M. M. Dremin

Electron cyclotron current drive experiments on T-10

The results of electron current drive experiments on the T-10 tokamak are presented. The total RF power was up to 2.5 MW, the electron temperature was up to 7 keV and the maximum driven current was 110 kA. The current drive efficiency ηCD was approximately 0.1 A/W. The value of ηCD and its dependence on the plasma parameters agree satisfactorily with the linear theory, corrected for the finite confinement time of resonant electrons. In discharges with large beta poloidal, βp ≈ 3, complete replacement of the inductive current by noninductive electron cyclotron current drive and bootstrap current was obtained

Recent results of the T-10 tokamak

Poloidal asymmetry and radial correlation lengths of turbulence were investigated in T-10 at low field side and high field side by correlation reflectometry. Correlation of plasma confinement with the turbulence type was observed. Improvements in heavy ion beam probe diagnostic enabled us to measure the plasma potential during electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) in a wide range of radial positions and operational regimes. The turbulence appeared to rotate close to E × B velocity. The concept of electron internal transport barrier (e-ITB) formation at low-order rational surfaces under conditions of low density of the rational surfaces was proved by the observation of e-ITB formation near the q = 1.5 surface in discharges with non-central ECRH and current ramp-up. The kinetic phenomena were investigated by means of electron cyclotron emission (ECE) under the strong on-axis ECRH. Lithium gettering of the limiter and the wall allowed us to significantly reduce the impurity level and obtain a recycling coefficient as low as 0.3. The rates of carbon film deposition were measured in the working and cleaning discharges. Second harmonic EC assisted start-up was investigated. ECRH allowed us to control the generation of runaway electrons and the current decay rate after the energy quench at the density limit disruption. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

MHD activity and formation of the electron internal transport barrier in the T-10 tokamak

The plasma stability and confinement have been investigated through control of the safety factor profile q(r) by the electron cyclotron current drive in the T-10 tokamak. The regimes with dq/dr0 and dq/dr<0 in the plasma core were obtained. Various types of MHD activity were observed: ordinary sawtooth, saturated sawtooth, humpbacks, hills etc. It was shown that when the minimal value qmin increases from qmin <1 to qmin = 2 the plasma becomes strongly unstable due to the corresponding MHD activity or passes to the steady-state improved confinement mode. The latter is realized when the electron internal transport barrier (EITB) is formed. The condition for the appearance of the EITB is dq/dr0, where q = m/n lies near a rational value for low m and n.

Second harmonic electron cyclotron current drive experiments on T-10

Results of the electron cyclotron current drive experiment at the second harmonic resonance on the T-10 tokamak are presented. High frequency (HF) power up to 1.2 MW was launched from the low field side. A maximum driven current of 35 kA and current drive efficiency ηCD = 0.05 A/W at an electron temperature Tc(O) = 4 keV and a density nc(0) = 1 × 1013 cm-3 were obtained. For low HF power, the current drive efficiency was less than predicted by the linear theory unless the effect of the elliptical polarization from non-perpendicular injection is considered, in which case the efficiency is close to the theoretical value. The experimental dependence of HF on the absorbed HF power indicated a strong increase of ηCD with power. Suppression of sawtooth oscillations and improvement of confinement during electron cyclotron heating has also been demonstrated

Power deposition profile effect on the ECH efficiency in T-10

The results of the electron cyclotron heating (ECH) experiments in T-10 are presented. An 11-tube gyrotron set-up with a total power of 4 MW was used in the experiments. The set-up consists of two types of gyrotrons with different wavelengths. The dependence of the energy confinement on the RF power deposition profile was investigated. An electron temperature of reactor level was obtained.

STUDY OF TWO TYPES OF T-10 REGIMES WITH ECRH AND OHMIC HEATING

The study of two types of T-10 regime-a regime with low impurity confinement (S regime) and a regime with enhanced impurity confinement (B regime) has been continued in deuterium discharges with ne approximately necrit. In the present experiments the transitions from S to B regimes is obtained by the method of gas puff cut-off. Detailed investigations of the profile evolution of Te(r), Ti(r), ne(r) and carbon density nc showed, that the ne(r) profile greatly changes after gas puff cut-off, while Te(r) and Ti(r) remain practically unchanged at the central zone of the plasma. This indicates the possibility of a relation between the limiting ne(r) which is established and either Te(r) or Ti(r). It is shown, that the main cause which is responsible for this transition between B and S regime, is a variation of the neutral atom influx to the plasma. The transition itself takes place at a given plasma radius when ne reaches some limiting value at this radius.

Formation of electron transport barriers under ECR control of the q(r) profile in the T-10 tokamak

Abstract-the formation of transport barriers under electron cyclotron resonance heating and current drive in the t-10 tokamak is studied. in regimes with off-axis co-eccd and qL<4 at the limiter, a spontaneous transition to improved confinement accompanied by the formation of two electron transport barriers is observed. the improvement resembles an L-H transition. It manifests itself as density growth, a decrease in the Dα emission intensity, and an increase in the central electron and ion temperatures. Two deep wells on the potential profile (the first one at r/aL≈0.6, where aL is the limiter radius, and the second one near the edge) arise during the transition. the internal barrier is formed when dq/dr∼0 with q≈1 in the barrier region.

Peculiarities of electrode biasing experiments on the T-10 tokamak in regimes with Ohmic and ECR heating

Two types of electrode biasing H-mode were observed on the T-10 tokamak in regimes with electron–cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH). These types differ mainly by the dynamics of the electron temperature. Both types are characterized by a strong (130 V cm−1) radial electric field formation, a decrease of Dα emission intensity, a rise of line-average plasma density and an increase in energy confinement time. However, distinguishing features of the type II H-mode are a time delay of 70–80 ms in the electron temperature growth, a slower increase of the plasma density, and a weak drop of Dα intensity. The differences between the two types of biased H-mode are likely to be connected with the conditioning of the vacuum chamber.

Internal transport barrier formation in experiments with reverse magnetic shear in T-10 tokamak

T-10 experiments with electron internal transport barrier (ITB) formation in discharges with reverse shear q(r) profile are described. Reverse magnetic shear was formed in the central region characterized by r/aL ≤ 0.3. It is shown that electron thermal conductivity decreases essentially in comparison with the value typical for the L-mode. It is found that degradation of the ITB correlates with development of MHD activity in the internal part of the plasma column.

Investigation of the second harmonic electron cyclotron current drive efficiency on the T‐10 tokamak*

Experiments on second harmonic electron cyclotron current drive were done on the T‐10 tokamak using four gyrotrons. Total powers up to 1.2 MW at a frequency of 140 GHz were injected. Current generation by electron cyclotron (EC) waves was demonstrated in the experiments. The efficiency η of current generation and its dependence on plasma parameters were measured and it was shown that the efficiency is a nonlinear function of input power, more closely predicted by Fokker–Planck calculations than by linear theory. The interaction of EC waves with the tail of the electron distribution was shown to be important. It was also found that current density profile redistribution played an important role in the plasma behavior.