C.K. Phillips

Data analysis on TFTR using the SNAP transport code

This paper describes the between shots data analysis on TFTR using the one‐dimensional equilibrium kinetic analysis code SNAP. SNAP accepts as input data: the measured plasma size and current, toroidal field, surface voltage, plasma composition (total Zeff and Zeff contribution from metallic impurities), edge neutral density, auxiliary heating power data (neutral beam power, energy, injection geometry and/or rf power and frequency), and measured profiles of Te(R), ne(R), Ti(R), Vφ(R), and Prad(R). SNAP iteratively calculates: (1) the mapping of profile data to a minor radius grid, (2) the magnetic topology including Shafranov shifted circular flux surfaces, (3) neutral beam attenuation and deposition profiles, (4) unthermalized beam ion density and beam power density delivered to thermal plasma species from a numerical solution to the Fokker–Planck equation, (5) the neutral density profile, (6) local heat and particle transport coefficients consistent with the measured profiles and calculated source terms...

Status and plans for TFTR

AbstractRecent research on TFTR has emphasized optimization of performance in deuterium plasmas, transport studies and studies of energetic ion and fusion product physics in preparation for the D-T experiments that will commence in July of 1993. TFTR has achieved full hardware design parameters, and the best TFTR discharges in deuterium are projected to QDT of 0.3 to 0.5.The physics phenomena that will be studied during the D-T phase will include: tritium particle confinement and fueling, ICRF heating with tritium, species scaling with tritium, collective alpha-particle instabilities, alpha heating of the plasma and helium ash buildup. It is important for the fusion program that these physics issues be addressed to identify regimes of benign alpha behavior, and to develop techniques to actively stabilize or control instabilities driver by collective alpha effects.

Spectral effects on fast wave core heating and current drive

Recent results obtained with high harmonic fast wave (HHFW) heating and current drive (CD) on NSTX strongly support the hypothesis that the onset of perpendicular fast wave propagation right at or very near the launcher is a primary cause for a reduction in core heating efficiency at long wavelengths that is also observed in ICRF heating experiments in numerous tokamaks. A dramatic increase in core heating efficiency was first achieved in NSTX L-mode helium majority plasmas when the onset for perpendicular wave propagation was moved away from the antenna and nearby vessel structures. Efficient core heating in deuterium majority L-mode and H-mode discharges, in which the edge density is typically higher than in comparable helium majority plasmas, was then accomplished by reducing the edge density in front of the launcher with lithium conditioning and avoiding operational points prone to instabilities. These results indicate that careful tailoring of the edge density profiles in ITER should be considered to limit radio frequency (rf) power losses to the antenna and plasma facing materials. Finally, in plasmas with reduced rf power losses in the edge regions, the first direct measurements of HHFW CD were obtained with the motional Stark effect (MSE) diagnostic. The location and radial dependence of HHFW CD measured by MSE are in reasonable agreement with predictions from both full wave and ray tracing simulations.

Benchmarking ICRF full-wave solvers for ITER

Abstract Benchmarking of full-wave solvers for ICRF simulations is performed using plasma profiles and equilibria obtained from integrated self-consistent modeling predictions of four ITER plasmas. One is for a high performance baseline (5.3 T, 15 MA) DT H-mode. The others are for half-field, half-current plasmas of interest for the pre-activation phase with bulk plasma ion species being either hydrogen or He4. The predicted profiles are used by six full-wave solver groups to simulate the ICRF electromagnetic fields and heating, and by three of these groups to simulate the current-drive. Approximate agreement is achieved for the predicted heating power for the DT and He4 cases. Factor of two disagreements are found for the cases with second harmonic He3 heating in bulk H cases. Approximate agreement is achieved simulating the ICRF current drive.

Effect of plasma shaping on performance in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has explored the effects of shaping on plasma performance as determined by many diverse topics including the stability of global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes (e.g., ideal external kinks and resistive wall modes), edge localized modes (ELMs), bootstrap current drive, divertor flux expansion, and heat transport. Improved shaping capability has been crucial to achieving βt∼40%. Precise plasma shape control has been achieved on NSTX using real-time equilibrium reconstruction. NSTX has simultaneously achieved elongation κ∼2.8 and triangularity δ∼0.8. Ideal MHD theory predicts increased stability at high values of shaping factor S≡q95Ip∕(aBt), which has been observed at large values of the S∼37[MA∕(m∙T)] on NSTX. The behavior of ELMs is observed to depend on plasma shape. A description of the ELM regimes attained as shape is varied will be presented. Increased shaping is predicted to increase the bootstrap fraction at fixed Ip. The achievement of strong shaping ...

ICRF heating of TFTR deuterium supershot plasmas in the 3He minority regime

The increased core electron temperature produced by ICRF heating of TFTR, D-T neutral-beam-heated supershot plasmas is expected to extend the alpha-particle slowing down time and hence enhance the central alpha-particle pressure. In preparation for the TFTR D-T operational phase, which started in late 1993, a series of experiments were conducted on TFTR to explore the effect of ICRF heating on the performance and stability of low-recycling, deuterium supershot plasmas in the 3He minority heating regime. The coupling of up to 7.4 MW of 47 MHz ICRF power to full size (R approximately 2.62 m, a approximately 0.96 m), 3He minority, deuterium supershots heated with up to 30 MW of deuterium neutral beam injection has resulted in a significant increase in core electron temperature ( Delta Te=3-4 keV). Simulations of equivalent D-T supershots predict that such ICRF heating should result in approximately a 60% increase in the alpha-particle slowing down time and an enhancement of about 30% in the central alpha pressure. Future experiments to be conducted at ICRF powers up to 12.5 MW during the upcoming TFTR D-T campaign may result in even greater enhancements in core alpha parameters. This paper presents results from experiments performed at an axial toroidal magnetic field of about 4.8 T, where the minority resonance was within 0.1-0.15 m of the plasma core. Combined ICRF and neutral beam heating powers in these experiments reached TFTR record levels of over 37 MW, which allowed an exploration of the power loading limits on the carbon limiter tiles. The plasma current was operated at 1.85 and 2.2 MA and sawtooth suppression was observed at the higher plasma current.

Ion cyclotron range of frequency experiments in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor with fast waves and mode converted ion Bernstein waves

Recent experiments in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor [Fusion Technol. 21, 13 (1992)] are discussed. These experiments include mode conversion heating and current drive, fast wave current drive, and heating of low (L)‐ mode deuterium–tritium (D–T) plasmas in both the hydrogen minority and second harmonic tritium regimes. In mode conversion heating, a central electron temperature of 10 keV was attained with 3.3 MW of radio‐frequency power. In mode conversion current drive experiments, up to 130 kA of current was noninductively driven, on and off axis, and the current profiles were modified. Fast wave current drive experiments have produced 70–80 kA of noninductively driven current. Heating of L‐mode deuterium and D–T plasmas by hydrogen minority ICRF has been compared. Finally, heating of L‐mode D–T plasmas at the second harmonic of the tritium cyclotron frequency has been demonstrated.

Observations of neutral beam and ICRF tail ion losses due to Alfven modes in TFTR

Experimental observations from TFTR of fast ion losses resulting from the toroidicity induced Alfven eigenmode (TAE) and the Alfven frequency mode (AFM) are presented. The AFM was driven by neutral beam ions, at low BT, and the TAE was excited by hydrogen minority ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) tail ions at higher BT. The measurements indicate that the loss rate varies linearly with the mode amplitude for both modes, and that the fast ion losses during the mode activity can be significant, with tens of per cent of the input power lost in the worst cases

Deuterium–tritium high confinement (H‐mode) studies in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

High or enhanced confinement (H‐mode) plasmas have been obtained for the first time with nearly equal concentrations of deuterium and tritium in high‐temperature, high poloidal beta plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [McGuire, Phys. Plasmas 2, 2176 (1995)]. Tritium fueling was provided mainly through high‐power neutral beam injection (NBI) with powers up to 31 MW and beam energies of 90–110 keV. A transition to a circular limiter H‐mode configuration has been obtained, following a programmed rapid decrease of the plasma current. Isotope effects, due to the presence of tritium, led to different behavior for deuterium–deuterium (DD) and deuterium–tritium (DT) H‐modes relative to confinement, edge localized magnetohydrodynamic modes (ELMs), and ELM effects on fusion products. However, the threshold power for the H‐mode transition was the same in DD and DT. Some of the highest values of the global energy confinement time, τE, have been achieved on TFTR during the ELM‐free phase of DT H‐mode pla...

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...