M. Aftanas

Status of the COMPASS tokamak and characterization of the first H-mode

This paper summarizes the status of the COMPASS tokamak, its comprehensive diagnostic equipment and plasma scenarios as a baseline for the future studies. The former COMPASS-D tokamak was in operation at UKAEA Culham, UK in 1992–2002. Later, the device was transferred to the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IPP AS CR), where it was installed during 2006–2011. Since 2012 the device has been in a full operation with Type-I and Type-III ELMy H-modes as a base scenario. This enables together with the ITER-like plasma shape and flexible NBI heating system (two injectors enabling co- or balanced injection) to perform ITER relevant studies in different parameter range to the other tokamaks (ASDEX-Upgrade, DIII-D, JET) and to contribute to the ITER scallings. In addition to the description of the device, current status and the main diagnostic equipment, the paper focuses on the characterization of the Ohmic as well as NBI-assisted H-modes. Moreover, Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) are categorized based on their frequency dependence on power density flowing across separatrix. The filamentary structure of ELMs is studied and the parallel heat flux in individual filaments is measured by probes on the outer mid-plane and in the divertor. The measurements are supported by observation of ELM and inter-ELM filaments by an ultra-fast camera.

Profile measurements of the electron temperature on the ASDEX Upgrade, COMPASS, and ISTTOK tokamak using Thomson scattering, triple, and ball-pen probes

The ball-pen probe (BPP) technique is used successfully to make profile measurements of the electron temperature on the ASDEX Upgrade (Axially Symmetric Divertor Experiment), COMPASS (COMPact ASSembly), and ISTTOK (Instituto Superior Tecnico TOKamak) tokamak. The electron temperature is provided by a combination of the BPP potential (ΦBPP) and the floating potential (Vfl) of the Langmuir probe (LP), which is compared with the Thomson scattering diagnostic on ASDEX Upgrade and COMPASS. Excellent agreement between the two diagnostics is obtained for circular and diverted plasmas and different heating mechanisms (Ohmic, NBI, ECRH) in deuterium discharges with the same formula Te = (ΦBPP - Vfl)/2.2. The comparative measurements of the electron temperature using BPP/LP and triple probe (TP) techniques on the ISTTOK tokamak show good agreement of averaged values only inside the separatrix. It was also found that the TP provides the electron temperature with significantly higher standard deviation than BPP/LP. However, the resulting values of both techniques are well in the phase with the maximum of cross-correlation function being 0.8.

Progresses in development of the ITER edge Thomson scattering system

This paper includes discussions of spatial resolution and accuracy of the edge Thomson scattering system in ITER (ITER ETS). In the present design, the dominant factor for spatial resolution degradation relative to the scattering length is aberrations of the collection optics. A scattering length of approximately 4 mm is acceptable to obtain a spatial resolution of 5 mm. Statistical errors were evaluated according to measurement accuracy. Since the background light during ITER plasma discharge is much stronger than the Thomson scattering, the laser pulse duration is one of the most crucial specifications to obtain accurate measurements. The impact of fast sampling relative to current integration was also investigated. It is expected that the measurement accuracy improves when the waveform of the scattered light is sampled directly particularly for low density measurement.

High-resolution Thomson scattering system on the COMPASS tokamak: evaluation of plasma parameters and error analysis.

The electron density and temperature profiles measured by the Thomson scattering diagnostic on the COMPASS tokamak are used for estimation of electron kinetic energy, energy confinement time, and effective charge number Z(eff). Data are compared with the line-integrated electron density measured by a microwave interferometer in an ohmically heated plasma with a circular cross section. An error analysis of both electron temperature and density are performed by two methods-a constant chi-square boundaries method and a Monte Carlo simulation, determining asymmetrical error bars for the electron temperature.

Edge Thomson scattering diagnostic on COMPASS tokamak: installation, calibration, operation, improvements.

The core Thomson scattering diagnostic (TS) on the COMPASS tokamak was put in operation and reported earlier. Implementation of edge TS, with spatial resolution along the laser beam up to ∼1/100 of the tokamak minor radius, is presented now. The procedure for spatial calibration and alignment of both core and edge systems is described. Several further upgrades of the TS system, like a triggering unit and piezo motor driven vacuum window shutter, are introduced as well. The edge TS system, together with the core TS, is now in routine operation and provides electron temperature and density profiles.

Thomson scattering on COMPASS — commissioning and first data

High-resolution edge and core Thomson scattering systems have been designed with the main aim to investigate electron density and temperature profiles on the COMPASS tokamak (R = 0.56 m, a = 0.18 m, BTmax = 2.1 T). The spatial resolution is optimized namely for the pedestal studies (radial spatial resolution ~ a/100). Currently, the core Thomson scattering system is commissioned, calibrated and tested in tokamak discharges. This contribution describes particular steps of optical alignment and calibrations. Moreover, we show control tools developed for electronic settings, calibrating procedures and laser beam position measurement. Both the calibration data, i.e. Raman scattering obtained in the N2 at pressures up to 200 mbar, and the first Thomson scattering data measured by the system in the H discharges are presented.

Measurements and modelling of plasma response field to RMP on the COMPASS tokamak

It has been shown on several tokamaks that application of a resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) field to the plasma can lead to suppression or mitigation of edge-localized mode (ELM) instabilities. Due to the rotation of the plasma in the RMP field reference system, currents are induced on resonant surfaces within the plasma, consequently screening the original perturbation. In this work, the extensive set of 104 saddle loops installed on the COMPASS tokamak is utilized to measure the plasma response field for two n = 2 RMP configurations of different poloidal mode m spectra. It is shown that spatially the response field is in opposite phase to the original perturbation, and that the poloidal profile of the measured response field does not depend on the poloidal profile of the applied RMP. Simulations of the plasma response by the linear MHD code MARS-F (Liu et al 2000 Phys. Plasmas 7 3681) reveal that both of the studied RMP configurations are well screened by the plasma. Comparison of measured plasma response field with the simulated one shows a good agreement across the majority of poloidal angles, with the exception of the midplane low-field side area, where discrepancy is seen.

First results from EBW emission diagnostics on COMPASS.

COMPASS tokamak shots at low magnetic field feature overdense plasmas during the extended current flat-top phase. The first harmonic of the electron cyclotron emission is completely cutoff for O and X modes and so the emission caused by electron Bernstein waves (EBWs) propagating obliquely with respect to the magnetic field and undergoing so called EBW-X-O conversion process can be observed. We perform an angular scan of the EBW emission during a set of comparable shots in order to determine the optimum antenna direction. A weak dependence of the radiative temperature on the antenna angles indicates an influence of multiple reflections from the vessel wall. The low temperature at the mode conversion region is responsible for the collisional damping of EBW, which can explain several times lower measured radiative temperature than the electron temperature measured by the Thomson scattering system.

Fitting of the Thomson scattering density and temperature profiles on the COMPASS tokamak

A new technique for fitting the full radial profiles of electron density and temperature obtained by the Thomson scattering diagnostic in H-mode discharges on the COMPASS tokamak is described. The technique combines the conventionally used modified hyperbolic tangent function for the edge transport barrier (pedestal) fitting and a modification of a Gaussian function for fitting the core plasma. Low number of parameters of this combined function and their straightforward interpretability and controllability provide a robust method for obtaining physically reasonable profile fits. Deconvolution with the diagnostic instrument function is applied on the profile fit, taking into account the dependence on the actual magnetic configuration.

Scaling Thomson scattering to big machines

Thomson scattering is a widely used diagnostic tool for local measurement of both electron temperature and electron density. It is used for both low and high temperature plasmas and it is a key diagnostic on all fusion devices. The extremely low cross-section of the reaction increases the complexity of the design. Since the early days of fusion, when a simple single point measurement was used, the design moved to a multi-point system with a large number of spatial points, LIDAR system or high repetition Thomson scattering diagnostic which are used nowadays. The initial low electron temperature approximation has been replaced by the full relativistic approach necessary for large devices as well as for ITER with expected higher plasma temperature. Along the way, the different development needs and the issues that exist need to be addressed to ensure that the technique is developed sufficiently to handle challenges of the bigger devices of the future as well as current developments needed for ITER. For large devices, the achievement of the necessary temperature range represents an important task. Both high and low temperatures can be measured, however, a large dynamic range makes the design difficult as size of detector and dynamic range are linked together. Therefore, the requirements of the new devices are extending the boundaries of these parameters. Namely, ITER presents challenges as access is also difficult but big efforts have been made to cope with this. This contribution contains a broad review of Thomson scattering diagnostics used in current devices together with comments on recent progress and speculation regarding future developments needed for future large scale devices.