O. Zimmermann

Tearing mode stabilization by electron cyclotron resonance heating demonstrated in the TEXTOR tokamak and the implication for ITER

Controlled experiments on the suppression of the m/n = 2/1 tearing mode with electron cyclotron heating and current drive in TEXTOR are reported. The mode was produced reproducibly by an externally applied rotating perturbation field, allowing a systematic study of its suppression. Heating inside the island of the mode is shown to be the dominant suppression mechanism in these experiments. An extrapolation of these findings to ITER indicates that the projected system for suppression of the tearing mode could be significantly more effective than present estimates indicate, which only consider the effect of the current drive but not of the heating inside the island.

Active control of type-I edge localized modes on JET

The operational domain for active control of type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) with an n = 1 external magnetic perturbation field induced by the ex-vessel error field correction coils on JET has been developed towards more ITER-relevant regimes with high plasma triangularity, up to 0.45, high normalized beta, up to 3.0, plasma current up to 2.0 MA and q95 varied between 3.0 and 4.8. The results of ELM mitigation in high triangularity plasmas show that the frequency of type-I ELMs increased by a factor of 4 during the application of the n = 1 fields, while the energy loss per ELM, ΔW/W, decreased from 6% to below the noise level of the diamagnetic measurement (<2%). No reduction of confinement quality (H98Y) during the ELM mitigation phase has been observed. The minimum n = 1 perturbation field amplitude above which the ELMs were mitigated increased with a lower q95 but always remained below the n = 1 locked mode threshold. The first results of ELM mitigation with n = 2 magnetic perturbations on JET demonstrate that the frequency of ELMs increased from 10 to 35 Hz and a wide operational window of q95 from 4.5 to 3.1 has been found.

Influence of the dynamic ergodic divertor on transport properties in TEXTOR

Experiments to investigate transport properties under the influence of the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) on TEXTOR are discussed. Relativistic runaway electrons are applied for studying transport properties of ergodization such as enhanced runaway loss. The ergodization causes an enhanced loss rate; this loss is higher for low relativistic electrons than for highly relativistic ones, in good agreement with particle orbit mapping. Edge transport can be controlled by the DED perturbation: in limiter H-mode plasmas ELM-like particle and heat bursts associated with the formation of enhanced edge pressure gradients are mitigated in the 6/2 configuration on the expense of a reduced pedestal height. Finally, the plasma is driven back to L-mode under the influence of the magnetic perturbation. In the 3/1 configuration the onset of tearing modes limits the possibility to affect edge transport. A mode of spontaneous density built-up has been found for the TEXTOR-DED as well. This mode is in particular strong for an inward shifted plasma; the built-up has a resonant character with respect to q(a). Langmuir probe measurements with two probe arrays show a strong influence of the magnetic ergodization on both the edge plasma equilibrium and fluctuation parameters. In particular, in the ergodic zone the turbulence properties and turbulence-driven flux are profoundly modified.

Dependence of the threshold for perturbation field generated m/n = 2/1 tearing modes on the plasma fluid rotation

The dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) on the TEXTOR tokamak allows for the creation of static and rotating helical magnetic perturbation fields. In the 3/1 configuration the strong m/n = 2/1 sideband excites a locked 2/1 tearing mode above a critical perturbation field strength. The mode onset threshold depends strongly on the plasma fluid rotation with respect to the mode. Rotation in plasma current direction destabilizes the mode in a certain range of rotation frequencies, whereas counter-rotation has a stabilizing influence. The threshold shows a minimum when the frequency of the external perturbation equals the MHD frequency of the mode.

Transport and divertor properties of the dynamic ergodic divertor

The concept of the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) is based on plasma edge ergodization by a resonant perturbation. Such a divertor concept is closely related to helical or island divertors in stellerators. The base mode of the DED perturbation field can be m/n = 12/4, 6/2 or 3/1. The 3/1 base mode with its deep penetration of the perturbation field provides the excitation of tearing modes. This topic was presented elsewhere. In this contribution we concentrate on the divertor properties of the DED. We report on the characterization of the topology, transport properties in ergodic fields, impurity transport and density limit behaviour.The 12/4 base where the perturbation is restricted to the plasma edge is suitable for divertor operation. With increasing perturbation field island chains are built up at the resonance layers. Overlapping islands lead to ergodization. The plasma is guided in the laminar region via open field lines of short connection length to the divertor target. The magnetic topology is not only controlled by the coil current but especially by the edge safety factor. For appropriate edge safety factor we observe a strong temperature drop in the plasma edge, indicating an expansion of the laminar region, which is necessary to decouple the divertor plasma from the core plasma. The modifications of the magnetic topology can be directly seen, for example, from carbon emission lines. The magnetic structure is calculated by the ATLAS code and shows good agreement with the experimental findings.

The dynamic ergodic divertor in the TEXTOR tokamak: plasma response to dynamic helical magnetic field perturbations

Recently, the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) of TEXTOR has been studied in an m/n = 3/1 set-up which is characterized by a relatively deep penetration of the perturbation field. The perturbation field creates (a) a helical divertor, (b) an ergodic pattern and/or (c) excitation of tearing modes, depending on whether the DED current is static, rotating in the co-current direction or in the counter-current direction. Characteristic divertor properties such as the high recycling regime or enhanced shielding have been studied. A strong effect of the ergodization is spin up of the plasma rotation, possibly due to the electric field at the plasma edge. Tearing modes are excited in a rather reproducible way and their excitation threshold value, their motion and their reduction due to the ECRH/ECCD have been studied. The different scenarios are characterized by strong modifications of the toroidal velocity profile and by a reduced or enhanced radial transport.

Development of steady-state scenarios compatible with ITER-like wall conditions

A key issue for steady-state tokamak operation is to determine the edge conditions that are compatible both with good core confinement and with the power handling and plasma exhaust capabilities of the plasma facing components (PFCs) and divertor systems. A quantitative response to this open question will provide a robust scientific basis for reliable extrapolation

Reflectometry measurements during operation of the dynamic ergodic divertor at TEXTOR

The O-mode correlation reflectometer at TEXTOR is used for the investigation of the propagation and the properties of the turbulence at the plasma edge. The multi-horn antenna set-up allows the investigation of the correlation properties of the turbulence and its rotation. Turbulence and plasma rotation for different plasma conditions are found to be in agreement and based on this comparison the radial electric field is estimated. In addition the density fluctuation level is estimated from the standard deviation of the phase of the reflected signal.The influence of a magnetic perturbation field, generated by the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED), on the turbulence and transport properties is studied and compared with plasmas without such a field perturbation. The strength and radial range of the perturbation field can be widely varied. Together with tangential neutral beam injection in co- and counter-current directions, the turbulent transport is investigated. The combination of neutral beam injection and the DED enables the modification of the plasma rotation profile. It can lead either to the generation of a locked mode or the formation of a transport barrier.

Losses of runaway electrons during ergodization

The dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) of TEXTOR has been applied to runaway discharges. The runaway electrons (e < 30 MeV) are developed as probes for investigating the internal magnetic field line structure in the plasma. Complementary diagnostics are used, namely neutron measurements for the loss of the runaways and synchrotron radiation for the detection inside the plasma. During the DED phase, three features of the runaway electrons are found: a sudden loss from the just formed ergodic layer, an enhanced diffusive transport and very sudden loss events which may be related to field line reconnection processes.

Tearing mode physics studies applying the dynamic ergodic divertor on TEXTOR

The dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) on the TEXTOR tokamak allows for the reproducible destabilization of the m/n = 2/1 tearing mode which is phase locked to the external static or rotating perturbation field. In combination with its flexible heating systems (co- and counter-neutral beam injection, ion cyclotron resonance heating, electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) with steerable launcher) dedicated experiments to study the mode onset, properties of large islands and mode stabilization can be performed. The dependence of the mode excitation threshold (field penetration) on the plasma rotation shows a resonance character, with minimum threshold when the external perturbation frequency matches the MHD frequency of the 2/1 mode. Mode stabilization by ECRH heating shows that for the TEXTOR plasma heating is more effective than the current drive in O-point. Extrapolation to ITER yields a significant contribution to the mode suppression originating from the temperature increase within the island. Alfven-like modes, which have been previously identified in the vicinity of large islands on FTU (Buratti et al 2005 Nuclear Fusion 45 1446), are found to be created already before island formation above a certain threshold of the externally applied perturbation field.