Based on experimental observations using the TUMAN-3M and FT-2 tokamaks, and the results of gyrokinetic modeling of the interplay between turbulence and the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) in these ...installations, a simple model is proposed for the analysis of the conditions required for L-H transition triggering by a burst of radial electric field oscillations in a tokamak. In the framework of this model, one-dimensional density evolution is considered to be governed by an anomalous diffusion coefficient dependent on radial electric field shear. The radial electric field is taken as the sum of the oscillating term and the quasi-stationary one determined by density and ion temperature gradients through a neoclassical formula. If the oscillating field parameters (amplitude, frequency, etc) are properly adjusted, a transport barrier forms at the plasma periphery and sustains after the oscillations are switched off, manifesting a transition into the high confinement mode with a strong inhomogeneous radial electric field and suppressed transport at the plasma edge. The electric field oscillation parameters required for L-H transition triggering are compared with the GAM parameters observed at the TUMAN-3M (in the discharges with ohmic L-H transition) and FT-2 tokamaks (where no clear L-H transition was observed). It is concluded based on this comparison that the GAM may act as a trigger for the L-H transition, provided that certain conditions for GAM oscillation and tokamak discharge are met.
Abstract
Hot ion mode was recently achieved at the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak when the toroidal magnetic field was as high as 0.9 T and plasma current 0.35 MA. The injection of two neutral beams ...with a total power of 0.7 MW and an energy of 30 keV into a plasma with major radius 0.36 m and minor radius 0.22 m (aspect ratio 1.6) made it possible to heat the plasma ions up to 4 keV, while electron density in the plasma center was as high as 8 × 10
19
m
−3
. The achievement of high temperatures became possible due to the good thermal insulation of the plasma.
Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have proved the important role of radial electric field inhomogeneity, or shear, in LH-transition initiation, and established heating power threshold for ...transition, although some experiments provide the observation of LH-transition dependency on particle source. It is necessary to apply a concerted approach to describe LH-transition initiation possibility and dynamics, considering Er shear, particle source and turbulence properties as the main factors responsible for LH-transition initiation.
A study of the spectral properties of electromagnetic radiation in the ion-cyclotron range from the plasma of the TUMAN-3M tokamak in the NBI heating mode has been carried out. The spectrum of this ...radiation consists of several (up to four) narrow lines corresponding to different harmonics of the ion-cyclotron resonance frequency of injected fast ions in the center of the plasma. Wave vectors corresponding to individual spectral lines are determined from the signal delays between spatially separated probes. It is shown that under the assumption that all the measured frequencies and wave vectors follow the same dispersion relation, the observed radiation can be explained by the appearance in the plasma of an unstable fast magneto-acoustic wave propagating almost normally to the direction of the magnetic field.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) observations in TUMAN-3M tokamak show that in ohmic discharges with low plasma density GAM have intermittent character; transition to high confinement regime ...(LH-transition) is usually preceded by a short (up to 5 ms) GAM burst series with distinctive frequency drop, or there exists long (up to 30 ms) GAM burst series evolution with several characteristic timescales and varying amplitude. To determinate the effect of GAM temporal parameters on the possibility of LH-transition initiation numerical modeling of plasma density profile evolution under the effect of GAM burst sequence with varying frequency and amplitude was carried out.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The results of experiments on determining the polarization of two types of Alfvén oscillations observed with magnetic probes in the TUMAN-3M tokamak are presented. The difference in the polarization ...of short and long bursts of Alfvén oscillations, arising both in ohmic regime and during neutral beam injection, is found. The role of high-energy electrons in the excitation of Alfvén oscillations is discussed.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
In the experiments on tangential fuel pellet injection in the TUMAN-3M tokamak an initiation of LH-transition or, in several scenarios-temporal (1-2 ms) confinement improvement with the following ...backwards transition was observed. To understand the possibility of the transitions, a model calculating the evolution of density and ion temperature profiles under the effect of source profile perturbation and plasma cooling created by pellet evaporation was developed. In the model, a diffusion coefficient depending on radial electric field shear value was used. Turbulence parameters are defined using a gyrokinetic simulation of the experiments with ELMFIRE code. Modeling results are in good agreement with experiments. Using the data obtained from the modeling, non-linear particle flux dependency on density gradient was analyzed; the existence of two stabile solutions for two confinement modes dependent on particle flux value was proved, in agreement with experiments.
Some factors limiting an increase in the plasma pressure at the periphery of the tokamak plasmas can arise when the improved confinement is achieved in the H-mode. It happens when the edge localized ...modes (ELMs) develop in tokamak plasmas, and the factors mentioned above manifested themselves in the form of quasi-periodic filamentary structures, or filaments. The formation of such structures results in the occurrence of the anomalous energy and particle flows onto the first wall and divertor plates of tokamaks. Studies of the filaments were previously performed at tokamaks with divertor configuration using various plasma diagnostic methods, including the Doppler backscattering method. The paper presents the first observations of the filaments at the TUMAN-3M, which is the tokamak with limiter configuration. The filaments were studied using the Doppler backscattering method. Plasma was probed by the double-frequency microwave radiation of the O-wave in the frequency range of 27-37 GHz. The data were obtained in the H-mode regime initiated by the pulsed gas injection, in which the ELM-like events are observed. The poloidal velocity of the filaments and their radial localization were determined, and the radial and poloidal sizes of the filaments were also estimated.
In Globus-M2 ohmic discharges with low density, by means of Mirnov coils array, magnetic field oscillations with frequencies in 1 MHz range were detected. Frequency range of these oscillations ...significantly exceed the range of TAE and RSAE frequencies, which were previously observed on Globus-M and Globus-M2 tokamaks, and their amplitude, contrary, turned out to be up to an order of magnitude lower. It was found that high frequency oscillations are interrelated with suprathermal electron fraction. At the same time the observed instability seems to have Alfvenic nature, since its frequency correlates well with Alfven frequency scaling. It was also found that magnetic perturbation always forms standing wave with predominantly low toroidal wavenumbers, including
n
= 0 structure, which makes gap (e.g. TAE) mode excitation impossible. Frequency chirping during single bursts with
is consistent with hole-clump model predictions.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
During modernization of the Globus-M tokamak, toroidal magnetic field and plasma current were increased, and a number of diagnostics were upgraded, which made it possible to study phenomena ...associated with the excitation of Alfvén waves in a spherical tokamak in a wider range of plasma parameters. In the experiments with neutral beam injection, the dependences of fast particle losses initiated by the toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAE) on their magnitude in the magnetic field range of 0.4 - 0.7 T and currents of 180 - 330 kA were acquired. Resulting dependences confirm previously obtained results and indicate a decrease in losses with increasing magnetic field and plasma current. At the same time, a number of new phenomena, that have never been observed on Globus-M were detected. In experiments with neutral beam injection at the current ramp up stage, Alfvén cascades (AC) in the frequency range of 100 - 300 kHz were observed for the first time. By means of the Doppler backscattering diagnostics (DBS), it was shown that ACs are localized closer to magnetic axis unlike TAE. Also, during low hybrid wave current drive (LHCD) experiments, global Alfvén eigenmodes (GAE) were detected at a frequency close to 1 MHz, apparently driven in the resonance with runaway electron beam. Detected global eigenmodes are also able to arise in ohmic discharges, however, their magnitude is lower.
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