Yizhi Wen

Experimental investigation of m/n = 1/1 and high-order harmonic modes during the sawtooth oscillation in a low β tokamak plasma

Sawtooth oscillations were investigated using an electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic technique on the HT-7 tokamak. High-order harmonic modes are observed in sawtooth precursors. They cause sharp pressure points, leading to the occurrence of reconnection events at more than one place, and which are not preferential on the low field side of the q ~ 1 radius at low density. The reconnection proceeds in two stages. In the first stage, a weak reconnection happens which is characterized by a slow emergence of a small amount of heat and particles through the finite openings. Subsequently, in the second stage, most of the remaining heat and particles in the core escape outward. The observations at low density indicate that high-order harmonic modes are responsible for the secondary reconnection stage, which has seldom been mentioned in reconnection model. The characteristics of the modes are then described by investigating a large number of sawteeth oscillations with different densities and qa values. It is found that when the density increases above a threshold at qa = 3.3, the m/n = 1/1 mode amplitude significantly exceeds its harmonics. The threshold decreases as qa increases.

Multiscale coherent structures in tokamak plasma turbulence

A 12-tip poloidal probe array is used on the HT-7 superconducting tokamak [Li, Wan, and Mao, Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 42, 135 (2000)] to measure plasma turbulence in the edge region. Some statistical analysis techniques are used to characterize the turbulence structures. It is found that the plasma turbulence is composed of multiscale coherent structures, i.e., turbulent eddies and there is self-similarity in a relative short scale range. The presence of the self-similarity is found due to the structural similarity of these eddies between different scales. These turbulent eddies constitute the basic convection cells, so the self-similar range is just the dominant scale range relevant to transport. The experimental results also indicate that the plasma turbulence is dominated by low-frequency and long-wavelength fluctuation components and its dispersion relation shows typical electron-drift-wave characteristics. Some large-scale coherent structures intermittently burst out and exhibit a very long pol...

Observation of radial propagation of electrostatic fluctuations on KT-C tokamak

The radial wavenumber spectra of electrostatic fluctuations measured by Langmuir probe arrays on the KT-5C tokamak show a quasimode-like structure which results in a net radial outward propagation of the turbulent fluctuations. The power-averaged radial wavenumber is approximately constant in the core region and increases near the limiter. The radial wavenumber spectral width stays nearly constant from core to edge and is about two times greater than the poloidal wavenumber spectral width. The measured fluctuation levels and wave action fluxes are in good agreement with model predictions (Mattor N and Diamond P H 1994 Phys. Plasmas 1 4002, Mattor N 1995 Phys. Plasmas 2 766) which suggest that drift wave propagation could be a source of edge turbulence.

Effects of electrode biasing on fluctuations and transport in the KT-5C tokamak

Electrode biasing experiments are carried out on the KT-5C tokamak to investigate the effects of the radial electric field E/sub r/ on turbulence. A modestly enhanced E/sub r/ gradient layer is formed at the plasma edge by the electrode biasing. In the E/sub r/ gradient layer, reductions in the fluctuation amplitude, radial correlation length and turbulent particle flux are observed. These results support the theoretical models on the turbulence suppression by decorrelation due to E /spl times/ B flow shear.

Modifications of plasma edge electric field and confinement properties by limiter biasing on the KT-5C tokamak

Experiments using a biased multiblock limiter in the KT-5C tokamak show that positive biasing is more effective than negative biasing in modifying the edge electric field, suppressing fluctuations and improving plasma confinement. The biasing effect varies with the limiter area, the toroidal magnetic field and the biasing voltage. By positive biasing, the edge profiles of the plasma potential, the electron temperature and the density become steeper, resulting in a reduced edge particle flux, an increased global particle confinement time and lower fluctuation levels of the edge plasma.

Observations of a quasi-coherent fluctuation mode in the KT-5C tokamak during ~90 degrees phase shift feedback

A new fluctuation phenomenon is observed through Langmuir probe measurements at the edge plasma in the KT-5C tokamak by applying a -90 degrees phase shift feedback. Using a two point correlation technique, it is found that this fluctuation mode has a longer poloidal wavelength and a definite frequency when compared with the usual edge turbulence. It is also found through bispectral analysis that this mode is a spontaneously excited quasi-coherent mode, which has almost no contribution to the cross-field particle flux

Compatible operation of the power system for steady state and pulse modes in a magnetic torus KT-5D

Compatible operation of steady state mode and pulse mode is realized in the KT-5D device. New power supplies with the operation control systems for the steady state toroidal magnetic field as well as for the vertical field are added, and the rf wave injection systems for sustaining steady state plasmas are upgraded. After the modification, the device now can work not only as a tokomak with pulsed plasma currents as it was but also as a simple magnetized torus with steady state plasma discharges. It allows more flexible and efficient experimental researches on the magnetically confined plasmas to be carried on in the same device.

Fast mega pixels video imaging of a toroidal plasma in KT5D device

A direct imaging system, viewing visible light emission from plasmas tangentially or perpendicularly, has been set up on the KT5D toroidal device to monitor the real two-dimensional profiles of purely ECR generated plasmas. This system has a typical spatial resolution of 0.2mm (1280×1024pixels) when imaging the whole cross section. Interesting features of ECR plasmas have been found. Different from what classical theories have expected, a resonance layer with two or three bright spots, rather than an even vertical band, has been observed. In addition, images also indicate an intermittent splitting and drifting character of the plasmas.

Effect of poloidal sheared flow on the long-range correlation characters of edge plasma turbulent transport

The long-range correlation characteristics of the turbulence-induced particle transport fluxes measured in the plasma edge region of the Chinese Tokamak-6B (CT-6B) [X. Yang et al., Nucl. Fusion 36, 1669 (1996)] have been investigated. The Hurst exponent calculations and the power spectra exhibit the self-similarity and long-range correlation character of the particle transport fluxes. The rescaled probability distribution functions (PDF’s) of the local fluxes are found to be self-similar, with the self-similarity parameter well above 0.5 in the range of time scales between the turbulence decorrelation and confinement time. The decorrelation effect of the E×B flow shear on the long-range correlation character of the flux has been identified by the changes in the radial dependences of the Hurst parameter, spectral decay index, and the outward flux tail of the PDF near the flow shear layer. This suggests that the mechanism for these changes is the simple decorrelation of the large-scale transport events by t...

Observation of spatial intermittency in Tokamak plasma turbulence

A sharp variation at some radial positions superimposed on a slow change in the profiles of the fluctuation levels, fluctuation-driven particle and energy fluxes, which is referred as spatial intermittency, is observed in the core plasma of the Keda Tokamak-5C (KT-5C) [World Survey of Activities in Controlled Fusion Research, Nuclear Fusion Special Supplement (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1991), p. 190.]. The peaks in the profiles are located in the vicinity of low-q rational surfaces, and fluctuation spectra perpendicular to the magnetic field become more anisotropy there. The intermittency may be related to the radial variations in the nonlinear mode couplings near the low-q resonant surfaces.