Z. P. Chen

Recent research work on the J-TEXT tokamak

An overview of the recent research work on the J-TEXT tokamak over the last two years is presented. A series of experiments and simulations of the interaction between resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) and plasma were carried out on the J-TEXT tokamak. The results show that the m/n = 2/1 (m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, respectively) mode locking is obtained with sufficiently large RMPs. And suppression of the m/n = 2/1 tearing mode by moderate magnetic perturbation amplitude is also observed. With experimental parameters as input, both mode locking and mode suppression by RMPs are simulated by nonlinear numerical modelling based on reduced magnetohydrodynamic equations. The simulations are in good agreement with the experimental observations. Density modulation using gas puffing is carried out on J-TEXT to evaluate the particle transport parameters in a typical J-TEXT discharge, including diffusion coefficient and convective velocity. Inverse sawtooth-like activity caused by neon gas injection is observed. The inverse sawtooth-like activity occurs only when the amount of neon impurity exceeds a threshold. Nevertheless, other impurities such as helium and argon cannot trigger such events. With the aid of a soft x-ray detector array, the runaway electron beam following disruptions is visible directly. A high-resolution far infrared polarimeter/interferometer, based on a three-wave technique, was developed and it observes the perturbations associated with sawtooth and tearing mode activities; the first result of the current density profile reconstruction is provided. An x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer is designed to receive the Kα line of Ar XVII and its satellites. The electron temperature obtained from line ratios of the W line to its satellites is 750 eV, and the ion temperature deduced from the Doppler broadening of the W line is 330 eV.

Overview of the recent research on the J-TEXT tokamak

The experimental research over last two years on the J-TEXT tokamak is summarized and presented in the paper. The high-performance polarimeter-interferometer developed on J-TEXT, aiming to measure electron density and Faraday angle simultaneously, has time response up to 1 µs, phase resolution <0.1° and spatial resolution ~3 cm. Such high resolution permits investigations of fast equilibrium dynamics as well as magnetic and density perturbations associated with magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Particle transport due to the sawtooth crashes is analysed. The sawteeth only partially flatten the core density profile and recovery between crashes implies an inward pinch velocity extending to the centre. The resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) system on J-TEXT can generate a rotating helical field perturbation with a maximum rotation frequency up to 6 kHz, and dominant resonant modes of m/n = 2/1, 3/1 or 1/1. It is found that tearing modes can be easily locked and then rotate together with a rotating RMP. The effects of RMPs on plasma flows and fluctuations are studied with Langmuir probe arrays at the plasma edge. The toroidal velocity increases and the radial electric field decreases with RMP coil current when the RMP current is no more than 5 kA. When the RMP current reaches 6 kA, the toroidal velocity profile becomes flattened near the last closed flux surface. The geodesic acoustic mode is damped in most of the edge region, while the low frequency zonal flow is damped inside the islands, but increases at its boundary.

The influence of electrode biasing on plasma confinement in the J-TEXT tokamak

The influence of both positive and negative bias on global and plasma-edge parameters has been comparatively studied with a newly designed electrode biasing system in the J-TEXT tokamak. Compared to the 0 V bias case, the global particle confinement of plasma is enhanced under bias with both polarities, with the increments of the central line-averaged density and the soft x-ray emission, as well as the reduction of the edge Hα radiation level. The suppression of plasma-edge fluctuations and turbulent particle transport are obviously observed under bias, in different degrees with different polarities. The potential fluctuation amplitude is observed to be increased at the vicinity of the limiter under positive bias, with the existence of a peaked low-frequency mode characterized as high coherence and near-zero cross-phase poloidally in the edge region, which is not found in the negative bias case. The poloidal correlation length of turbulence is greatly enhanced under bias with both polarities; it shows a positive correlation with the amplitude of the poloidal phase velocity, which is mainly driven by the local Jr × B torque at the plasma edge under bias. The characteristic parameters of intermittent events (i.e. blobs), including amplitude, radial velocity, related particle flux and radial size, decreased dramatically under bias in the edge region.

Analytical compensation of axisymmetric equilibrium fluxes picked up by locked mode detectors in tokamaks

In the detection of locked modes using saddle loops, the problem of how to remove the axisymmetric equilibrium flux picked up by the loops has still to be solved. The problem becomes more difficult when there are conductive structures located near the saddle loops. In this paper, we present an analytical model based on lumped eddy current circuits and use it to interpret the measured equilibrium flux and the corresponding eddy current fluxes. Using this model, precise compensation for fluxes induced by the horizontal field coils and the toroidal field coils, with relative errors of less than 1%, has been realized for the saddle loops in the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak. This paper also presents a new method to compensate for the detection of equilibrium flux by the locked mode detector.

Note: Measurement of the runaway electrons in the J-TEXT tokamak

The runaway electrons have been measured by hard x-ray detectors and soft x-ray array in the J-TEXT tokamak. The hard x-ray radiations in the energy ranges of 0.5-5 MeV are measured by two NaI detectors. The flux of lost runaway electrons can be obtained routinely. The soft x-ray array diagnostics are used to monitor the runaway beam generated in disruptions since the soft x-ray is dominated by the interaction between runaway electrons and metallic impurities inside the plasma. With the aid of soft x-ray array, runaway electron beam has been detected directly during the formation of runaway current plateau following the disruptions.

Plasma horizontal position control for the J-TEXT tokamak based on feedforward density compensation

A relationship of the vertical field Bz required to maintain horizontal stability and the ratio of the central line-averaged density to the plasma current is deduced and is proved to be linear through the previous statistical discharge data on the J-TEXT tokamak. According to this, a plasma horizontal position control system based on feedforward density compensation (FDC) is developed and tested on the machine for different ramping rates of density variation. Due to the feedforward density signal, the controller with FDC could suppress the disturbance of the horizontal displacement owing to the density variation during the flat-top phase moving more quickly when compared with the case with the traditional proportional–integral–derivative controller, which is a feedback controller. There is a trade-off between the suppression of the perturbation and the oscillation of the horizontal displacement for density variation, which should be taken into account in real routine discharge.

Effect of electrode biasing on m/n = 2/1 tearing modes in J-TEXT experiments

The effects of electrode biasing (EB) on the m/n = 2/1 tearing mode have been experimentally studied in J-TEXT tokamak discharges, where m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers. It is found that for a negative bias voltage, the mode amplitude is reduced, and the mode frequency is increased accompanied by the increased toroidal plasma rotation speed in the counter-I p direction. For a positive bias voltage, the mode frequency is decreased together with the change of the rotation velocity towards the co-I p direction, and the mode amplitude is increased. Statistic results show that the variations in the toroidal rotation speed, the 2/1 mode frequency and its amplitude linearly depend on the bias voltage. The threshold voltages for complete suppression and locking of the mode are found. The experimental results suggest that applied electrode biasing is a possible method for the avoidance of mode locking and disruption.

Measurement of the internal magnetic fluctuation by the transport of runaways on J-TEXT

The measurement of internal magnetic fluctuation is important for the study of transport in tokamak plasmas. The runaway electron transport induced by the sawtooth crash can be used to obtain the internal magnetic fluctuation. Inversed sawtooth-like activities on hard x-ray (HXR) fluxes following sawtooth activities were observed after the application of electrode biasing on J-TEXT tokamak. The runaway diffusion coefficient Dr is deduced to be about 30 m2/s according to the time delay of HXR flux peaks to the sawtooth crashes. The averaged value of normalized magnetic fluctuation in the discharges with electrode biasing was increased to the order of 1 × 10-4.

Diamagnetic measurements based on the compensation of TF current diffusion in J-TEXT

Due to the existence both of toroidal ripples and toroidal field (TF) current diffusion, the toroidal flux changes with time when the TF current is at the flat-top. A diamagnetic measurement based on the compensation of TF current diffusion has been built in J-TEXT to solve this problem. The measurement system includes a double-loop installed in the vacuum vessel and an array of small printed circuit board (PCB) magnetic probes placed on the mid-plane of one TF coil. A model was proposed to analyze and compensate the effect of TF current diffusion. Experiment results show that the residual flux is about 1 × 10-4 Wb after the compensation and it can meet the need of diamagnetic measurement in J-TEXT.

A new application of retarding field analyzer for the electron and ion temperature measurement on the J-TEXT tokamak

A new application of retarding field analyzer for the electron and ion temperature measurement (named eiRFA) has been realized on the J-TEXT tokamak. A novel bias arrangement is adopted for the eiRFA to implement the simultaneous measurement of the electron and ion temperatures in the scrape-off layer, as well as the floating potential, plasma space potential, and sheath potential drop coefficient. It shows that the temperatures measured by eiRFA are reasonable and the plasma space potential obtained by two means is in good self-consistent. Moreover, the calculation of electron temperature can be modified using the eiRFA.