J-Text Team

Effect of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbations on resistive tearing modes

Static resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) generated by saddle coil current have been applied in J-TEXT tokamak experiments in order to study their effects on tearing mode instabilities. With increasing RMP amplitude in time during the discharge, the mode stabilization is first observed, but a large locked mode follows if the RMP amplitude is increased to a very large value, indicating that the RMP amplitude is important in determining the plasma response and the tearing mode behaviour. By careful adjustment of the RMP amplitude, the (partial) stabilization of the m/n?=?2/1 tearing mode by RMPs of moderate amplitude has been achieved without causing mode locking (m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers). To compare with experimental results, nonlinear numerical modelling based on reduced MHD equations has been carried out. With experimental parameters as input, both the mode locking and mode stabilization by RMPs are also obtained from numerical modelling. Further calculations have been carried out to study the plasma parameters affecting the mode stabilization by RMPs, including the plasma rotation frequency, viscosity, Alfv?n velocity and the RMP amplitude. It is found that the suppression of the tearing mode by RMPs of moderate amplitude is possible for a sufficiently high ratio of plasma rotation velocity to the Alfv?n speed. A larger plasma viscosity enhances the mode stabilization.

Reconstruction of the TEXT-U Tokamak in China

The joint TEXT (J-TEXT) tokamak, formerly TEXT/TEXT-U tokamak, operated by the University of Texas at Austin in USA, has been re-built up in Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. The machine has been run for two experimental campaigns since 2007. Discharges with plasma current beyond 200 kA and duration of 300 ms have been obtained. At present all sub-systems, such as poloidal field (PF) and toroidal field (TF) power supplies, vacuum system, diagnostics systems etc, are successfully integrated into the routine operation. The plasma position can be elaborately controlled within two centimeters. The operational scenario of J-TEXT are typical of the machine and easily understandable compared to the former TEXT/TEXT-U results.

The influence of electrode biasing on plasma confinement in the J-TEXT tokamak

The influence of both positive and negative bias on global and plasma-edge parameters has been comparatively studied with a newly designed electrode biasing system in the J-TEXT tokamak. Compared to the 0 V bias case, the global particle confinement of plasma is enhanced under bias with both polarities, with the increments of the central line-averaged density and the soft x-ray emission, as well as the reduction of the edge Hα radiation level. The suppression of plasma-edge fluctuations and turbulent particle transport are obviously observed under bias, in different degrees with different polarities. The potential fluctuation amplitude is observed to be increased at the vicinity of the limiter under positive bias, with the existence of a peaked low-frequency mode characterized as high coherence and near-zero cross-phase poloidally in the edge region, which is not found in the negative bias case. The poloidal correlation length of turbulence is greatly enhanced under bias with both polarities; it shows a positive correlation with the amplitude of the poloidal phase velocity, which is mainly driven by the local Jr × B torque at the plasma edge under bias. The characteristic parameters of intermittent events (i.e. blobs), including amplitude, radial velocity, related particle flux and radial size, decreased dramatically under bias in the edge region.

Enhanced particle transport caused by resonant magnetic perturbations in the J-TEXT tokamak

The effect of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on particle transport is studied in the J-TEXT tokamak. It is found that for the discharges with an existing saturated 2/1 resistive tearing mode (TM), applied RMPs of moderate amplitude lead to a decrease in electron density with a relative amplitude ranging from −3% to −10% in the plasma core, and the mode stabilization and electron temperature increase are observed simultaneously in this case. Sufficiently large amplitude of RMPs, however, leads to locked modes and much larger decrease in the electron density as well as in the electron temperature, with . For the discharges without 2/1 TMs, applied RMPs cause a relative density decrease (−30%) before (after) field penetration. Using the two-fluid equations and experimental parameters as input, the nonlinear numerical results approximately agree with experimental observations.

Experimental Studies of Electrostatic Fluctuations and Turbulent Transport in the Boundary of J-TEXT Tokamak Using Reciprocating Probe

As the basic of a deeper investigation on the turbulent transport, the fluctuation property in the boundary of the newly-reconstructed Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT) is studied experimentally using the reciprocating Langmuir four-tip probe, which has been built and operated as the primary diagnostic tool in the boundary of J-TEXT tokamak. In this paper, spatial profiles of the plasma-edge parameters are obtained, such as electron temperature, plasma density, plasma potential, poloidal electric field and their fluctuations. The results indicate the existence of a Er×BT shear layer at the vicinity of last closed flux surface (LCFS), with the fluctuations suppressed in varying degrees. The turbulence-induced particle and energy fluxes can be calculated by the local plasma parameters above. Convection dominates the cross-field turbulent transport in boundary plasma. Electrostatic fluctuations properties are also studied in detail with the help of numerical analysis. Statistical analysis on density fluctuation shows that, the intermittency can affect the turbulence in the scrape-off layer (SOL).

Plasma response to m/n = 3/1 resonant magnetic perturbation at J-TEXT Tokamak

The influence of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) with a large m/n = 3/1 component on electron density has been studied at J-TEXT tokamak by using externally applied static and rotating RMPs, where m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode number, respectively. The detailed time evolution of electron density profile, measured by the polarimeter–interferometer, shows that the electron density n e first increases (decreases) inside (around/outside) of the 3/1 rational surface (RS), and it is increased globally later together with enhanced edge recycling. Associated with field penetration, the toroidal rotation around the 3/1 RS is accelerated in the co-I p direction and the poloidal rotation is changed from the electron to ion diamagnetic drift direction. Spontaneous unlocking-penetration circles occur after field penetration if the RMPs amplitude is not strong enough. For sufficiently strong RMPs, the 2/1 locked mode is also triggered due to mode coupling, and the global density is increased. The field penetration threshold is found to be linearly proportional to n eL (line-integrated density) at the 3/1 RS but to (n eL)0.73 for n e at the plasma core. In addition, for rotating RMPs with a large 3/1 component, field penetration causes a global increase in electron density.

Enhancement of runaway production by resonant magnetic perturbation on J-TEXT

The suppression of runaways following disruptions is key for the safe operation of ITER. The massive gas injection (MGI) has been developed to mitigate heat loads, electromagnetic forces and runaway electrons (REs) during disruptions. However, MGI may not completely prevent the generation of REs during disruptions on ITER. Resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) has been applied to suppress runaway generation during disruptions on several machines. It was found that strong RMP results in the enhancement of runaway production instead of runaway suppression on J-TEXT. The runaway current was about 50% pre-disruption plasma current in argon induced reference disruptions. With moderate RMP, the runway current decreased to below 30% pre-disruption plasma current. The runaway current plateaus reach 80% of the pre-disruptive current when strong RMP was applied. Strong RMP may induce large size magnetic islands that could confine more runaway seed during disruptions. This has important implications for runaway suppression on large machines.

Influence of rotating resonant magnetic perturbations on particle confinement

The effect of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on particle confinement is studied in J-TEXT tokamak by using externally applied rotating RMPs. It is found that RMPs cause improved (degraded) particle confinement when its frequency is higher (lower) than the natural m/n = 2/1 tearing mode frequency, and the amount of change in electron density is proportional to the difference between these two frequencies, where m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode number, respectively. These results reveal the important role of the relative rotation between RMPs and the electron fluid in affecting the particle confinement. The experimental results are compared to numerical ones based on nonlinear two-fluid equations, and quantitative agreement is found.

Co-current toroidal rotation-driven and turbulent stresses with resonant magnetic perturbations in the edge plasmas of the J-TEXT tokamak

Author(s): Zhao, KJ; Shi, Y; Liu, H; Diamond, PH; Li, FM; Cheng, J; Chen, ZP; Nie, L; Ding, YH; Wu, YF; Chen, ZY; Rao, B; Cheng, ZF; Gao, L; Zhang, XQ; Yang, ZJ; Wang, NC; Wang, L; Jin, W; Xu, JQ; Yan, LW; Dong, JQ; Zhuang, G | Abstract: