D. M. Thomas

Role of the radial electric field in the transition from L (low) mode to H (high) mode to VH (very high) mode in the DIII-D tokamak

The hypothesis of stabilization of turbulence by shear in the E×B drift speed successfully predicts the observed turbulence reduction and confinement improvement seen at the L (low)–H (high) transition; in addition, the observed levels of E×B shear significantly exceed the value theoretically required to stabilize turbulence. Furthermore, this same hypothesis is the best explanation to date for the further confinement improvement seen in the plasma core when the plasma goes from the H mode to the VH (very high) mode. Consequently, the most fundamental question for H‐mode studies now is: How is the electric field Er formed? The radial force balance equation relates Er to the main ion pressure gradient ∇Pi, poloidal rotation vθi, and toroidal rotation vφi. In the plasma edge, observations show ∇Pi and vθi are the important terms at the L–H transition, with ∇Pi being the dominant, negative term throughout most of the H mode. In the plasma core, Er is primarily related to vφi. There is a clear temporal and sp...

ELM suppression in low edge collisionality H-mode discharges using n = 3 magnetic perturbations

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 the edge pressure gradient and pedestal current density below the threshold for peeling-ballooning modes. These n = 3 magnetic perturbations provide a means of active control of edge plasma transport.

Advances in understanding quiescent H-mode plasmas in DIII-D

Recent QH-mode research on DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1996 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] has used the peeling-ballooning modes model of edge magnetohydrodynamic stability as a working hypothesis to organize the data; several predictions of this theory are consistent with the experimental results. Current ramping results indicate that QH modes operate near the edge current limit set by peeling modes. This operating point explains why QH mode is easier to get at lower plasma currents. Power scans have shown a saturation of edge pressure with increasing power input. This allows QH-mode plasmas to remain stable to edge localized modes (ELMs) to the highest powers used in DIII-D. At present, the mechanism for this saturation is unknown; if the edge harmonic oscillation (EHO) is playing a role here, the physics is not a simple amplitude dependence. The increase in edge stability with plasma triangularity predicted by th...

Progress in quantifying the edge physics of the H mode regime in DIII-D

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 (?pedp)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.

Poloidal magnetic field measurements and analysis with the DIII-D LIBEAM system (invited)

For over thirty years, neutral lithium beams have been employed as a localized, noninvasive diagnostic on a variety of plasma experiments worldwide, providing a number of key physics measurements. On DIII-D the LIBEAM diagnostic has been designed to provide precise measurements of the local poloidal magnetic field in the edge region, a parameter of basic importance to understanding the stability of high performance tokamaks. We utilize the Zeeman splitting and known polarization characteristics of the collisionally excited 670.8 nm Li resonance line to interpret local magnetic field components viewed using a closely packed ({Delta}R {approx} 5 mm) array of 32 viewchords. A dual photoelastic modulator/linear polarizer combination serves to amplitude modulate the light in exact correspondence to its input polarization state. Subsequent narrowband spectral filtering using etalons and standard interference filters is used to isolate one of the three Zeeman components, and the polarization state of that component is recovered using a PC-based, multichannel digital lock-in detection system. Edge magnetic pitch angle profiles for a variety of shots have been reconstructed using a small number of chords and detailed analysis of the lockin and d.c. signal levels. Present system performance appears to be limited by etalon performance as well as various broadening mechanisms in the beam that tend to decrease the polarization fraction in the observed component. A careful analysis of this effect and some strategies for improving the measured polarization will be presented.

H-mode pedestal characteristics, ELMs, and energy confinement in ITER shape discharges on DIII-D

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.

Toroidal rotation in neutral beam heated discharges in DIII-D

It is known that the toroidal angular momentum and the ion thermal energy are correlated in tokamak discharges heated by neutral beam injection. Here, data from ten years of measurements on DIII-D are considered, for representative discharges from all types and all conditions. The ratio of simple replacement times for momentum and energy is found to order this correlation indicating that these times are approximately equal, across the minor radius. Representative discharges of several types are discussed in more detail, as well as transport analysis results for the momentum and thermal ion diffusivities.

Understanding and control of transport in Advanced Tokamak regimes in DIII-D

Transport phenomena are studied in Advanced Tokamak (AT) regimes in the DIII-D tokamak [Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research, 1986 (International Atomics Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159], with the goal of developing understanding and control during each of three phases: Formation of the internal transport barrier (ITB) with counter neutral beam injection taking place when the heating power exceeds a threshold value of about 9 MW, contrasting to co-NBI injection, where Pthreshold<2.5 MW. Expansion of the ITB is enhanced compared to similar co-injected discharges. Both differences are believed to arise from modification of the E×B shear dynamics when the sign of the rotation contribution is reversed. Sustainment of an AT regime with βNH89=9 for 16 confinement times has been accomplished in a discharge combining an ELMing H-mode (edge localized, high confinement mode) edge and an ITB, and exhibiting ion thermal transport down to 2–3 times neoclassical. The microinstabilities usu...

Development of lithium beam emission spectroscopy as an edge fluctuation diagnostic for DIII‐D (invited)

As part of the DIII‐D diagnostic complement designed to address L–H transition physics issues, we have developed and commissioned a diagnostic neutral lithium beam and multichannel fluorescence detection system to investigate the edge plasma density and its associated fluctuations. The use of lithium offers several advantages for tokamak edge beam emission spectroscopy studies, including large excitation cross sections which are relatively insensitive to temperature variation, the availability of the 670.8 nm resonance line well separated from most plasma line emission, and the suitability of modest beam energies and currents to probe even dense H‐mode plasmas. These features permit measurements of collisionally induced fluctuations to be obtained with good spatial (<1 cm) and temporal (<10 μs) resolution. The improvements over previous lithium beam diagnostics which were required to successfully make these measurements in a large, remotely controlled machine environment will be discussed, along with the ...

Physics of confinement improvement of plasmas with impurity injection in DIII-D

External impurity injection into L mode edge discharges in DIII-D has produced clear confinement improvement (a factor of 2 in energy confinement and neutron emission), reduction in all transport channels (particularly ion thermal diffusivity to the neoclassical level), and simultaneous reduction of long wavelength turbulence. Suppression of the long wavelength turbulence and transport reduction are attributed to synergistic effects of impurity induced enhancement of E × B shearing rate and reduction of toroidal drift wave turbulence growth rate. A prompt reduction of density fluctuations and local transport at the beginning of impurity injection appears to result from an increased gradient of toroidal rotation enhancing the E × B shearing. Transport simulations carried out using the National Transport Code Collaboration demonstration code with a gyro-Landau fluid model, GLF23, indicate that E × B shearing suppression is the dominant transport suppression mechanism.