Alan Lynn

Nonaxisymmetric field effects on Alcator C-Mod

A set of external coils (A-coils) capable of producing nonaxisymmetric, predominantly n=1, fields with different toroidal phase and a range of poloidal mode m spectra has been used to determine the threshold amplitude for mode locking over a range of plasma parameters in Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson, R. Boivin, F. Bombarda, P. Bonoli, S. Fairfax, C. Fiore, J. Goetz, S. Golovato, R. Granetz, M. Greenwald et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)]. The threshold perturbations and parametric scalings, expressed in terms of (B21∕BT), are similar to those observed on larger, lower field devices. The threshold is roughly linear in density, with typical magnitudes of order 10−4. This result implies that locked modes should not be significantly more problematic for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [I. P. B. Editors, Nucl. Fusion 39, 2286 (1999)] than for existing devices. Coordinated nondimensional identity experiments on the Joint European Torus [Fusion Technol. 11, 13 (1987)], DIII-D [Fusion T...

Overview of the Alcator C-Mod program

Research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak has emphasized RF heating, self-generated flows, momentum transport, scrape-off layer (SOL) turbulence and transport and the physics of transport barrier transitions, stability and control. The machine operates with P-RF up to 6 MW corresponding to power densities on the antenna of 10 MW m(-2). Analysis of rotation profile evolution, produced in the absence of external drive, allows transport of angular momentum in the plasma core to be computed and compared between various operating regimes. Momentum is clearly seen diffusing and convecting from the plasma edge on time scales similar to the energy confinement time and much faster than neo-classical transport. SOL turbulence and transport have been studied with fast scanning electrostatic probes situated at several poloidal locations and with gas puff imaging. Strong poloidal asymmetries are found in profiles and fluctuations, confirming the essential ballooning character of the turbulence and transport. Plasma topology has a dominant effect on the magnitude and direction of both core rotation and SOL flows. The correlation of self-generated plasma flows and topology has led to a novel explanation for the dependence of the H-mode power threshold on the del B drift direction. Research into internal transport barriers has focused on control of the barrier strength and location. The foot of the barrier could be moved to larger minor radius by lowering q or B-T. The barriers, which are produced in C-Mod by off-axis RF heating, can be weakened by the application of on-axis power. Gyro-kinetic simulations suggest that the control mechanism is due to the temperature dependence of trapped electron modes which are destabilized by the large density gradients. A set of non-axisymmetric coils was installed allowing intrinsic error fields to be measured and compensated. These also enabled the determination of the mode locking threshold and, by comparison with data from other machines, provided the first direct measurement of size scaling for the threshold. The installation of a new inboard limiter resulted in the reduction of halo currents following disruptions. This effect can be understood in terms of the change in plasma contact with the altered geometry during vertical displacement of the plasma column. Unstable Alfven eigenmodes (AE) were observed in low-density, high-power ICRF heated plasmas. The damping rate of stable AEs was investigated with a pair of active MHD antennae.

Investigation of ion cyclotron range of frequencies mode conversion at the ion–ion hybrid layer in Alcator C-Mod

Mode conversion (MC) of long wavelength fast electromagnetic magnetosonic waves (fast wave, or FW) into shorter wavelength electrostatic (ion-Bernstein, or IBW) or slow electromagnetic (ion cyclotron, or ICW) waves is of great interest in laboratory, magnetic fusion and space physics experiments. Such processes are particularly important in multi-ion species plasmas. In this paper we report recent results from high power ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating experiments in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Mode converted waves near the 3He–H hybrid layer have been detected by means of phase contrast imaging in H(3He,D) plasmas [E. Nelson-Melby et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 155004 (2003)]. The measured wave k spectrum and spatial location are in agreement with theoretical predictions [F. W. Perkins, Nucl. Fusion 17, 1197 (1977)], which showed that in a sheared magnetic field, mode-conversion of FW into ICW may dominate over IBW for appropriate ion species (i.e., D–T, or equivalently, H–3He). Recent mod...

Upper limit on turbulent electron temperature fluctuations in the core of Alcator C-Mod

Electron cyclotron emission correlation radiometry is used to measure the local turbulent electron temperature fluctuations in the plasma core of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Using standard analysis techniques, we see no evidence of the broadband fluctuations seen in other devices. From an analysis of the diagnostic resolution, coupled with these data, we can place an upper limit on the measurable fluctuation amplitude and set bounds for the wave number spectrum required for the electrostatic turbulence model of anomalous heat flux to be valid.

Multi-chord fiber-coupled interferometry of supersonic plasma jets (invited)a)

A multi-chord fiber-coupled interferometer is being used to make time-resolved density measurements of supersonic argon plasma jets on the Plasma Liner Experiment. The long coherence length of the laser (>10 m) allows signal and reference path lengths to be mismatched by many meters without signal degradation, making for a greatly simplified optical layout. Measured interferometry phase shifts are consistent with a partially ionized plasma in which both positive and negative phase shift values are observed depending on the ionization fraction. In this case, both free electrons and bound electrons in ions and neutral atoms contribute to the index of refraction. This paper illustrates how the interferometry data, aided by numerical modeling, are used to derive total jet density, jet propagation velocity (~15-50 km/s), jet length (~20-100 cm), and 3D expansion.

Overview of recent Alcator C-Mod research

Research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [1] is focused on high particle- and power-density plasma regimes to understand particle and energy transport in the core, the dynamics of the H-mode pedestal, and scrape-off layer and divertor physics. The auxiliary heating is provided exclusively by RF waves, and both the physics and technology of RF heating and current drive are studied. The momentum which is manifested in strong toroidal rotation, in the absence of direct momentum input, has been shown to be transported in from the edge of the plasma following the L-H transition, with timescale comparable to that for energy transport. In discharges which develop internal transport barriers, the rotation slows first inside the barrier region, and then subsequently outside of the barrier foot. Heat pulse propagation studies using sawteeth indicate a very narrow region of strongly reduced energy transport, located near r/a = 0.5. Addition of on-axis ICRF heating arrests the buildup of density and impurities, leading to quasi-steady conditions. The quasi-coherent mode associated with enhanced D-Alpha (EDA) H-mode appears to be due to a resistive ballooning instability. As the pedestal pressure gradient and temperature are increased in EDA H-mode, small ELMs appear; detailed modelling indicates that these are due to intermediate n peeling-ballooning modes. Phase contrast imaging has been used to directly detect density fluctuations driven by ICRF waves in the core of the plasma, and mode conversion to an intermediate wavelength ion cyclotron wave has been observed for the first time. The bursty turbulent density fluctuations, observed to drive rapid cross-field particle transport in the edge plasma, appear to play a key role in the dynamics of the density limit. Preparations for quasi-steady-state advanced tokamak studies with lower hybrid current drive are well underway, and time dependent modelling indicates that regimes with high bootstrap fraction can be produced.

Electron cyclotron emission as a density fluctuation diagnostic

A new technique for measuring density fluctuations using a high-resolution heterodyne electron cyclotron emission (ECE) radiometer has been developed. Although ECE radiometry is typically used for electron temperature measurements, the unique viewing geometry of this system’s quasioptical antenna has been found to make the detected emission extremely sensitive to refractive effects under certain conditions. This sensitivity gives the diagnostic the ability to measure very low levels of density fluctuations in the core of Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The refractive effects have been modeled using ray-tracing methods, allowing estimates of the density fluctuation magnitude and spatial localization.

Observations of core modes during RF-generated internal transport barriers in Alcator C-Mod

In the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, a high-resolution heterodyne ECE radiometer has been used to measure the electron temperature in plasma discharges with internal transport barriers (ITBs). ITBs are formed by the application of off-axis (r/a ∼0.5) ICRF power. Strong density peaking indicates the formation of the ITB. When the ITB is formed, the ECE radiometer detects a small amplitude mode localized near the magnetic axis. Surprisingly, as this mode amplitude grows a dip in the temperature profile is clearly observed at the same location. If sawteeth are present, the mode amplitude appears to be suppressed by the sawtooth crash and no dip in the temperate profiles is observed. TORAY, a ray-tracing code, has been used to investigate the possible refractive effects of the steep density gradients in the ITB and its effects on the ECE observations. The results show that refractive effects can explain the observed local changes in temperature. Ray-tracing also indicates that the observed modes are density fluctuations. Observations of broadband density fluctuations during 4.5 T ITBs are also described.

Prospects for x-ray polarimetry measurements of magnetic fields in magnetized liner inertial fusion plasmas

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments, where a metal liner is imploded to compress a magnetized seed plasma may generate peak magnetic fields ∼10(4) T (100 Megagauss) over small volumes (∼10(-10)m(3)) at high plasma densities (∼10(28)m(-3)) on 100 ns time scales. Such conditions are extremely challenging to diagnose. We discuss the possibility of, and issues involved in, using polarimetry techniques at x-ray wavelengths to measure magnetic fields under these extreme conditions.