G.R. McKee

Transport by intermittency in the boundary of the DIII-D tokamak

A271 TRANSPORT BY INTERMITTENCY IN THE BOUNDARY OF THE DIII-D TOKAMAK. Intermittent plasma objectives (IPOs) featuring higher pressure than the surrounding plasma, are responsible for {approx} 50% of the E x B{sub T} radial transport in the scrape off layer (SOL) of the DIII-D tokamak in L- and H-mode discharges. Conditional averaging reveals that the IPOs are positively charged and feature internal poloidal electric fields of up to 4000 V/m. The IPOs move radially with E x B{sub T}/B{sup 2} velocities of {approx} 2600 m/s near the last closed flux surface (LCFS), and {approx} 330 m/s near the wall. The IPOs slow down as they shrink in radial size from 4 cm at the LCFS to 0.5 cm near the wall. The skewness (i.e. asymmetry of fluctuations from the average) of probe and beam emission spectroscopy (BES) data indicate IPO formation at or near the LCFS and the existence of positive and negative IPOs which move in opposite directions. The particle content of the IPOs at the LCFS is linearly dependent on the local density and decays over {approx} 3 cm into the SOL while their temperature decays much faster ({approx} 1 cm).

The beam emission spectroscopy diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak

A beam emission spectroscopy system has been installed on DIII-D to provide localized density fluctuation measurements for long-wavelength turbulent modes with k⩽3 cm−1 which are typically associated with anomalous radial transport. High signal-to-noise fluctuations measurements are accomplished through use of high speed electronics to maintain a frequency response of over 500 KHz and cryogenically cooled amplifiers and detectors to reduce electronic noise. The optics and neutral beam-sightline geometry have been optimized to allow for spatial resolution of Δr⩽1 cm. In addition, a half-scale two-dimensional (2D) fiber array to measure the 2D turbulent density field, necessary to measure the full S(kr,kθ) wavenumber spectra, has been implemented and initial results obtained.

A review of experimental drift turbulence studies

Experimental drift turbulence and zonal flow studies in magnetically confined plasma experiments are reviewed. The origins of drift waves, transition to drift turbulence and drift turbulence?zonal flow interactions in open field line and toroidal closed flux surface experiments are discussed and the free energy sources, dissipation mechanisms and nonlinear dynamics of drift turbulence in the core, edge and scrape-off layer plasma regions are examined. Evidence that turbulence across these regions is linked and that turbulence-driven zonal flows exist is presented, and evidence that these flows help regulate the turbulent scale lengths, amplitude and fluxes is summarized. Seemingly contradictory reports exist regarding the scale of turbulent transport events; gyro-Bohm behavior of turbulence correlation lengths as well as evidence for long-range transport phenomena both exist. Changes in turbulence during and after transport barrier formation are summarized and compared. The inferred turbulent particle and heat fluxes due to turbulent transport are usually consistent with global confinement, and edge plasma momentum transport appears to be linked to plasma flows at the last-closed flux surface and in the open field line region. However, inconsistencies between observed transport and turbulence have sometimes been reported and are pointed out here. Special attention is given to open issues, and suggestions for future experimental studies are given.

Fluctuation-driven transport in the DIII-D boundary

Cross-field fluctuation-driven transport is studied in edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak using a fast reciprocating Langmuir probe array allowing local measurements of the fluctuation-driven particle and heat fluxes. Two different non-diffusive mechanisms that can contribute strongly to the cross-field transport in the SOL of high-density discharges are identified and compared. The first of these involves intermittent transport events that are observed at the plasma separatrix and in the SOL. Intermittence has qualitatively similar character in L-mode and ELM-free H-mode. Low-amplitude ELMs observed in high-density H-mode produce in the SOL periods with cross-field transport enhanced to L-mode levels and featuring intermittent events similar to those in L-mode. The intermittent transport events are compatible with the concept of plasma filaments propagating across the SOL due to E×B drifts. The intermittent character of the transport in the SOL is also in agreement with predictions of the non-linear numerical simulations performed with an imposed driving flux. Another type of non-diffusive transport is often seen in high-density H-modes with prolonged ELM-free periods, where the transport near the separatrix is dominated by quasi-coherent modes driving particle and/or heat fluxes exceeding L-mode levels. These modes may play an important role by providing particle and/or heat exhaust between ELMs.

Implementation and application of two synthetic diagnostics for validating simulations of core tokamak turbulence

The deployment of multiple high-resolution, spatially localized fluctuation diagnostics on the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] opens the door to a new level of core turbulence model validation. Toward this end, the implementation of synthetic diagnostics that model physical beam emission spectroscopy and correlation electron cyclotron emission diagnostics is presented. Initial results from their applications to local gyrokinetic simulations of two locations in a DIII-D L-mode discharge performed with the GYRO code [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] are also discussed. At normalized toroidal flux ρ=0.5, we find very good agreement between experiment and simulation in both the energy flows and fluctuation levels measured by both diagnostics. However, at ρ=0.75, GYRO underpredicts the observed energy flows by roughly a factor of 7, with rms fluctuation levels underpredicted by a factor of 3. Interestingly, at both locations we find good agreement in the sha...

Measurements of core electron temperature and density fluctuations in DIII-D and comparison to nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations

For the first time, profiles (0.3<ρ<0.9) of electron temperature and density fluctuations in a tokamak have been measured simultaneously and the results compared to nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations. Electron temperature and density fluctuations measured in neutral beam-heated, sawtooth-free low confinement mode (L-mode) plasmas in DIII-D [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] are found to be similar in frequency and normalized amplitude, with amplitude increasing with radius. The measured radial profile of two fluctuation fields allows for a new and rigorous comparison with gyrokinetic results. Nonlinear gyrokinetic flux-tube simulations predict that electron temperature and density fluctuations have similar normalized amplitudes in L-mode. At ρ=0.5, simulation results match experimental heat diffusivities and density fluctuation amplitude, but overestimate electron temperature fluctuation amplitude and particle diffusivity. In contrast, simulations at ρ=0.75 do not match either the experimentally de...

Edge Localized Mode Control with an Edge Resonant Magnetic Perturbation

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant Nos. DE-FC02-04ER54698, DE-FG02- 04ER54758, DE-FG03-01ER54615, W-7405-ENG-48, DEFG03-96ER54373, DE-FG02-89ER53297, DE-AC05- 00OR22725, and DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Experimental progress on zonal flow physics in toroidal plasmas

The present status of experiments on zonal flows in magnetic confinement experiments is examined. The innovative use of traditional and modern diagnostics has revealed unambiguously the existence of zonal flows, their spatio-temporal characteristics, their relationship to turbulence and their effects on confinement. In particular, a number of observations have been accumulated on the oscillatory branch of zonal flows, named geodesic acoustic modes, suggesting the necessity for theories to give their proper description. In addition to these basic properties of zonal flows, several new methods have elucidated the processes of zonal flow generation from turbulence. Further investigation of the relationship between zonal flows and confinement is strongly encouraged as cross-device activity including low temperature, toroidal and linear devices.

L-mode validation studies of gyrokinetic turbulence simulations via multiscale and multifield turbulence measurements on the DIII-D tokamak

A series of carefully designed experiments on DIII-D have taken advantage of a broad set of turbulence and profile diagnostics to rigorously test gyrokinetic turbulence simulations. In this paper the goals, tools and experiments performed in these validation studies are reviewed and specific examples presented. It is found that predictions of transport and fluctuation levels in the mid-core region (0.4 < ρ < 0.75) are in better agreement with experiment than those in the outer region (ρ ≥ 0.75) where edge coupling effects may become increasingly important and multiscale simulations may also be necessary. Validation studies such as these are crucial in developing confidence in a first-principles based predictive capability for ITER.

Far SOL transport and main wall plasma interaction in DIII-D

Far Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) and near-wall plasma parameters in DIII-D depend strongly on the discharge parameters and confinement regime. In L-mode discharges cross-field transport increases with the average discharge density and flattens far SOL profiles, thus increasing plasma contact with the low field side (LFS) main chamber wall. In H-mode between edge localized modes (ELMs) the plasma?wall contact is weaker than in L-mode. During ELM fluxes of particles and heat to the LFS wall increase transiently above the L-mode values. Depending on the discharge conditions, ELMs are responsible for 30?90% of the net ion flux to the outboard chamber wall. ELMs in high density discharges feature intermittent transport events similar to those observed in L-mode and attributed to blobs of dense hot plasma formed inside the separatrix and propagating radially outwards. Though the blobs decay with radius, some of them survive long enough to reach the outer wall and possibly cause sputtering. In lower density H-modes, ELMs can feature blobs of pedestal density propagating all the way to the outer wall.