P. Gohil

Role of the radial electric field in the transition from L (low) mode to H (high) mode to VH (very high) mode in the DIII-D tokamak

The hypothesis of stabilization of turbulence by shear in the E×B drift speed successfully predicts the observed turbulence reduction and confinement improvement seen at the L (low)–H (high) transition; in addition, the observed levels of E×B shear significantly exceed the value theoretically required to stabilize turbulence. Furthermore, this same hypothesis is the best explanation to date for the further confinement improvement seen in the plasma core when the plasma goes from the H mode to the VH (very high) mode. Consequently, the most fundamental question for H‐mode studies now is: How is the electric field Er formed? The radial force balance equation relates Er to the main ion pressure gradient ∇Pi, poloidal rotation vθi, and toroidal rotation vφi. In the plasma edge, observations show ∇Pi and vθi are the important terms at the L–H transition, with ∇Pi being the dominant, negative term throughout most of the H mode. In the plasma core, Er is primarily related to vφi. There is a clear temporal and sp...

Physics of the L-mode to H-mode transition in tokamaks

Combined theoretical and experimental work has resulted in the creation of a paradigm which has allowed semi-quantitative understanding of the edge confinement improvement that occurs in the H-mode. Shear in the E*B flow of the fluctuations in the plasma edge can lead to decorrelation of the fluctuations, decreased radial correlation lengths and reduced turbulent transport. Changes in the radial electric field, the density fluctuations and the edge transport consistent with shear stabilization of turbulence have been seen in several tokamaks. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the most recent data in the light of the basic paradigm of electric field shear stabilization and to critically compare the experimental results with various theories.

Physics of the L to H transition in the DIII‐D tokamak

The L to H transition in the DIII‐D tokamak [Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (IAEA, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] is associated with a decrease in the edge density and magnetic fluctuations. In addition, in single‐null divertor plasmas, a reduction in the heat flux asymmetry between the inner and outer divertor hit spots occurs. These observations indicate that the L to H transition is associated with the reduction in anomalous, fluctuation‐connected transport across the outer midplane of the plasma. Magnetic fluctuations are measured with a poloidally distributed set of Mirnov loops while density fluctuations are detected with multiple fixed‐frequency microwave reflectometers. Spectroscopic observations of edge poloidal and toroidal rotation have allowed the inference that the radial electric field just inside the separatrix is negative in the L mode and becomes more negative at the L to H transition. These changes in fluctuations and in the edge electric field occur in plasma...

Quiescent double barrier high-confinement mode plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak

High-confinement (H-mode) operation is the choice for next-step tokamak devices based either on conventional or advanced tokamak physics. This choice, however, comes at a significant cost for both the conventional and advanced tokamaks because of the effects of edge localized modes (ELMs). ELMs can produce significant erosion in the divertor and can affect the beta limit and reduced core transport regions needed for advanced tokamak operation. Experimental results from DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] this year have demonstrated a new operating regime, the quiescent H-mode regime, which solves these problems. We have achieved quiescent H-mode operation that is ELM-free and yet has good density and impurity control. In addition, we have demonstrated that an internal transport barrier can be produced and maintained inside the H-mode edge barrier for long periods of time (>3.5 s or >25 en...

Effect of island overlap on edge localized mode suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in DIII-D

Recent DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., Nucl. Fusion 43, 1813 (2003)] experiments show a correlation between the extent of overlap of magnetic islands induced in the edge plasma by perturbation coils and complete suppression of Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) in plasmas with ITER-like electron pedestal collisionality νe*∼0.1, flux surface shape and low edge safety factor (q95≈3.6). With fixed amplitude n=3 resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP), ELM suppression is obtained only in a finite window in the edge safety factor (q95) consistent with maximizing the resonant component of the applied helical field. ELM suppression is obtained over an increasing range of q95 by either increasing the n=3 RMP strength, or by adding n=1 perturbations to “fill in” gaps between islands across the edge plasma. The suppression of Type-I ELMs correlates with a minimum width of the edge region having magnetic islands with Chirikov parameter >1.0, based on vacuum calculations of RMP mode components excluding the plasma response ...

Experimental test of the neoclassical theory of impurity poloidal rotation in tokamaks

Despite the importance of rotation in fusion plasmas, our present understanding of momentum transport is inadequate. The lack of understanding is in part related to the difficulty of performing accurate rotation measurements, especially for poloidal rotation. Recently, measurements of poloidal rotation for impurity ions (Z>1) have been obtained in the core of DIII-D [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 6114 (2002)] plasmas using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. The inferred poloidal rotation is based on careful consideration of the effective energy-dependent cross section and of the gyromotion of the ions. The rotation measurements are found to be consistent with the radial electric field determined independently from multiple impurity species as well as from motional Stark effect spectroscopic measurements. The poloidal rotation measurements have been compared with predictions based on the neoclassical theory of poloidal rotation from the code NCLASS [W. A. Houlberg et al., Phys. Plasmas 4, 3230 (19...

Edge Localized Mode Control with an Edge Resonant Magnetic Perturbation

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant Nos. DE-FC02-04ER54698, DE-FG02- 04ER54758, DE-FG03-01ER54615, W-7405-ENG-48, DEFG03-96ER54373, DE-FG02-89ER53297, DE-AC05- 00OR22725, and DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Improved core fueling with high field side pellet injection in the DIII-D tokamak

The capability to inject deuterium pellets from the magnetic high field side (HFS) has been added to the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon and L. G. Davis, Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)]. It is observed that pellets injected from the HFS lead to deeper mass deposition than identical pellets injected from the outside midplane, in spite of a factor of 4 lower pellet speed. HFS injected pellets have been used to generate peaked density profile plasmas [peaking factor (ne(0)/〈ne〉) in excess of 3] that develop internal transport barriers when centrally heated with neutral beam injection. The transport barriers are formed in conditions where Te∼Ti and q(0) is above unity. The peaked density profiles, characteristic of the internal transport barrier, persist for several energy confinement times. The pellets are also used to investigate transport barrier physics and modify plasma edge conditions. Transitions from L- to H-mode have been triggered by pellets, effectively lowering the H-mode threshold power by 2.4 MW. Pel...

ELM suppression in low edge collisionality H-mode discharges using n = 3 magnetic perturbations

Using resonant magnetic perturbations with toroidal mode number n = 3, we have produced H-mode discharges without edge localized modes (ELMs) which run with constant density and radiated power for periods up to about 2550 ms (17 energy confinement times). These ELM suppression results are achieved at pedestal collisionalities close to those desired for next step burning plasma experiments such as ITER and provide a means of eliminating the rapid erosion of divertor components in such machines which could be caused by giant ELMs. The ELM suppression is due to an enhancement in the edge particle transport which reduces the edge pressure gradient and pedestal current density below the threshold for peeling-ballooning modes. These n = 3 magnetic perturbations provide a means of active control of edge plasma transport.

Cross-machine comparison of resonant field amplification and resistive wall mode stabilization by plasma rotation

Dedicated experiments in the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion, 42, 614 (2002)], the Joint European Torus (JET) [P. H. Rebut, R. J. Bickerton, and B. E. Keen, Nucl. Fusion 25, 1011 (1985)], and the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono, S. M. Kaye, Y.-K. M. Peng et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)] reveal the commonalities of resistive wall mode (RWM) stabilization by sufficiently fast toroidal plasma rotation in devices of different size and aspect ratio. In each device the weakly damped n=1 RWM manifests itself by resonant field amplification (RFA) of externally applied n=1 magnetic fields, which increases with the plasma pressure. Probing DIII-D and JET plasmas with similar ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability properties with externally applied magnetic n=1 fields, shows that the resulting RFA is independent of the machine size. In each device the drag resulting from RFA slows the toroidal plasma rotation and can lead to the onset of an unstable RWM. The critical plasma rotati...