A phase relationship is identified between sequential edge localized modes (ELMs) occurrence times in a set of H-mode tokamak plasmas to the voltage measured in full flux azimuthal loops in the divertor region. We focus on plasmas in the Joint European Torus where a steady H-mode is sustained over several seconds, during which ELMs are observed in the Be II emission at the divertor. The ELMs analysed arise from intrinsic ELMing, in that there is no deliberate intent to control the ELMing process by external means. We use ELM timings derived from the Be II signal to perform direct time domain analysis of the full flux loop VLD2 and VLD3 signals, which provide a high cadence global measurement proportional to the voltage induced by changes in poloidal magnetic flux. Specifically, we examine how the time interval between pairs of successive ELMs is linked to the time-evolving phase of the full flux loop signals. Each ELM produces a clear early pulse in the full flux loop signals, whose peak time is used to condition our analysis. The arrival time of the following ELM, relative to this pulse, is found to fall into one of two categories: (i) prompt ELMs, which are directly paced by the initial response seen in the flux loop signals; and (ii) all other ELMs, which occur after the initial response of the full flux loop signals has decayed in amplitude. The times at which ELMs in category (ii) occur, relative to the first ELM of the pair, are clustered at times when the instantaneous phase of the full flux loop signal is close to its value at the time of the first ELM.

A global signature of the build-up to an intrinsic edge localized mode (ELM) is found in the temporal analytic phase of signals measured in full flux azimuthal loops in the divertor region of JET. Toroidally integrating, full flux loop signals provide a global measurement proportional to the voltage induced by changes in poloidal magnetic flux; they are electromagnetically induced by the dynamics of spatially integrated current density. We perform direct time-domain analysis of the high time-resolution full flux loop signals VLD2 and VLD3. We analyze plasmas where a steady H-mode is sustained over several seconds during which all the observed ELMs are intrinsic; there is no deliberate intent to pace the ELMing process by external means. ELM occurrence times are determined from the Be II emission at the divertor. We previously [Chapman et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 062302 (2014); Chapman et al., in 41st EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, Europhysics Conference Abstracts (European Physical Society, 2014), Vol. 38F, ISBN 2-914771-90-8] found that the occurrence times of intrinsic ELMs correlate with specific temporal analytic phases of the VLD2 and VLD3 signals. Here, we investigate how the VLD2 and VLD3 temporal analytic phases vary with time in advance of the ELM occurrence time. We identify a build-up to the ELM in which the VLD2 and VLD3 signals progressively align to the temporal analytic phase at which ELMs preferentially occur, on a ∼2−5ms timescale. At the same time, the VLD2 and VLD3 signals become temporally phase synchronized with each other, consistent with the emergence of coherent global dynamics in the integrated current density. In a plasma that remains close to a global magnetic equilibrium, this can reflect bulk displacement or motion of the plasma. This build-up signature to an intrinsic ELM can be extracted from a time interval of data that does not extend beyond the ELM occurrence time, so that these full flux loop signals could assist in ELM prediction or mitigation.

For a two week period during the Joint European Torus 2012 experimental campaign, the same high confinement plasma was repeated 151 times. The dataset was analysed to produce a probability density function (pdf) for the waiting times between edge-localized plasma instabilities (ELMs). The result was entirely unexpected. Instead of a smooth single peaked pdf, a succession of 4-5 sharp maxima and minima uniformly separated by 7-8 ms intervals was found. Here we explore the causes of this newly observed phenomenon, and conclude that it is either due to a naturally occurring self-organized plasma phenomenon or an interaction between the plasma and a real-time control system. If the maxima are a result of 'resonant' frequencies at which ELMs can be triggered more easily, then future ELM control techniques can, and probably will, use them. Either way, these results demand a deeper understanding of the ELM process.

Two generations of stars, G1 and G2, typically populate Galactic globular clusters (GCs). The origin of G2 stars is unclear. We uncover two empirical dependencies between GC characteristics, which can be explained by the formation of G2 Main-Sequence (MS) stars due to collision/merging of their primordial counterparts (G1). A similar genesis of both G2 stars and peculiar objects like LMXBs and millisecond pulsars is also implied. Indeed, we find a significant (at a confidence level $> 99,9{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) anti-correlation between the fraction of G1 red giants (NG1/Ntot) and stellar encounter rates among 51 GCs. Moreover, a Milky Way-like initial mass function (IMF) requires at least ∼50 per cent of MS stars located in the mass range [0.1 − 0.5]M⊙. Unlike cluster mass loss, stellar collisions/merging retain these G1 stars by converting them into more massive G2 ones, with mainly MMS > 0.5M⊙. This process coupled with a decreasing relative mass loss with increasing GC masses implies a smaller (NG1/Ntot) in more massive GCs with a shallower present day MF. From data for 35 GCs, we find that such an anti-correlation is significant at 98.3 per cent confidence level (Spearman’s correlation) for the 12 most massive GCs (MGC > 105.3M⊙) and it is at a confidence level of 89 per cent for the 12 least massive GCs (MGC < 105.1M⊙). Other fractions of G1 and G2 stars observed at the bottom of the MS as compared with the red giant branch in a few GCs are consistent with the scenario proposed.

Edge localised mode (ELM) measurements from reproducibly similar plasmas in the Joint European Torus (JET) tokamak, which differ only in their gas puffing rate, are analysed in terms of the pattern in the sequence of inter-ELM time intervals. It is found that the category of ELM defined empirically as type I-typically more regular, less frequent, and having larger amplitude than other ELM types-embraces substantially different ELMing processes. By quantifying the structure in the sequence of inter-ELM time intervals using delay time plots, we reveal transitions between distinct phase space dynamics, implying transitions between distinct underlying physical processes. The control parameter for these transitions between these different ELMing processes is the gas puffing rate. [http://dx.