabbagh, S.A.

2010-01-01

A summary of results from recent L-H power threshold (P LH ) experiments in the National Spherical Torus Experiment is presented. First P LH (normalized linearly by plasma density) was found to be a minimum in double-null configuration, tending to increase as the plasma was shifted more strongly towards lower- or upper-single null configuration with either neutral beam or rf heating. The measured P LH /n e was comparable with neutral beam or rf heating, suggesting that rotation was not playing a dominant role in setting the value of P LH . The role of triangularity (δ bot ) in setting P LH /n e is less clear: while 50% less auxiliary heating power was required to access H-mode at low δ bot than at high δ bot , the high δ bot discharges had lower ohmic heating and higher dW/dt, leading to comparable loss of power over a range of δ bot . In addition, the dependences of P LH on the density, species (helium versus deuterium), plasma current, applied non-axisymmetric error fields and lithium wall conditioning are summarized.
Reversible hydrogen storage by NaAlH4 confined within a titanium-functionalized MOF-74(Mg) nanoreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavila, Vitalie; Bhakta, Raghunandan K; Alam, Todd M; Majzoub, Eric H; Allendorf, Mark D

2012-11-27

We demonstrate that NaAlH(4) confined within the nanopores of a titanium-functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) template MOF-74(Mg) can reversibly store hydrogen with minimal loss of capacity. Hydride-infiltrated samples were synthesized by melt infiltration, achieving loadings up to 21 wt %. MOF-74(Mg) possesses one-dimensional, 12 Å channels lined with Mg atoms having open coordination sites, which can serve as sites for Ti catalyst stabilization. MOF-74(Mg) is stable under repeated hydrogen desorption and hydride regeneration cycles, allowing it to serve as a "nanoreactor". Confining NaAlH(4) within these pores alters the decomposition pathway by eliminating the stable intermediate Na(3)AlH(6) phase observed during bulk decomposition and proceeding directly to NaH, Al, and H(2), in agreement with theory. The onset of hydrogen desorption for both Ti-doped and undoped nano-NaAlH(4)@MOF-74(Mg) is ∼50 °C, nearly 100 °C lower than bulk NaAlH(4). However, the presence of titanium is not necessary for this increase in desorption kinetics but enables rehydriding to be almost fully reversible. Isothermal kinetic studies indicate that the activation energy for H(2) desorption is reduced from 79.5 kJ mol(-1) in bulk Ti-doped NaAlH(4) to 57.4 kJ mol(-1) for nanoconfined NaAlH(4). The structural properties of nano-NaAlH(4)@MOF-74(Mg) were probed using (23)Na and (27)Al solid-state MAS NMR, which indicates that the hydride is not decomposed during infiltration and that Al is present as tetrahedral AlH(4)(-) anions prior to desorption and as Al metal after desorption. Because of the highly ordered MOF structure and monodisperse pore dimensions, our results allow key template features to be identified to ensure reversible, low-temperature hydrogen storage.
Sheared-flow induced confinement transition in a linear magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, S.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Boehmer, H.; McWilliams, R.; Carter, T. A.; Vincena, S.; Friedman, B.; Schaffner, D.

2012-01-01

A magnetized plasma cylinder (12 cm in diameter) is induced by an annular shape obstacle at the Large Plasma Device [W. Gekelman, H. Pfister, Z. Lucky, J. Bamber, D. Leneman, and J. Maggs, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 62, 2875 (1991)]. Sheared azimuthal flow is driven at the edge of the plasma cylinder through edge biasing. Strong fluctuations of density and potential (δn/n∼eδφ/kT e ∼0.5) are observed at the plasma edge, accompanied by a large density gradient (L n =∇lnn -1 ∼2cm) and shearing rate (γ∼300kHz). Edge turbulence and cross-field transport are modified by changing the bias voltage (V bias ) on the obstacle and the axial magnetic field (B z ) strength. In cases with low V bias and large B z , improved plasma confinement is observed, along with steeper edge density gradients. The radially sheared flow induced by ExB drift dramatically changes the cross-phase between density and potential fluctuations, which causes the wave-induced particle flux to reverse its direction across the shear layer. In cases with higher bias voltage or smaller B z , large radial transport and rapid depletion of the central plasma density are observed. Two-dimensional cross-correlation measurement shows that a mode with azimuthal mode number m=1 and large radial correlation length dominates the outward transport in these cases. Linear analysis based on a two-fluid Braginskii model suggests that the fluctuations are driven by both density gradient (drift wave like) and flow shear (Kelvin-Helmholtz like) at the plasma edge.
An attempt at MHD mode control by feedback modulation of L.H. driven current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parlange, F.; Vallet, J.C

1986-01-01

MHD activity in Tokamak discharges with lower hybrid current drive has distinct features which can be used to stabilize tearing modes. A way of reducing the m=2 tearing mode was recently proposed, consisting in driving more current at the 0 point of the islands than at the X point, by means of amplitude modulated lower hybrid waves. The way it was tested in Petula is presented here
Plasma confinement using biased electrode in the TCABR tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, I.C.; Kuznetsov, Y.K.; Severo, J.H.F.; Fonseca, A.M.M.; Elfimov, A.; Bellintani, V.; Heller, M.V.A.P.; Galvao, R.M.O.; Sanada, E.K.; Elizondo, J.I.; Machida, M.

2005-01-01

Experimental data obtained on the TCABR tokamak (R = 0.61 m, r = 0.18 m) with an electrally polarized electrode, placed at r = 0.16 m, is reported in this paper. The experiment was performed with plasma current of 90 kA (q 3.1), and hydrogen gas injection adjusted for keeping the electron density at 1.0x10(19) m(-3) without bias. Temporal and radial profiles of plasma parameters with and without bias were measured. The comparison of the profiles shows an increase of the density, up to a maximum factor of 2.6, while H-alpha hydrogen spectral line intensity decreases, and the CIII impurity stays on the same level. The analysis of temporal and radial profiles of plasma parameters indicates that the confined plasma entered in the H-mode regime. The data analysis shows a maximum enhanced confinement factor of 1.95, decaying to 1.5 at the maximum of the density, in comparison with predicted Neo-Alcator scaling law values. Indications of transient increase of the density gradient near the plasma edge were obtained with measurements of density profiles. Calculations of turbulence and transport at the plasma edge, using measured floating potentials and ion saturation currents, show strong decrease in the power spectra and transport. Bifurcation was not observed, and the decrease in the saturation current occurs in 50 microseconds. (author)
UCSD Performance in the Edge Plasma Simulation (EPSI) Project. Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tynan, George Robert [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Center for Energy Research

2017-12-12

This report contains a final report on the activities of UC San Diego PI G.R. Tynan and his collaborators as part of the EPSI Project, that was led by Dr. C.S. Chang, from PPPL. As a part of our work, we carried out several experiments on the ALCATOR C-MOD tokamak device, aimed at unraveling the “trigger” or cause of the spontaneous transition from low-mode confinement (L-mode) to high confinement (H-mode) that is universally observed in tokamak devices, and is planned for use in ITER.
Evidence of conversion from Z-mode waves to the electromagnetic L-O mode waves at the plasmapause detected by JIKIKEN (EXOS-B)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oya, Hiroshi; Morioka, Akira

1982-01-01

JIKIKEN satellite that has the initial perigee and apogee of 250 km and 30,050 km, respectively, and has an inclination of -31 0 has passed through critical regions where the AKR spectra were carved out by the plasma surounding the satellite, at least five times during a period from January 31, 1979, to June 21, 1980. On all these occasions the usual type of AKR spectra are disclosed to show cutoff phenomena at the local Z-cutoff frequency indicating a continuation crossing over the local X-cutoff frequency from the high frequency side down to the Z mode wave frequency range rather than to be cut at the local X-cutoff frequency; i.e., the AKR waves consist of the spectra that continuously cover the frequency range corresponding to Z-mode and L-O mode waves when the observation is made near the source region. The most posible mechanism that can give cinsistent interpretations to this spectra characteristics is the mode conversion theory; i.e., the plasma waves generated in the form of the hybrid mode waves in the source regions is converted into the Z-mode wave which propagates towards dense plasma regions where the wave frequency coincides with the local plasma frequency and a part of the energy of Z-mode waves is transported to the L-O mode waves that can escape towards outer space. This conversion mechanism gives also a self-consistent interpretation of previously presented evidences reported as the cutoff phenomena of AKR near the local electron cyclotron frequency, using the mechanism of the propagation of the Z-mode waves. There is no confliction between the conversion mechanism of the AKR generation and the previous polarization observation carried out by the Voyager spacecrafts because there remains wide variety of the selection of the source region that are pertinent to give the possiblity of the LH polarization waves as the results of the conversion of the radiation waves from the Z-mode to the L-O mode in the northern polar regions. (author)
Interaction of Fast Ions with Global Plasma Modes in the C-2 Field Reversed Configuration Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, Artem; Dettrick, Sean; Clary, Ryan; Korepanov, Sergey; Thompson, Matthew; Trask, Erik; Tuszewski, Michel

2012-10-01

A high-confinement operating regime [1] with plasma lifetimes significantly exceeding past empirical scaling laws was recently obtained by combining plasma gun edge biasing and tangential Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) in the C-2 field-reversed configuration (FRC) experiment [2, 3]. We present experimental and computational results on the interaction of fast ions with the n=2 rotational and n=1 wobble modes in the C-2 FRC. It is found that the n=2 mode is similar to quadrupole magnetic fields in its detrimental effect on the fast ion transport due to symmetry breaking. The plasma gun generates an inward radial electric field, thus stabilizing the n=2 rotational instability without applying the quadrupole magnetic fields. The resultant FRCs are nearly axisymmetric, which enables fast ion confinement. The NBI further suppresses the n=2 mode, improves the plasma confinement characteristics, and increases the plasma configuration lifetime [4]. The n=1 wobble mode has relatively little effect on the fast ion transport, likely due to the approximate axisymmetry about the displaced plasma column. [4pt] [1] M. Tuszewski et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 255008 (2012).[0pt] [2] M. Binderbauer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 045003 (2010).[0pt] [3] H.Y. Guo et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 056110 (2011).[0pt] [4] M. Tuszewski et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 056108 (2012)
Scaling studies of the H-mode pedestal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Osborne, T.H.

1998-01-01

The structure and scaling of the H-mode pedestal are examined for discharges in the DIII-D tokamak. For typical conditions, the pedestal values of the ion and electron temperatures T i and T e are comparable. Measurements of main ion and C 6+ profiles indicate that the ion pressure gradient in the barrier is 50%--100% of the electron pressure gradient for deuterium plasmas. The magnitude of the pressure gradient in the barrier often exceeds the predictions of infinite-n ballooning mode theory by a factor of two. Moreover, via the bootstrap current, the finite pressure gradient acts to entirely remove ballooning stability limits for typical discharges. For a large dataset, the width of the pressure barrier δ is best described by the dimensionless scaling δ/R ∝ (β pol ped ) 0.4 where (β pol ped ) is the pedestal value of poloidal beta and R is the major radius. Scalings based on the poloidal ion gyroradius or the edge density gradient do not adequately describe overall trends in the data set and the propagation of the pressure barrier observed between edge-localized modes. The width of the T i barrier is quite variable and is not a good measure of the width of the pressure barrier
NSTX Plasma Response to Lithium Coated Divertor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H.W. Kugel, M.G. Bell, J.P. Allain, R.E. Bell, S. Ding, S.P. Gerhardt, M.A. Jaworski, R. Kaita, J. Kallman, S.M. Kaye, B.P. LeBlanc, R. Maingi, R. Majeski, R. Maqueda, D.K. Mansfield, D. Mueller, R. Nygren, S.F. Paul, R. Raman, A.L. Roquemore, S.A. Sabbagh, H. Schneider, C.H. Skinner, V.A. Soukhanovskii, C.N. Taylor, J.R. Timberlak, W.R. Wampler, L.E. Zakharov, S.J. Zweben, and the NSTX Research Team

2011-01-21

NSTX experiments have explored lithium evaporated on a graphite divertor and other plasma facing components in both L- and H- mode confinement regimes heated by high-power neutral beams. Improvements in plasma performance have followed these lithium depositions, including a reduction and eventual elimination of the HeGDC time between discharges, reduced edge neutral density, reduced plasma density, particularly in the edge and the SOL, increased pedestal electron and ion temperature, improved energy confinement and the suppression of ELMs in the H-mode. However, with improvements in confinement and suppression of ELMs, there was a significant secular increase in the effective ion charge Zeff and the radiated power in H-mode plasmas as a result of increases in the carbon and medium-Z metallic impurities. Lithium itself remained at a very low level in the plasma core, <0.1%. Initial results are reported from operation with a Liquid Lithium Divertor (LLD) recently installed.
NSTX plasma response to lithium coated divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugel, H.W.; Bell, M.G.; Allain, J.P.; Bell, R.E.; Ding, S.; Gerhardt, S.P.; Jaworski, M.A.; Kaita, R.; Kallman, J.; Kaye, S.M.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Maingi, Rajesh; Majeski, R.; Maqueda, R.J.; Mansfield, D.K.; Mueller, D.; Nygren, R.E.; Paul, S.F.; Raman, R.; Roquemore, A.L.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Schneider, H.; Skinner, C.H.; Soukhanovskii, V.A.; Taylor, C.N.; Timberlake, J.; Wampler, W.R.; Zakharov, L.E.; Zweben, S.J.

2011-01-01

NSTX experiments have explored lithium evaporated on a graphite divertor and other plasma-facing components in both L- and H- mode confinement regimes heated by high-power neutral beams. Improvements in plasma performance have followed these lithium depositions, including a reduction and eventual elimination of the HeGDC time between discharges, reduced edge neutral density, reduced plasma density, particularly in the edge and the SOL, increased pedestal electron and ion temperature, improved energy confinement and the suppression of ELMs in the H-mode. However, with improvements in confinement and suppression of ELMs, there was a significant secular increase in the effective ion charge Z(eff) and the radiated power in H-mode plasmas as a result of increases in the carbon and medium-Z metallic impurities. Lithium itself remained at a very low level in the plasma core, < 0.1%. Initial results are reported from operation with a Liquid Lithium Divertor (LLD) recently installed.
Modelling of transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Kimitaka; Itoh, Sanae; Fukuyama, Atsushi.

1993-09-01

In this review article, we discuss key features of the transport phenomena and theoretical modelling to understand them. Experimental observations have revealed the nature of anomalous transport, i.e., the enhancement of the transport coefficients by the gradients of the plasma profiles, the pinch phenomena, the radial profile of the anomalous transport coefficients, the variation of the transport among the Bohm diffusion, Pseudo-classical confinement, L-mode and variety of improved confinement modes, and the sudden jumps such as L-H transition. Starting from the formalism of the transport matrix, the modelling based on the low frequency instabilities are reviewed. Theoretical results in the range of drift wave frequency are examined. Problems in theories based on the quasilinear and mixing-length estimates lead to the renewal of the turbulence theory, and the physics picture of the self-sustained turbulence is discussed. The theory of transport using the fluid equation of plasma is developed, showing that the new approach is very promising in explaining abovementioned characteristics of anomalous transport in both L-mode and improved confinement plasmas. The interference of the fluxes is the key to construct the physics basis of the bifurcation theory for the L-H transition. The present status of theories on the mechanisms of improved confinement is discussed. Modelling on the nonlocal nature of transport is briefly discussed. Finally, the impact of the anomalous transport on disruptive phenomena is also described. (author) 95 refs
Low-to-High Confinement Transition Mediated by Turbulence Radial Wave Number Spectral Shift in a Fusion Plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, G S; Wan, B N; Wang, H Q; Guo, H Y; Naulin, V; Rasmussen, J Juul; Nielsen, A H; Wu, X Q; Yan, N; Chen, L; Shao, L M; Chen, R; Wang, L; Zhang, W

2016-03-04

A new model for the low-to-high (L-H) confinement transition has been developed based on a new paradigm for turbulence suppression by velocity shear [G. M. Staebler et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 055003 (2013)]. The model indicates that the L-H transition can be mediated by a shift in the radial wave number spectrum of turbulence, as evidenced here, for the first time, by the direct observation of a turbulence radial wave number spectral shift and turbulence structure tilting prior to the L-H transition at tokamak edge by direct probing. This new mechanism does not require a pretransition overshoot in the turbulent Reynolds stress, shunting turbulence energy to zonal flows for turbulence suppression as demonstrated in the experiment.
MHD-activity in ohmic, diverted and limited H-mode plasmas in TCV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pochelon, A.; Anton, M.; Buehlmann, F.; Dutch, M.J.; Duval, B.P.; Hirt, A.; Hofmann, F.; Joye, B.; Lister, J.B.; Llobet, X.; Martin, Y.; Moret, J.M.; Nieswand, C.; Pietrzyk, A.Z.; Tonetti, G.; Weisen, H.

1994-01-01

During its first year of operation the TCV tokamak has produced a variety of plasma configurations with currents in the range 150 to 800 kA and elongations in the range of 1.0 to 2.05. Ohmic H-modes have been obtained in diverted discharges and discharges limited on the graphite tiles inner wall. After boronisation in May 1994 H-modes with line average densities up to 1.7x10 20 m -3 , corresponding to a Murakami parameter of 10, were obtained. (author) 5 figs., 2 refs
E-H mode transition in low-pressure inductively coupled nitrogen-argon and oxygen-argon plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Wook; Lee, Hye Lan; Chung, T. H.

2011-01-01

This work investigates the characteristics of the E-H mode transition in low-pressure inductively coupled N 2 -Ar and O 2 -Ar discharges using rf-compensated Langmuir probe measurements and optical emission spectroscopy (OES). As the ICP power increases, the emission intensities from plasma species, the electron density, the electron temperature, and the plasma potential exhibit sudden changes. The Ar content in the gas mixture and total gas pressure have been varied in an attempt to fully characterize the plasma parameters. With these control parameters varying, the changes of the transition threshold power and the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) are explored. In N 2 -Ar and O 2 -Ar discharges at low-pressures of several millitorr, the transition thresholds are observed to decrease with Ar content and pressure. It is observed that in N 2 -Ar plasmas during the transition, the shape of the EEDF changes from an unusual distribution with a flat hole near the electron energy of 3 eV in the E mode to a Maxwellian distribution in the H mode. However, in O 2 -Ar plasmas, the EEDFs in the E mode at low Ar contents show roughly bi-Maxwellian distributions, while the EEDFs in the H mode are observed to be nearly Maxwellian. In the E and H modes of O 2 -Ar discharges, the dissociation fraction of O 2 molecules is estimated using optical emission actinometry. During the E-H mode transition, the dissociation fraction of molecules is also enhanced.
Fracture toughness of the F-82H steel-effect of loading modes, hydrogen, and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, H.-X.; Jones, R.H.; Hirth, J.P.; Gelles, D.S.

1996-01-01

The effects of loading mode, hydrogen, and temperature on fracture toughness and tearing modulus were examined for a ferritic/martensitic steel (F-82H). The introduction of a shear load component, mode III, significantly decreased the initiation and propagation resistance of cracks compared to the opening load, mode I, behavior. Mode I crack initiation and propagation exhibited the highest resistance. A minimum resistance occurred when the mode I and mode III loads were nearly equal. The presence of 4 wppm hydrogen decreased the cracking resistance compared to behavior without H regardless of the loading mode. The minimum mixed-mode fracture toughness with the presence of hydrogen was about 30% of the hydrogen-free mode I fracture toughness. The mixed-mode toughness exhibited a lesser sensitivity to temperature than the mode I toughness. The J IC value was 284 kJ/m 2 at room temperature, but only 60 kJ/m 2 at -55 C and 30 kJ/m 2 at -90 C. The ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) was apparently higher than -55 C. (orig.)
L-band passively harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on a graphene saturable absorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, J; Zhang, S M; Li, H F; Meng, Y C; Li, X L; Hao, Y P

2012-01-01

We have proposed and demonstrated an L-band passively harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on a graphene saturable absorber (SA). By adjusting the pump power and the polarization controller, we have experimentally observed L-band fundamental and harmonic mode-locked optical pulses. The fundamental optical pulse has the duration of 1.3 ps, and the maximum average output power of 13.16 mW at the incident pump power of 98.8 mW. The order of the harmonic mode-locked optical pulses can be changed over the range from the second to the fourth. From the experimental results, we deduced that the likely origin of the harmonic mode-locked self-stabilization was the result of global and local soliton interactions induced by the unstability continuous wave (CW) components

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