Showing papers by "V. Igochine published in 2013"

Fast-ion redistribution and loss due to edge perturbations in the ASDEX Upgrade, DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks

Abstract: The impact of edge localized modes (ELMs) and externally applied resonant and non-resonant magnetic perturbations (MPs) on fast-ion confinement/transport have been investigated in the ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks. Two phases with respect to the ELM cycle can be clearly distinguished in ELM-induced fast-ion losses. Inter-ELM losses are characterized by a coherent modulation of the plasma density around the separatrix while intra-ELM losses appear as well-defined bursts. In high collisionality plasmas with mitigated ELMs, externally applied MPs have little effect on kinetic profiles, including fast-ions, while a strong impact on kinetic profiles is observed in low-collisionality, low q95 plasmas with resonant and non-resonant MPs. In low-collisionality H-mode plasmas, the large fast-ion filaments observed during ELMs are replaced by a loss of fast-ions with a broad-band frequency and an amplitude of up to an order of magnitude higher than the neutral beam injection prompt loss signal without MPs. A clear synergy in the overall fast-ion transport is observed between MPs and neoclassical tearing modes. Measured fast-ion losses are typically on banana orbits that explore the entire pedestal/scrape-off layer. The fast-ion response to externally applied MPs presented here may be of general interest for the community to better understand the MP field penetration and overall plasma response.

Power requirements for electron cyclotron current drive and ion cyclotron resonance heating for sawtooth control in ITER

Abstract: 13 MW of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) power deposited inside the q = 1 surface is likely to reduce the sawtooth period in ITER baseline scenario below the level empirically predicted to trigger neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs). However, since the ECCD control scheme is solely predicated upon changing the local magnetic shear, it is prudent to plan to use a complementary scheme which directly decreases the potential energy of the kink mode in order to reduce the sawtooth period. In the event that the natural sawtooth period is longer than expected, due to enhanced α particle stabilization for instance, this ancillary sawtooth control can be provided from >10MW of ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) power with a resonance just inside the q = 1 surface. Both ECCD and ICRH control schemes would benefit greatly from active feedback of the deposition with respect to the rational surface. If the q = 1 surface can be maintained closer to the magnetic axis, the efficacy of ECCD and ICRH schemes significantly increases, the negative effect on the fusion gain is reduced, and off-axis negative-ion neutral beam injection (NNBI) can also be considered for sawtooth control. Consequently, schemes to reduce the q = 1 radius are highly desirable, such as early heating to delay the current penetration and, of course, active sawtooth destabilization to mediate small frequent sawteeth and retain a small q = 1 radius. Finally, there remains a residual risk that the ECCD + ICRH control actuators cannot keep the sawtooth period below the threshold for triggering NTMs (since this is derived only from empirical scaling and the control modelling has numerous caveats). If this is the case, a secondary control scheme of sawtooth stabilization via ECCD + ICRH + NNBI, interspersed with deliberate triggering of a crash through auxiliary power reduction and simultaneous pre-emptive NTM control by off-axis ECCD has been considered, permitting long transient periods with high fusion gain. The power requirements for the necessary degree of sawtooth control using either destabilization or stabilization schemes are expected to be within the specification of anticipated ICRH and ECRH heating in ITER, provided the requisite power can be dedicated to sawtooth control.

Sawtooth control using electron cyclotron current drive in the presence of energetic particles in high performance ASDEX Upgrade plasmas

Abstract: Sawtooth control using steerable electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) has been demonstrated in ASDEX Upgrade plasmas with a significant population of energetic ions in the plasma core and long uncontrolled sawtooth periods. The sawtooth period is found to be minimized when the ECCD resonance is swept to just inside the q = 1 surface. By utilizing ECCD inside q = 1 for sawtooth control, it is possible to avoid the triggering of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs), even at significantly higher pressure than anticipated in the ITER baseline scenario. Operation at 25% higher normalized pressure has been achieved when only modest ECCD power is used for sawtooth control compared to identical discharges without sawtooth control when NTMs are triggered by the sawteeth. Modelling suggests that the destabilization arising from the change in the local magnetic shear caused by the ECCD is able to compete with the stabilizing influence of the energetic particles inside the q = 1 surface.

Characterization of saturated MHD instabilities through 2D electron temperature profile reconstruction from 1D ECE measurements

Abstract: A new method for the reconstruction of two-dimensional (2D) electron temperature profiles in the presence of saturated magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) modes from the one-dimensional (1D) electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic is presented. The analysis relies on harmonic decomposition of the electron temperature oscillations through short time Fourier transforms and requires rigid poloidal mode rotation as the only assumption. The method is applicable to any magnetic perturbation as long as the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers m and n are known. Its application to the case of a (m, n) = (1, 1) internal kink mode on ASDEX Upgrade is presented and a new way to estimate the mode displacement is explained. For such modes, it is shown that the higher order harmonics usually visible in the ECE spectrogram arise also for the pure m = n = 1 mode and that they cannot be directly associated with m = n > 1 magnetic perturbations. This method opens up new possibilities for electron heat transport studies in the presence of saturated MHD modes and a way to disentangle the impurity density contributions from electron temperature effects in the analysis of the soft x-ray data.

Continuous linear time-frequency transforms in the analysis of fusion plasma transients

Abstract: There is a long history of the use of continuous linear time-frequency transforms in the analysis of transients detected in fusion plasma devices [1]. Despite the fact that numerous alternative methods of time-frequency analysis were proposed during the years, Fourier transform based solutions are still the standard method to approach transient wave-like phenomena. The reason for this continued popularity is that these linear time-frequency transforms do not produce any disturbing interference patterns between the time-frequency atoms, eigenfunctions of linear and quasi-linear theories [2]. This paper concentrates on continuous transforms that are time-shift invariant, thus ideal for the analysis of transient signals (for example: chirps, sawtooth, ELMs, EPMs, etc.). The two well-known types of continuous linear time-frequency transforms, namely the short-time Fourier transform and the continuous wavelet transform with analytical wavelets, differ mainly in their invariance properties, which determines their optimal field of use. Uncertainty estimation of transform values and derived quantities, like energy density distributions and phases, is also addressed. Finally, the paper presents some advanced methods based on the time-frequency transforms that have been implemented in the recently developed NTI Wavelet Tools package with practical fusion plasma applications. A mode number determination routine is a main feature, for an application on sawtooth crash analysis see [3]. It is based on fitting mode phases, and now it also provides the uncertainty of the estimated values. Time-frequency coherence and transfer functions are introduced briefly, and time-frequency bicoherence is discussed concentrating on consequences of the invariance properties of the transforms used.

Power requirements for electron cyclotron current drive and ion cyclotron resonance heating for sawtooth control in ITER

Abstract: 13MW of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) power deposited inside the q = 1 surface is likely to reduce the sawtooth period in ITER baseline scenario below the level empirically predicted to trigger neo-classical tearing modes (NTMs). However, since the ECCD control scheme is solely predicated upon changing the local magnetic shear, it is prudent to plan to use a complementary scheme which directly decreases the potential energy of the kink mode in order to reduce the sawtooth period. In the event that the natural sawtooth period is longer than expected, due to enhanced alpha particle stabilisation for instance, this ancillary sawtooth control can be provided from > 10MW of ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) power with a resonance just inside the q = 1 surface. Both ECCD and ICRH control schemes would benefit greatly from active feedback of the deposition with respect to the rational surface. If the q = 1 surface can be maintained closer to the magnetic axis, the efficacy of ECCD and ICRH schemes significantly increases, the negative effect on the fusion gain is reduced, and off-axis negative-ion neutral beam injection (NNBI) can also be considered for sawtooth control. Consequently, schemes to reduce the q = 1 radius are highly desirable, such as early heating to delay the current penetration and, of course, active sawtooth destabilisation to mediate small frequent sawteeth and retain a small q = 1 radius.