S.E. Lysenko

Investigation of geodesic acoustic mode oscillations in the T-10 tokamak

Geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) were investigated on the T-10 tokamak using heavy ion beam probe, correlation reflectometry and multipin Langmuir probe diagnostics. Regimes with Ohmic heating and with on- and off-axis ECRH were studied. It was shown that GAMs are mainly the potential oscillations. Typically, the power spectrum of the oscillations has the form of a solitary quasi-monochromatic peak with the contrast range 3–5. They are the manifestation of the torsional plasma oscillations with poloidal wavenumber m = 0, called zonal flows. The frequency of GAMs changes in the region of observation and decreases towards the plasma edge. After ECRH switch-on, the frequency increases, correlating with growth in the electron temperature Te. The frequency of the GAMs depends on the local Te as , which is consistent with a theoretical scaling for GAM, where cs is the sound speed within a factor of unity. The GAMs on T-10 are found to have density limit, some magnetic components and an intermittent character. They tend to be more excited near low-q magnetic surfaces.

Plasma potential and turbulence dynamics in toroidal devices (survey of T-10 and TJ-II experiments)

A direct comparison of the electric potential and its fluctuations in the T-10 tokamak and the TJ-II stellarator is presented for similar plasma conditions in the two machines, using the heavy ion beam probe diagnostic. We observed the following similarities: (i) plasma potentials of several hundred volts, resulting in a radial electric field Er of several tens of V?cm?1; (ii) a negative sign for the plasma potential at central line-averaged electron densities larger than 1\times 10^{19}\,{\rm m}^{-3} SRC=http://ej.iop.org/images/0029-5515/51/8/083043/nf381326in001.gif/>, with comparable values in both machines, even when using different heating methods; (iii) with increasing electron density ne or energy confinement time ?E, the potential evolves in the negative direction; (iv) with electron cyclotron resonance heating and associated increase in the electron temperature Te, ?E degrades and the plasma potential evolves in the positive direction. We generally find that the more negative potential and Er values correspond to higher values of ?E. Modelling indicates that basic neoclassical mechanisms contribute significantly to the formation of the electric potential in the core. Broadband turbulence is suppressed at spontaneous and biased transitions to improved confinement regimes and is always accompanied by characteristic changes in plasma potential profiles. Various types of quasi-coherent potential oscillations are observed, among them geodesic acoustic modes in T-10 and Alfv?n eigenmodes in TJ-II.

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

Internal measurements of Alfvén eigenmodes with heavy ion beam probing in toroidal plasmas

Energetic ion driven Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) are believed to be an important element disturbing the transport in a future fusion reactor. The studies of the AE properties in modern toroidal devices have made crucial contributions to the reactor relevant physics. AEs are conventionally studied by magnetic probes (MPs), which provide the poloidal m and toroidal n mode numbers and their spectral characteristics. Heavy ion beam probing (HIBP) has become a new tool to study AEs with high spatial and frequency resolution. HIBP in the TJ-II heliac observes locally (~1 cm) resolved AEs over the whole radial interval. The set of low-m (m < 8) modes, detected with the high-frequency resolution (<5 kHz), present different types of AEs. AEs are pronounced in the local density, electric potential and poloidal magnetic field oscillations, detected simultaneously by HIBP in the frequency range 50 kHz < fAE < 300 kHz. Various AE modes are visible in the neutral beam injector (NBI)-heated plasma for co-NBI (<450 kW), counter- (<450 kW) and balanced NBI (<900 kW) from the plasma centre to the edge. A high coherence between MP and HIBP data was found for specific AEs. When the density rises, AE frequency decreases, , and the cross-phase between the plasma density, poloidal magnetic field and potential remains constant. The amplitude of the AE potential oscillations δAE ~ 10 V was estimated. Poloidally resolved density and potential measurements may provide information about the AE poloidal wavelength and the AE contribution to the poloidal electric field Epol and the turbulent particle flux ΓE×B. The typical range of Epol oscillations for AEs is . Depending on the δne and δEpol amplitudes and cross-phase, AEs may make a small or a significant contribution to the turbulent particle flux ΓE×B for the observed wavenumbers kθ < 3 cm−1.

Recombination-induced neutral particle flux in tokamaks

On the Alcator device the main mechanism producing neutrals in the central region of the plasma at a density n > 4 × 1014 cm−3 is recombination of protons and electrons. The calculated neutral fluxes and spectra agree with the measured values. A suitable method of determining the ion temperature from the tail of the fast-neutral spectra for a dense plasma is described.

The features of the global GAM in OH and ECRH plasmas in the T-10 tokamak

Zonal flows and their high-frequency counterpart, the geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) are considered as a possible mechanism of the plasma turbulence self-regulation. In the T-10 tokamak GAMs have been studied by the heavy ion beam probing and multipin Langmuir probes. The wide range of the regimes with Ohmic, on-axis and off-axis electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) were studied (Bt = 1.5–2.4 T, Ip = 140–300 kA, , PEC < 1.2 MW). It was shown that GAM has radially homogeneous structure and poloidal m = 0 for potential perturbations. The local theory predicts that , that means the frequency increases with the decrease of the minor radius. In contrast, the radial distribution of experimental frequency of the plasma potential and density oscillations, associated to GAM, is almost uniform over the whole plasma radius, suggesting the features of the nonlocal (global) eigenmodes. The GAM amplitude in the plasma potential also tends to be uniform along the radius. GAMs are more pronounced during ECRH, when the typical frequencies are seen in the narrow band from 22 to 27 kHz for the main peak and 25–30 kHz for the higher frequency satellite. GAM characteristics and the range of GAM existence are presented as functions of Te, density, magnetic field and PEC.

Transport model of canonical profiles for electron and ion temperatures in tokamaks

A set of transport equations using canonical ion and electron temperature profiles is proposed. Simulations of electron cyclotron resonance heating on T-10 and of the L-mode in TFTR, JET and ASDEX have been performed. From an analysis of the results of the calculations it is possible to construct universal expressions for heat fluxes without free parameters. On the basis of the developed model, several predictions are made for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Plasma Potential Evolution Study by HIBP Diagnostic During NBI Experiments in the TJ-II Stellarator

Abstract The heavy ion beam probe diagnostic is used in the TJ-II stellarator to study directly the plasma electric potential with good spatial (up to 1 cm) and temporal (up to 2 μs) resolution. Singly charged heavy ions, Cs+, with energies of up to 125 keV are used to probe the plasma column from the edge to the core. Both electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and neutral beam injection (NBI)-heated plasmas (PECRH = 200 to 400 kW, PNBI = 200 to 400 kW, ENBI = 28 keV) have been studied. Low-density ECRH [[over bar]n = (0.5 to 1.1) × 1019 m-3] plasmas in TJ-II are characterized by positive plasma potential on the order of 1000 to 400 V. A negative electric potential appears at the edge when the line-averaged density exceeds 0.5 × 1019 m-3. Further density rises are accompanied by a decrease in the core plasma potential, which becomes fully negative for plasma densities [over bar]n ≥ 1.5 × 1019 m-3. The NBI plasmas are characterized by a negative electric potential across the whole plasma cross section from the core to the edge. In this case, the absolute value of the central potential is on the order of -500 V. These results show a clear link between plasma potential and density in the TJ-II stellarator.

Investigation of the plasma potential oscillations in the range of geodesic acoustic mode frequencies by heavy ion beam probing in tokamaks

Specific oscillations within a range of 20 kHz (“20 kHz-mode”) were investigated on the T-10 and TEXT tokamaks using Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic. Regimes with ohmic heating on both machines, and with off-axis ECRH in T-10 were studied. It was shown that “20 kHz-modes are mainly the potential oscillations. The power spectrum of the oscillations has the form of a solitary quasi-monochromatic peak with a contrast range of (3–5). They are the manifestation of torsional plasma oscillations with poloidal wavenumber m = 0, called zonal flows. It was shown that in TEXT the radial electric field oscillations exist in a limited radial range of 0.65 > ρ < 0.95. The frequency of “20 kHz-mode” is varied in the region of observation; it diminishes to the plasma edge. In T-10, after ECRH switch-on, the frequency increases, correlating with the growth of the electron temperature Te. In both machines the frequency of the “20 kHz-mode” varies with local Te: f ∼ Te1/2, which is consistent with theoretical scaling for geodesic acoustic modes (GAM): fGAM ∼ cs/R ∼ Te1/2, where cs is the speed of sound. The absolute frequencies are close to GAM values within a factor of unity.

Plasma Potential Measurements by the Heavy Ion Beam Probe Diagnostic in Fusion Plasmas: Biasing Experiments in the TJ-II Stellarator and T-10 Tokamak

Abstract The effect of edge biasing on plasma potential was investigated in the TJ-II stellarator and the T-10 tokamak. The Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic, a unique tool for studying the core potential directly, was used in both machines. Experiments in TJ-II show that it is possible to modify the global confinement and edge plasma parameters with limiter biasing, illustrating the direct impact of radial electric fields on TJ-II confinement properties. For the first time it was shown that the plasma column in a stellarator can be charged as a whole for a hot, near-reactor-relevant plasma. The plasma potential and electric fields evolve on two different characteristic time scales. Although the experimental conditions in the two machines have many important differences, the basic features of plasma potential behavior have some similarities: The potential response has the same polarity and scale as the biasing voltage, and the fluctuations are suppressed near the electrode/limiter region. However, whereas both edge and core plasma potential are affected by biasing in TJ-II, the potential changes mainly near the biased electrode in T-10.