Y. W. Sun

First results from H-mode plasmas generated by ICRF heating in the EAST

Deuterium high-confinement (H-mode) plasmas, lasting up to 3.45 s, have been generated in the EAST by ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) heating. H-mode access was achieved by coating the molybdenum-tiled first wall with lithium to reduce the hydrogen recycling from the wall. H-mode plasmas with plasma currents between 0.4 and 0.6 MA and axial toroidal magnetic fields between 1.85 and 1.95 T were generated by 27 MHz ICRF heating of deuterium plasma with hydrogen minority. The ICRF input power required to access the H-mode was 1.6–1.8 MW. The line-averaged density was in the range (1.83–2.3) × 1019 m−3. 200–500 Hz type-III edge localized mode activity was observed during the H-mode phase. The H-mode confinement factor, H98IPB(y, 2), was ~0.7.

Non-resonant magnetic braking on JET and TEXTOR

The non-resonant magnetic braking effect induced by a non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbation is investigated on JET and TEXTOR. The collisionality dependence of the torque induced by the n = 1, where n is the toroidal mode number, magnetic perturbation generated by the error field correction coils on JET is observed. The observed torque is located mainly in the plasma core (normalized radius ρ < 0.4) and increases with decreasing collisionality. The neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity (NTV) torque in the collisionless regime is modelled using the numerical solution of the bounce-averaged drift kinetic equation. The calculated collisionality dependence of the NTV torque is in good agreement with the experimental observation on JET. The reason for this collisionality dependence is that the torque in the plasma core on JET mainly comes from the flux of the trapped electrons, which are still mainly in the 1/ν regime. The strongest NTV torque on JET is also located near the plasma core. The magnitude of the NTV torque strongly depends on the plasma response, which is also discussed in this paper. There is no obvious braking effect with n = 2 magnetic perturbation generated by the dynamic ergodic divertor on TEXTOR, which is consistent with the NTV modelling.

Recent advances in long-pulse high-confinement plasma operations in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamaka)

A long-pulse high confinement plasma regime known as H-mode is achieved in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) with a record duration over 30u2009s, sustained by Lower Hybrid wave Current Drive (LHCD) with advanced lithium wall conditioning and divertor pumping. This long-pulse H-mode plasma regime is characterized by the co-existence of a small Magneto-Hydrodynamic (MHD) instability, i.e., Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) and a continuous quasi-coherent MHD mode at the edge. We find that LHCD provides an intrinsic boundary control for ELMs, leading to a dramatic reduction in the transient power load on the vessel wall, compared to the standard Type I ELMs. LHCD also induces edge plasma ergodization, broadening heat deposition footprints, and the heat transport caused by ergodization can be actively controlled by regulating edge plasma conditions, thus providing a new means for stationary heat flux control. In addition, advanced tokamak scenarios have been newly developed for high-performance ...

Nonlinear Transition from Mitigation to Suppression of the Edge Localized Mode with Resonant Magnetic Perturbations in the EAST Tokamak

Evidence of a nonlinear transition from mitigation to suppression of the edge localized mode (ELM) by using resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in the EAST tokamak is presented. This is the first demonstration of ELM suppression with RMPs in slowly rotating plasmas with dominant radio-frequency wave heating. Changes of edge magnetic topology after the transition are indicated by a gradual phase shift in the plasma response field from a linear magneto hydro dynamics modeling result to a vacuum one and a sudden increase of three-dimensional particle flux to the divertor. The transition threshold depends on the spectrum of RMPs and plasma rotation as well as perturbation amplitude. This means that edge topological changes resulting from nonlinear plasma response plays a key role in the suppression of ELM with RMPs.

Poloidal beta and internal inductance measurement on HT-7 superconducting tokamak.

Poloidal beta beta(theta) and internal inductance l(i) measurements are very important for tokamak operation. Much more plasma parameters can be inferred from the two parameters, such as the plasma energy confinement time, the plasma toroidal current profile, and magnetohydrodynamics instability. Using diamagnetic and compensation loop, combining with poloidal magnetic probe array signals, poloidal beta beta(theta) and internal inductance l(i) are measured. In this article, the measurement system and arithmetic are introduced. Different experimental results are given in different plasma discharges on HT-7 superconducting tokamak.

Modeling of non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations in tokamaks

A numerical model to evaluate the effects of the non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on magnetic topology and magnetic field ripple in tokamaks is presented in this paper. It is illustrated by using an example magnetic field perturbation induced by a coil system on the EAST tokamak. The influence of the choice of the coordinates on the spectrum is presented. The amplitude of resonant components of the spectrum are found to be independent of the coordinates system, while that of the non-resonant components are not. A better way to describe the edge topology by using the Chirikov parameter profile is proposed and checked by the numerical Poincare plot results. The contribution of the magnetic perturbation on local toroidal field ripple can be significant. One approximate method to model the helical ripple on the perturbed flux surface induced by a given non-axisymmetric magnetic field perturbation is presented. All of the spectrum analysis is applicable in case the plasma response is taken into account in the input of perturbed magnetic field.

Numerical validation of the refined formula of neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity in tokamaks

Neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity (NTV) theory in collisionless regimes in tokamaks has been well developed in the past. The NTV evaluated from the connected formula developed by Shaing et al (2010 Nucl. Fusion 50 025020) was in good agreement with the numerical results in most cases. The boundary condition in the superbanana plateau regime has been found to be important in the numerical modelling when the resonant pitch is close to the boundaries of the pitch angle space, but it was not included in the original connected formula. This generates a big discrepancy between the numerical results and those evaluated from the smoothly connected formula as the resonant pitch is close to 0 or 1. Recently, the connected formula was refined. In this paper, we present the method of how to apply this refinement for practical NTV modelling and demonstrate the improvement of this refined formula by comparing the results evaluated from it with the numerical ones. Some techniques are developed to accurately model the NTV with the refined formula. The accuracy of the results modelled from the refined formula is strongly improved over the previous formula as the resonant pitch is close to 0 or 1 and they agree very well with the numerical ones.

Intrinsic plasma rotation determined by neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity in tokamaks

Intrinsic toroidal plasma rotation due to the neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity (NTV) effect induced by a three-dimensional helical magnetic field ripple in tokamaks is investigated in this paper. The intrinsic rotation is determined self-consistently by searching for the roots of the ambipolarity constraint, after evaluation of the particle fluxes from the numerical modelling. In the low-collisionality case, there are three roots, in which two are stable roots. One corresponds to the ?ion root? in the counter-current direction, and the other stable one corresponds to the ?electron root? in the co-current direction, near which the electron flux is dominant. Both of the two stable roots scale like the diamagnetic frequency. In the high-collisionality case, there is only one ?ion? root. The application of this modelling for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) cases is discussed. In a large range of plasma radii, there are three roots. The NTV torque drives plasma rotation in ITER towards one of the stable roots, depending on the initial condition. The amplitudes of the electron roots near the pedestal in both baseline and steady-state scenarios are much larger than that of the ion roots. The amplitudes of the NTV torque density and the electron roots near the pedestal increase with increasing height of the temperature pedestal in the ITER baseline scenario.

Upgrade of Langmuir probe diagnostic in ITER-like tungsten mono-block divertor on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

In order to withstand rapid increase in particle and power impact onto the divertor and demonstrate the feasibility of the ITER design under long pulse operation, the upper divertor of the EAST tokamak has been upgraded to actively water-cooled, ITER-like tungsten mono-block structure since the 2014 campaign, which is the first attempt for ITER on the tokamak devices. Therefore, a new divertor Langmuir probe diagnostic system (DivLP) was designed and successfully upgraded on the tungsten divertor to obtain the plasma parameters in the divertor region such as electron temperature, electron density, particle and heat fluxes. More specifically, two identical triple probe arrays have been installed at two ports of different toroidal positions (112.5-deg separated toroidally), which can provide fundamental data to study the toroidal asymmetry of divertor power deposition and related 3-dimension (3D) physics, as induced by resonant magnetic perturbations, lower hybrid wave, and so on. The shape of graphite tip and fixed structure of the probe are designed according to the structure of the upper tungsten divertor. The ceramic support, small graphite tip, and proper connector installed make it possible to be successfully installed in the very narrow interval between the cassette body and tungsten mono-block, i.e., 13.5 mm. It was demonstrated during the 2014 and 2015 commissioning campaigns that the newly upgraded divertor Langmuir probe diagnostic system is successful. Representative experimental data are given and discussed for the DivLP measurements, then proving its availability and reliability.

Operational region and sawteeth oscillation in the EAST tokamak

The first plasma discharges were successfully achieved on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) in 2006. The sawteeth behaviours were observed by means of soft x-ray diagnostics and ECE signals in the EAST. The displacement and radius of the q = 1 surface was studied and compared with the result of equilibrium calculation. The density sawtooth oscillation was also observed by the HCN laser interferometer diagnostics. The structure of the EAST operational region was studied in detail. Plasma performance was obviously improved by the boronization and wall conditioning. It was observed that lower qa and a wider stable operating region is extended by the GDC boronization.