N. Bretz

Multichannel Thomson scattering apparatus.

A Thomson scattering apparatus for measuring the electron temperature and density along a 90-cm diam of the PLT plasma has been built. A wide angle objective images the 3-mm x 900-mm ruby laser beam onto an image dissector which rearranges the 300:1 image to 20:1 forming the input slit of a spectrometer. The stigmatic spectrometer provides twenty wavelength elements of ~70 A each. A microchannel-plate image intensifier optically coupled to a cooled SIT tube provides detection with single frame linearity and 1000:1 dynamic range. Spatial profiles of N(e) and T(e) in the 10(13)-10(14)-cm(-3) range and 0.05-3 keV have an accuracy of 30 [10(13)/N(e) (cm(-3))]((1/2))% per 1.2-cm element.

High poloidal beta equilibria in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor limited by a natural inboard poloidal field null

Recent operation of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [Plasma Phys. Controlled Nucl. Fusion Research 1, 51 (1986)] has produced plasma equilibria with values of Λ≡βp eq+li/2 as large as 7, eβp dia≡2μ0e〈p⊥〉/〈〈Bp〉〉2 as large as 1.6, and Troyon normalized diamagnetic beta [Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 26, 209 (1984); Phys. Lett. 110A, 29 (1985)], βNdia≡108〈βt⊥〉aB0/Ip as large as 4.7. When eβp dia≳1.25, a separatrix entered the vacuum chamber, producing a naturally diverted discharge that was sustained for many energy confinement times, τE. The largest values of eβp and plasma stored energy were obtained when the plasma current was ramped down prior to neutral beam injection. The measured peak ion and electron temperatures were as large as 24 and 8.5 keV, respectively. Plasma stored energy in excess of 2.5 MJ and τE greater than 130 msec were obtained. Confinement times of greater than 3 times that expected from L‐mode predictions have been achieved. The fusion power gain QDD reached a value of 1.3×10−...

Plasma-material interactions in TFTR

This paper presents a summary of plasma-material interactions which influence the operation of TFTR with high current (≤ 2.2 MA) ohmically heated, and high-power (∼ 10 MW) neutral-beam heated plasmas. The conditioning procedures which are applied routinely to the first-wall hardware are reviewed. Fueling characteristics during gas, pellet, and neutral-beam fueling are described. Recycling coefficients near unity are observed for most gas fueled discharges. Gas fueled discharges after helium discharge conditioning of the toroidal bumper limiter, and discharges fueled by neutral beams and pellets, show R<1. In the vicinity of the gas fueled density limit (at ne = 5–6 × 1019 m−3) values of Zeff are ≦1.5. Increases in Zeff of ≦1 have been observed with neutral beam heating of 10 MW. The primary low Z impurity is carbon with concentrations decreasing from ∼10% to <1% with increasing ne. Oxygen densities tend to increase with ne, and at the ohmic plasma density limit oxygen and carbon concentrations are comparable. Chromium getter experiments and He2+/D+ plasma comparisons indicate that the limiter is the primary source of carbon and that the vessel wall is a significant source of the oxygen impurity. Metallic impurities, consisting of the vacuum vessel metals (Ni, Fe, Cr) have significant (∼10−4 ne) concentrations only at low plasma densities (ne <1019 m−3). The primary source of metallic impurities is most likely ion sputtering from metals deposited on the carbon limiter surface.

Overview of TFTR transport studies

A review of TFTR plasma transport studies is presented. Parallel transport and the confinement of suprathermal ions are found to be relatively well described by theory. Cross-field transport of the thermal plasma, however, is anomalous with the momentum diffusivity being comparable to the ion thermal diffusivity and larger than the electron thermal diffusivity in neutral beam heated discharges. Perturbative experiments have studied nonlinear dependencies in the transport coefficients and examined the role of possible nonlocal phenomena. The underlying turbulence has been studied using microwave scattering, beam emission spectroscopy and microwave reflectometry over a much broader range in k perpendicular to than previously possible. Results indicate the existence of large-wavelength fluctuations correlated with enhanced transport.

Correlations of heat and momentum transport in the TFTR tokamak

Measurements of the toroidal rotation speed vφ(r) driven by neutral beam injection in tokamak plasmas and, in particular, simultaneous profile measurements of vφ, Ti, Te, and ne, have provided new insights into the nature of anomalous transport in tokamaks. Low‐recycling plasmas heated with unidirectional neutral beam injection exhibit a strong correlation among the local diffusivities, χφ≊χi>χe. Recent measurements have confirmed similar behavior in broad‐density L‐mode plasmas. These results are consistent with the conjecture that electrostatic turbulence is the dominant transport mechanism in the tokamak fusion test reactor tokamak (TFTR) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1004 (1987)], and are inconsistent with predictions both from test‐particle models of strong magnetic turbulence and from ripple transport. Toroidal rotation speed measurements in peaked‐density TFTR ‘‘supershots’’ with partially unbalanced beam injection indicate that momentum transport decreases as the density profile becomes more peaked. In hi...

Initial limiter and getter operation in TFTR

Abstract During the recent ohmic heating experiments on TFTR, the movable limiter array, preliminary inner bumper limiter, and prototype ZrAl alloy bulk getter surface pumping system were brought into operation. This paper summarizes the operational experience and plasma characteristics obtained with these components. The near-term upgrades of these systems are also discussed.

Electron cyclotron emission diagnostics on the large helical device

The electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic system is installed on the large helical device (LHD). The system includes the following instruments: a heterodyne radiometer, a Michelson spectrometer, and a grating polychromator. A 63.5 mm corrugated waveguide system is fully utilized. Large collection optics and notch filters at the frequency of the LHD electron cyclotron heating (ECH) were developed for this system. In addition to these filters, the rectangular waveguide notch filters, the ECE measurement with the radiometer has been successfully performed during the ECH.

Multichannel Thomson scattering systems with high spatial resolution (invited)

Thomson scattering systems capable of providing snapshot profiles of electron temperature and density with high spatial resolution (>50 points) have become routine diagnostics on the Princeton large torus (PLT), Princeton divertor experiment (PDX), and tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR) tokamaks. The design parameters of these systems are compared. Particular attention is given to describing those new components and techniques which have contributed most to improved data quality and reliability in the ten‐year evolution of these systems. Examples of recent TFTR Te(R) and ne(R) profiles are presented.

SHORT WAVELENGTH FLUCTUATIONS AND ELECTRON HEAT CONDUCTIVITY IN ENHANCED REVERSED SHEAR PLASMAS

Abstract Short wavelength fluctuations with k ∼ ω pe c and kϱ i ∼ 5 are detected by microwave scattering in TFTR plasmas with reversed magnetic shear. They propagate in the ion diamagnetic drift direction with a frequency below the ion diamagnetic drift frequency in the frame of reference where E r = 0. The variation of the fluctuation amplitude in the plasma core correlates with the variation of the local electron heat conductivity, suggesting that these fluctuations may be the cause of anomalous electron heat transport in these plasmas.

Status and plans for TFTR

AbstractRecent research on TFTR has emphasized optimization of performance in deuterium plasmas, transport studies and studies of energetic ion and fusion product physics in preparation for the D-T experiments that will commence in July of 1993. TFTR has achieved full hardware design parameters, and the best TFTR discharges in deuterium are projected to QDT of 0.3 to 0.5.The physics phenomena that will be studied during the D-T phase will include: tritium particle confinement and fueling, ICRF heating with tritium, species scaling with tritium, collective alpha-particle instabilities, alpha heating of the plasma and helium ash buildup. It is important for the fusion program that these physics issues be addressed to identify regimes of benign alpha behavior, and to develop techniques to actively stabilize or control instabilities driver by collective alpha effects.