Y. Corre

Progress in ergodic divertor operation on Tore Supra

Upgrade of the Tore Supra ergodic divertor (ED) has led to significant progress in ED physics. Pulse durations of 30?s with LHCD have been achieved demonstrating the heat exhaust capability of both the actively cooled technology at hand and of this specific divertor concept. The disruptive limit governed by the stochastization of the outer magnetic surfaces is found to occur for a value of the Chirikov parameter reaching two on the magnetic surface q = 2+(3/12). This experimentally observed robustness allows one to operate at very low safety factor on the?separatrix (q~2). Numerical analysis of ballooning turbulence in a stochastic layer indicates that the decay of the density fluctuations is associated with an increase of the fluctuating electric drift velocity. This results in an enhanced cross-field transport in the vicinity of the target plates. This lowering of confinement appears to be compensated by an intrinsic transport barrier on the electron temperature. The three-dimensional response of the temperature field is computed with a fluid code. The code can recover the intrinsic transport barrier at the separatrix, reported experimentally, together with small amplitude temperature modulations in the divertor volume. Experimental evidence for the three density regimes (linear, high recycling and detachment) is reported. The low critical density values for transitions between these regimes indicate that similar parallel physics governs the axisymmetric and ED, despite the open configuration of the latter. Measurement and understanding of these density regimes provide a means for feedback control of plasma density and an improvement in ion cyclotron radiofrequency heating coupling scenarios. Experimental data also indicated that particle control with the vented target plates is effective. Increase of both impurity control and radiation efficiency are reviewed. Global power balance has been analysed in order to account for non-axisymmetric radiation. These results, taken together, confirm the large radiation capability of the ED.

WEST Physics Basis

With WEST (Tungsten Environment in Steady State Tokamak) (Bucalossi et al 2014 Fusion Eng. Des. 89 907-12), the Tore Supra facility and team expertise (Dumont et al 2014 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 56 075020) is used to pave the way towards ITER divertor procurement and operation. It consists in implementing a divertor configuration and installing ITER-like actively cooled tungsten monoblocks in the Tore Supra tokamak, taking full benefit of its unique long-pulse capability. WEST is a user facility platform, open to all ITER partners. This paper describes the physics basis of WEST: the estimated heat flux on the divertor target, the planned heating schemes, the expected behaviour of the L-H threshold and of the pedestal and the potential W sources. A series of operating scenarios has been modelled, showing that ITER-relevant heat fluxes on the divertor can be achieved in WEST long pulse H-mode plasmas.

ELM-induced transient tungsten melting in the JET divertor

The original goals of the JET ITER-like wall included the study of the impact of an all W divertor on plasma operation (Coenen et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 073043) and fuel retention (Brezinsek et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 083023). ITER has recently decided to install a full-tungsten (W) divertor from the start of operations. One of the key inputs required in support of this decision was the study of the possibility of W melting and melt splashing during transients. Damage of this type can lead to modifications of surface topology which could lead to higher disruption frequency or compromise subsequent plasma operation. Although every effort will be made to avoid leading edges, ITER plasma stored energies are sufficient that transients can drive shallow melting on the top surfaces of components. JET is able to produce ELMs large enough to allow access to transient melting in a regime of relevance to ITER. Transient W melt experiments were performed in JET using a dedicated divertor module and a sequence of I-P = 3.0 MA/B-T = 2.9 T H-mode pulses with an input power of P-IN = 23 MW, a stored energy of similar to 6 MJ and regular type I ELMs at Delta W-ELM = 0.3 MJ and f(ELM) similar to 30 Hz. By moving the outer strike point onto a dedicated leading edge in the W divertor the base temperature was raised within similar to 1 s to a level allowing transient, ELM-driven melting during the subsequent 0.5 s. Such ELMs (delta W similar to 300 kJ per ELM) are comparable to mitigated ELMs expected in ITER (Pitts et al 2011 J. Nucl. Mater. 415 (Suppl.) S957-64). Although significant material losses in terms of ejections into the plasma were not observed, there is indirect evidence that some small droplets (similar to 80 mu m) were released. Almost 1 mm (similar to 6 mm(3)) of W was moved by similar to 150 ELMs within 7 subsequent discharges. The impact on the main plasma parameters was minor and no disruptions occurred. The W-melt gradually moved along the leading edge towards the high-field side, driven by j x B forces. The evaporation rate determined from spectroscopy is 100 times less than expected from steady state melting and is thus consistent only with transient melting during the individual ELMs. Analysis of IR data and spectroscopy together with modelling using the MEMOS code Bazylev et al 2009 J. Nucl. Mater. 390-391 810-13 point to transient melting as the main process. 3D MEMOS simulations on the consequences of multiple ELMs on damage of tungsten castellated armour have been performed. These experiments provide the first experimental evidence for the absence of significant melt splashing at transient events resembling mitigated ELMs on ITER and establish a key experimental benchmark for the MEMOS code.

Operational limits during high power long pulses with radiofrequency heating in Tore Supra

Issues related to the limitations and optimization of long pulse operation at high radiofrequency (RF) power levels in the Tore Supra tokamak are presented. An increasing operational limitation was encountered during the experimental campaigns in 2006?2007, affecting the high power and long pulse performance. This limitation was characterized by the sudden appearance of a multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE), often followed by a disruption. The analyses revealed that the limitation could be linked to over-heating and flaking of the carbon re-deposition layers on the main plasma facing components (PFCs). The carbon deposits on all PFCs were therefore completely removed during the winter shutdown 2007?2008. Following this, a remarkable improvement in the injected power capability was observed, resulting in almost 12?MW of injected power during 10?s, without any of the previous signs of limitation (MARFE, disruption).Furthermore, the RF antennas are subject to localized heat loads due to RF sheath effects and interaction by fast particles, effects which need to be minimized in particular for long pulse operation. Experimental results concerning the heat load on the antennas, caused by fast ion losses in the presence of magnetic ripple, are presented in this paper.

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

Characterization of heat flux generated by ICRH heating with cantilevered bars and a slotted box Faraday screen

In the framework of the ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) development led at CEA Cadarache, an actively cooled Faraday screen (FS) prototype with cantilevered horizontal bars and a slotted box has been designed to increase the heat exhaust capability (for high-power operation), reduce the parallel RF electric field along long field lines and qualify alternative mechanical solutions for ITER (bars are disconnected from the septum to reduce the stress level). The new FS has been installed on an existing ICRH antenna, and was tested during the 2011 Tore Supra experimental campaign. The antenna hosting the new screen exhibits high sensitivity to the edge plasma condition, some instabilities of electrical matching and improved heat exhaust capabilities in accordance with the thermo-mechanical design. RF-induced heat loads derived from IR thermography have been found to be about five times higher in the equatorial plane with the new design compared with the conventional design. The experimental results show that minimizing the parallel RF electric field along long field lines is not enough to reduce the wave?plasma interaction on the screen. This paper summarizes the experimental RF-induced heat load for several plasma scenarios and edge parameters (plasma current, density and heating power level) with emphasis on RF-sheath rectification and E???B convection generated in front of the antenna through the differential biasing of adjacent field lines.

3D effects of edge magnetic field configuration on divertor/scrape-off layer transport and optimization possibilities for a future reactor

This paper assesses the three-dimensional (3D) effects of the edge magnetic field structure on divertor/scrape-off layer transport, based on an inter-machine comparison of experimental data and on the recent progress of 3D edge transport simulation. The 3D effects are elucidated as a consequence of competition between transports parallel () and perpendicular () to the magnetic field, in open field lines cut by divertor plates, or in magnetic islands. The competition has strong impacts on divertor functions, such as determination of the divertor density regime, impurity screening and detachment control. The effects of magnetic perturbation on the edge electric field and turbulent transport are also discussed. Parameterization to measure the 3D effects on the edge transport is attempted for the individual divertor functions. Based on the suggested key parameters, an operation domain of the 3D divertor configuration is discussed for future devices.

Multi-megawatt, gigajoule plasma operation in Tore Supra

Integrating several important technological elements required for long pulse operation in magnetic fusion devices, the Tore Supra tokamak routinely addresses the physics and technology issues related to this endeavor and, as a result, contributes essential information on critical issues for ITER. During the last experimental campaign, components of the radiofrequency system including an ITER relevant launcher (passive active multijunction (PAM)) and continuous wave/3.7 GHz klystrons, have been extensively qualified, and then used to develop steady state scenarios in which the lower hybrid (LH), ion cyclotron (IC) and electron cyclotron (EC) systems have been combined in fully stationary shots (duration similar to 150 s, injected power up to similar to 8MW, injected/extracted energy up to similar to 1 GJ). Injection of LH power in the 5.0-6.0MW range has extended the domain of accessible plasma parameters to higher densities and non-inductive currents. These discharges exhibit steady electron internal transport barriers (ITBs). We report here on various issues relevant to the steady state operation of future devices, ranging from operational aspects and limitations related to the achievement of long pulses in a fully actively cooled fusion device (e. g. overheating due to fast particle losses), to more fundamental plasma physics topics. The latter include a beneficial influence of IC resonance heating on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability in these discharges, which has been studied in detail. Another interesting observation is the appearance of oscillations of the central temperature with typical periods of the order of one to several seconds, caused by a nonlinear interplay between LH deposition, MHD activity and bootstrap current in the presence of an ITB.

Particle recirculation in the ergodic divertor of Tore Supra

The present paper addresses the issue of particle recirculation in discharges where low-energy flux to ergodic divertor target plates is achieved in highly-radiating detached ohmic plasmas. Plasma temperature and particle flux are measured by flush-mounted probes in the divertor plates and by an upstream fast scanning Mach probe. The scalings with core density of the ion flux and electron temperature are well described by the simple two-point model used in axisymmetric poloidal divertors. The detachment signature is a pressure drop that occurs when the edge temperature falls below 10 eV. The parallel ion flux gradient is always positive, indicating that recombination is unlikely to play an important role in detachment. Visible spectroscopy of a neutralizer plate shows that attainment of cold detached plasmas near the density limit coincides with an abrupt increase of fuelling efficiency for both deuterium and impurities. A feedback algorithm based on real-time Langmuir probe measurements has been developed to monitor detachment and avoid disruptions.

Atomic and molecular deuterium edge density evaluation from spectral analysis of the Dα line shape

A method for molecular and atomic deuterium density evaluation, based on the analysis of the Dα spectral line shape coupled to a collisional radiative model, is presented. It is illustrated by its application to the plasma edge in the ergodic divertor configuration of the tokamak Tore Supra. An important molecular density (nD2>1018 m-3, 1 cm radially away from the neutralizer plate), of the same order as the total atomic density nD (nD/nD2~1.4), is found for the entire range of edge electron temperatures (10 eV<Te<40 eV). The density ratio of D atoms created by charge exchange or reflection of deuterons on the neutralizer plate and D atoms coming from D2 dissociation is approximately constant for electron temperatures larger than 20 eV (~0.9). A reasonable agreement is found with the results of the multi-one-dimensional code EDCOLL and the three-dimensional Monte Carlo code BBQ. The influence of the electron temperature and density distributions along the spectroscopic line of sight on the measurements is discussed in the frame of simulations with the numerical code EDCOLL.