Beam-driven energetic particle modes in advanced tokamak plasmas

Heidbrink, W. W.; Gorelenkov, N. N.; Murakami, M.

doi:10.1088/0029-5515/42/8/305

Cited by 25 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Outward redistribution of the core-peaked energetic beam ions due to Alfvénic modes can modify the NBI-driven current profile and hence the core q-profile, as also reported in DIII-D [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Transient Enhancement ('Spike-on-Tail') Observed on Neutral-Beam-Injected Energetic Ion Spectra Using the E||B Neutral Particle Analyzer in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Medley¹,

Gorelenkov²,

Bell³

et al. 2010

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Transient Enhancement ('Spike-on-Tail') Observed on Neutral-Beam-Injected Energetic Ion Spectra Using the E||B Neutral Particle Analyzer in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Medley¹,

Gorelenkov²,

Bell³

et al. 2010

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“…The KBM frequency depends sensitively on the beam-ion distribution function, which differs greatly in different discharges. The beam-ion distribution function almost certainly changes between the measured bursts, which can explain the observed sudden changes in the mode frequency [126,127]. Similar considerations could be made on the basis of [128,129], which suggest that an accurate modelling of these modes should include the beamion drive, the thermal ion compressibility and the wave-particle interaction.…”

Section: Identification Of Alfvénic Modes In Different Operating Scenmentioning

confidence: 61%

Chapter 5: Physics of energetic ions

et al. 2007

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This chapter reviews the progress accomplished since the redaction of the first ITER Physics Basis Nucl. Fusion 39 2137 in the field of energetic ion physics and its possible impact on burning plasma regimes. New schemes to create energetic ions simulating the fusion-produced alphas are introduced, accessing experimental conditions of direct relevance for burning plasmas, in terms of the Alfvénic Mach number and of the normalised pressure gradient of the energetic ions, though orbit characteristics and size cannot always match those of ITER. Based on the experimental and theoretical knowledge of the effects of the toroidal magnetic field ripple on direct fast ion losses, ferritic inserts in ITER are expected to provide a significant reduction of ripple alpha losses in reversed shear configurations. The nonlinear fast ion interaction with kink and tearing modes is qualitatively understood, but quantitative predictions are missing, particularly for the stabilisation of sawteeth by fast particles that can trigger neoclassical tearing modes. A large database on the linear stability properties of the modes interacting with energetic ions, such as the Alfvén eigenmode has been constructed. Comparisons between theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of mode structures and drive/damping rates approach a satisfactory degree of consistency, though systematic measurements and theory comparisons of damping and drive of intermediate and high mode numbers, the most relevant for ITER, still need to be performed. The nonlinear behaviour of Alfvén eigenmodes close to marginal stability is well characterized theoretically and experimentally, which gives the opportunity to extract some information on the particle phase space distribution from the measured instability spectral features. Much less data exists for strongly unstable scenarios, characterised by nonlinear dynamical processes leading to energetic ion redistribution and losses, and identified in nonlinear numerical simulations of Alfvén eigenmodes and energetic particle modes. Comparisons with theoretical and numerical analyses are needed to assess the potential implications of these regimes on burning plasma scenarios, including in the presence of a large number of modes simultaneously driven unstable by the fast ions.

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“…During this time strong n = 1 fishbone activity is observed. This activity may well lead to the radial transport of fast ions [62]. The effect of the anomalous fast ion diffusion on the current profile is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Off-axis Nbcd and Current Ramp-up Optimisationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Overview of physics results from MAST

Raman¹,

Ahn²,

Allain³

et al. 2011

Nucl. Fusion

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Several improvements to the MAST plant and diagnostics have facilitated new studies advancing the physics basis for ITER and DEMO, as well as for future spherical tokamaks. Using the increased heating capabilities P NBI ≤ 3.8 MW H-mode at I p = 1.2 MA was accessed showing that the energy confinement on MAST scales more weakly with I p and more strongly with B t than in the ITER IPB98(y,2) scaling. Measurements of the fuel retention of shallow pellets extrapolate to an ITER particle throughput of 70% of its original design value. The anomalous momentum diffusion, χ φ , is linked to the ion diffusion, χ i , with a Prandtl number close to P φ ≈ χ φ /χ i ≈ 1, although χ i approaches neoclassical values. New high spatially resolved measurements of the edge radial electric field, E r , show that the position of steepest gradients in electron pressure and E r are coincident, but their magnitudes are not linked. The T e pedestal width on MAST scales with the β pol rather than ρ pol . The ELM frequency for type-IV ELMs, new in MAST, was almost doubled using n = 2 resonant magnetic perturbations from a set of 4 external coils (n = 1, 2). A new internal 12 coil set (n ≤ 3) has been commissioned. The filaments in the inter-ELM and L-mode phase are different from ELM filaments, and the characteristics in L-mode agree well with turbulence calculations. A variety of fast particle driven instabilities were studied from 10 kHz saturated fishbone like activity up to 3.8 MHz compressional Alfvén eigenmodes (CAE). The damping rate of ellipticityinduced AE was measured to be 4% using the new internal coils as antennae. Fast particle instabilities also affect the off-axis NBI current drive and lead to fast ion diffusion of the order of 0.5 m 2 /s and reduce the driven current fraction from 40% to 30%. EBW current drive start-up is demonstrated for the first time in a spherical tokamak generating plasma currents up to 55 kA. Many of these studies contributed to the physics basis of a planned upgrade to MAST. Introduction: MAST [1]is one of the two leading tight aspect ratio (A = ε −1 = R/a = 0.85 m/0.65 m ∼ 1.3, I p ≤ 1.5 MA) tokamaks in the world. The hot T ≤ 3 keV, dense n e = (0.1 − 1) × 10 20 m −3 and highly shaped (δ ≤ 0.5, 1.6 ≤ κ ≤ 2.5) plasmas are accessed at moderate toroidal field B t (R = 0.7 m) ≤ 0.62 T and show many similarities to conventional aspect ratio tokamaks. Detailed physics studies using the extensive array of state of the art diagnostics and access to different physics regimes help to consolidate the physics basis for ITER and DEMO [2,3], and explore the viability of future devices based on the spherical tokamak (ST) concept such as a component test facility (CTF) [4] or an advanced power plant [5]. The challenge for today's experiments is to find an integrated scenario that extrapolates to these future devices, in particular to develop plasmas with reduced power load on plasma facing components, notably from edge localised modes (ELM), but high confinement facilitated by internal or edge transport ba...

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Beam-driven energetic particle modes in advanced tokamak plasmas

Cited by 25 publications

References 14 publications

Transient Enhancement ('Spike-on-Tail') Observed on Neutral-Beam-Injected Energetic Ion Spectra Using the E||B Neutral Particle Analyzer in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Transient Enhancement ('Spike-on-Tail') Observed on Neutral-Beam-Injected Energetic Ion Spectra Using the E||B Neutral Particle Analyzer in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Chapter 5: Physics of energetic ions

Overview of physics results from MAST

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