Showing papers by "Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory published in 2020"

Overview of the SPARC tokamak

Abstract: The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field () relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC's place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.

Physics of E × B discharges relevant to plasma propulsion and similar technologies

Abstract: This paper provides perspectives on recent progress in understanding the physics of devices in which the external magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the discharge current. This configuration generates a strong electric field that acts to accelerate ions. The many applications of this set up include generation of thrust for spacecraft propulsion and separation of species in plasma mass separation devices. These “E × B” plasmas are subject to plasma–wall interaction effects and to various micro- and macroinstabilities. In many devices we also observe the emergence of anomalous transport. This perspective presents the current understanding of the physics of these phenomena and state-of-the-art computational results, identifies critical questions, and suggests directions for future research.

Investigating Mercury’s Environment with the Two-Spacecraft BepiColombo Mission

Abstract: The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric dynamics at Mercury as well as their interactions with the solar wind, radiation, and interplanetary dust. Many scientific instruments onboard the two spacecraft will be completely, or partially devoted to study the near-space environment of Mercury as well as the complex processes that govern it. Many issues remain unsolved even after the MESSENGER mission that ended in 2015. The specific orbits of the two spacecraft, MPO and Mio, and the comprehensive scientific payload allow a wider range of scientific questions to be addressed than those that could be achieved by the individual instruments acting alone, or by previous missions. These joint observations are of key importance because many phenomena in Mercury’s environment are highly temporally and spatially variable. Examples of possible coordinated observations are described in this article, analysing the required geometrical conditions, pointing, resolutions and operation timing of different BepiColombo instruments sensors.

Exascale applications: skin in the game.

Abstract: As noted in Wikipedia, skin in the game refers to having 'incurred risk by being involved in achieving a goal', where 'skin is a synecdoche for the person involved, and game is the metaphor for actions on the field of play under discussion'. For exascale applications under development in the US Department of Energy Exascale Computing Project, nothing could be more apt, with the skin being exascale applications and the game being delivering comprehensive science-based computational applications that effectively exploit exascale high-performance computing technologies to provide breakthrough modelling and simulation and data science solutions. These solutions will yield high-confidence insights and answers to the most critical problems and challenges for the USA in scientific discovery, national security, energy assurance, economic competitiveness and advanced healthcare. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science'.

High-performance plasmas after pellet injections in Wendelstein 7-X

Abstract: A significant improvement of plasma parameters in the optimized stellarator W7-X is found after injections of frozen hydrogen pellets. The ion temperature in the post-pellet phase exceeds 3 keV with 5 MW of electron heating and the global energy confinement time surpasses the empirical ISS04-scaling. The plasma parameters realized in such experiments are significantly above those in comparable gas-fuelled discharges. In this paper, we present details of these pellet experiments and discuss the main plasma properties during the enhanced confinement phases. Local power balance is applied to show that the heat transport in post-pellet phases is close to the neoclassical level for the ion channel and is about a factor of two above that level for the combined losses. In comparable gas-fuelled discharges, the heat transport is by about ten times larger than the neoclassical level, and thus is largely anomalous. It is further observed that the improvement in the transport is related to the peaked density profiles that lead to a stabilization of the ion-scale turbulence.

Supercapillary Architecture‐Activated Two‐Phase Boundary Layer Structures for Highly Stable and Efficient Flow Boiling Heat Transfer

Abstract: Development of smaller, faster, and more powerful electronic devices requires effective cooling strategies to efficiently remove ever-greater heat. Phase-change heat transfer such as boiling and evaporation has been widely exploited in various water-energy industries owing to its efficient heat transfer mode. Despite extensive progress, it remains challenging to achieve the physical limit of flow boiling due to highly transitional and chaotic nature of multiphase flows as well as unfavorable boundary layer structures. Herein, a new strategy that promises to approach the physical limit of flow boiling heat transfer is reported. The flow boiling device with multiple channels is characterized with the design of micropinfin fences, which fundamentally transforms the boundary layer structures and imparts significantly higher heat transfer coefficient even at high heat flux conditions, in which boiling heat transfer is usually deteriorated due to the development of dryout starting from outlet regions and severe two-phase flow instabilities. Moreover, the approaching of physical limit is achieved without elevating pressure drop.

Necessary and sufficient conditions for quasisymmetry

Abstract: A necessary and sufficient set of conditions for a quasisymmetric magnetic field in the form of constraint equations is derived from first principles. Without any assumption regarding the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium of the plasma, conditions for quasisymmetry are constructed starting from the single-particle Lagrangian to the leading order. The conditions presented in the paper are less restrictive than the set recently obtained by Burby et al. [“Some mathematics for quasi-symmetry,” arXiv:1912.06468 (2019)], and could facilitate ongoing efforts toward investigating the existence of global quasisymmetric MHD equilibria. It is also shown that quasisymmetry implies the existence of flux surfaces, regardless of whether the field corresponds to an MHD equilibrium.

On applications of quantum computing to plasma simulations

Abstract: Quantum computing is gaining increased attention as a potential way to speed up simulations of physical systems, and it is also of interest to apply it to simulations of classical plasmas. However, quantum information science is traditionally aimed at modeling linear Hamiltonian systems of a particular form that is found in quantum mechanics, so extending the existing results to plasma applications remains a challenge. Here, we report a preliminary exploration of the long-term opportunities and likely obstacles in this area. First, we show that many plasma-wave problems are naturally representable in a quantumlike form and thus are naturally fit for quantum computers. Second, we consider more general plasma problems that include non-Hermitian dynamics (instabilities, irreversible dissipation) and nonlinearities. We show that by extending the configuration space, such systems can also be represented in a quantumlike form and thus can be simulated with quantum computers too, albeit that requires more computational resources compared to the first case. Third, we outline potential applications of hybrid quantum-classical computers, which include analysis of global eigenmodes and also an alternative approach to nonlinear simulations.

Deep convolutional neural networks for multi-scale time-series classification and application to tokamak disruption prediction using raw, high temporal resolution diagnostic data

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss recent advances in deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for sequence learning, which allow identifying long-range, multi-scale phenomena in long sequences, such as those found in fusion plasmas. We point out several benefits of these deep CNN architectures, such as not requiring experts such as physicists to hand-craft input data features, the ability to capture longer range dependencies compared to the more common sequence neural networks (recurrent neural networks like long short-term memory networks), and the comparative computational efficiency. We apply this neural network architecture to the popular problem of disruption prediction in fusion energy tokamaks, utilizing raw data from a single diagnostic, the Electron Cyclotron Emission imaging (ECEi) diagnostic from the DIII-D tokamak. Initial results trained on a large ECEi dataset show promise, achieving an F1-score of ∼91% on individual time-slices using only the ECEi data. This indicates that the ECEi diagnostic by itself can be sensitive to a number of pre-disruption markers useful for predicting disruptions on timescales for not only mitigation but also avoidance. Future opportunities for utilizing these deep CNN architectures with fusion data are outlined, including the impact of recent upgrades to the ECEi diagnostic.

Stellarators with Permanent Magnets

Abstract: It is shown that the magnetic-field coils of a stellarator can, at least in principle, be substantially simplified by the use of permanent magnets. Such magnets cannot create toroidal magnetic flux, but they can be used to shape the plasma and thus to create poloidal flux and rotational transform, thereby easing the requirements on the magnetic-field coils. As an example, a quasiaxisymmetric stellarator configuration is constructed with only 8 circular coils (all identical) and permanent magnets.

Mechanisms of energetic-particle transport in magnetically confined plasmas

Abstract: Super-thermal ions and electrons occur in both space and fusion plasmas. Because these energetic particles (EP) have large velocities, EP orbits necessarily deviate substantially from magnetic surfaces. Orbits are described by conserved constants of motion that define topological boundaries for different orbit types. Electric and magnetic field perturbations produced by instabilities can disrupt particle orbits, causing the constants of motion to change. The statistics of the “kicks” associated with these perturbations determines the resulting cross field transport. A unifying theme of this tutorial is the importance of the perturbation’s phase at the particle’s position Θ = k · r − ω t, where k and ω are the wavevector and frequency of the perturbation, r is the EP position, and t is the time. A distinction is made between field perturbations that resonate with an aspect of the orbital motion and those that do not. Resonance occurs when the wave phase returns to its initial value in an integer multiple of an orbital period. Convective transport occurs when resonant particles experience an unvarying wave phase. Alternatively, multiple wave-particle resonances usually decorrelate the phase, resulting in diffusive transport. Large orbits increase the number of important resonances and can cause chaotic orbits even for relatively small amplitude waves. In contrast, in the case of non-resonant perturbations, orbital phase averaging reduces transport. Large field perturbations introduce additional effects, including nonlinear resonances at fractional values of the orbital motion. In summary, large orbits are a blessing and a curse: For non-resonant modes, orbit-averaging reduces transport but, for resonant transport, large orbits facilitate jumps across topological boundaries and enhance the number of important resonances.

Machine learning control for disruption and tearing mode avoidance

Abstract: Real-time feedback control based on machine learning algorithms (MLA) was successfully developed and tested on DIII-D plasmas to avoid tearing modes and disruptions while maximizing the plasma performance, which is measured by normalized plasma beta. The control uses MLAs that were trained with ensemble learning methods using only the data available to the real-time Plasma Control System (PCS) from several thousand DIII-D discharges. A “tearability” metric that quantifies the likelihood of the onset of 2/1 tearing modes in a given time window, and a “disruptivity” metric that quantifies the likelihood of the onset of plasma disruptions were first tested off-line and then implemented on the PCS. A real-time control system based on these MLAs was successfully tested on DIII-D discharges, using feedback algorithms to maximize βN while avoiding tearing modes and to dynamically adjust ramp down to avoid high-current disruptions in ramp down.

Improved core-edge compatibility using impurity seeding in the small angle slot (SAS) divertor at DIII-D

Abstract: Impurity seeding studies in the small angle slot (SAS) divertor at DIII-D have revealed a strong relationship between the detachment onset and pedestal characteristics with both target geometry and impurity species. N2 seeding in the slot has led to the first simultaneous observation of detachment on the entire suite of boundary diagnostics viewing the SAS without degradation of core confinement. SOLPS-ITER simulations with D+C+N, full cross field drifts, and n–n collisions activated are performed for the first time in DIII-D to interpret the behavior. This highlights a strong effect of divertor configuration and plasma drifts on the recycling source distribution with significant consequences on plasma flows. Flow reversal is found for both main ions and impurities affecting strongly the impurity transport and providing an explanation for the observed dependence on the strike point location of the detachment onset and impurity leakage found in the experiments. Matched discharges with either nitrogen or neon injection show that while nitrogen does not significantly affect the pedestal, neon leads to increased pedestal pressure gradients and improved pedestal stability. Little nitrogen penetrates in the core, but a significant amount of neon is found in the pedestal consistent with the different ionization potentials of the two impurities. This work demonstrates that neutral and impurity distributions in the divertor can be controlled through variations in strike point locations in a fixed baffle structure. Divertor geometry combined with impurity seeding enables mitigated divertor heat flux balancing core contamination, thus leading to enhanced divertor dissipation and improved core-edge compatibility, which are essential for ITER and for future fusion reactors.

Magnetic reconnection in partially ionized plasmas

Abstract: Magnetic reconnection has been intensively studied in fully ionized plasmas. However, plasmas are often partially ionized in astrophysical environments. The interactions between the neutral particl...

Theory of the Tertiary Instability and the Dimits Shift from Reduced Drift-Wave Models

Abstract: Tertiary modes in electrostatic drift-wave turbulence are localized near extrema of the zonal velocity U(x) with respect to the radial coordinate x. We argue that these modes can be described as quantum harmonic oscillators with complex frequencies, so their spectrum can be readily calculated. The corresponding growth rate γ_{TI} is derived within the modified Hasegawa-Wakatani model. We show that γ_{TI} equals the primary-instability growth rate plus a term that depends on the local U^{''}; hence, the instability threshold is shifted compared to that in homogeneous turbulence. This provides a generic explanation of the well-known yet elusive Dimits shift, which we find explicitly in the Terry-Horton limit. Linearly unstable tertiary modes either saturate due to the evolution of the zonal density or generate radially propagating structures when the shear |U^{'}| is sufficiently weakened by viscosity. The Dimits regime ends when such structures are generated continuously.

Progress and challenges in understanding core transport in tokamaks in support to ITER operations

Abstract: Fusion performance in tokamaks depends on the core and edge regions as well as on their non-linear feedbacks. The achievable degree of edge confinement under the constraints of power handling in presence of a metallic wall is still an open question. Therefore, any improvement in the core temperature and density peaking is crucial for achieving target performance. This has motivated further progress in understanding core turbulent transport mechanisms, to help scenario development in present devices and improve predictive tools for ITER operations. In the last two decades, detailed experiments and their interpretation via the gyrokinetic theory of turbulent transport have led to a satisfactory level of understanding of the heat, particle, and momentum transport channels and of their mutual interactions. This paper presents some highlights of the progress, which stems from joint work of several devices and theory groups, in Europe and worldwide within the ITPA (International Tokamak Physics Activities) frame-work. On the other hand, the achievement of predictive capabilities of plasma profiles via integrated modeling, which also accounts for the nonlinear interactions inherent to the multi-channel nature of transport, is a priority in view of ITER. This requires using faster, reduced models, and the extent to which they capture the complex physics described by nonlinear gyrokinetics must be carefully evaluated. Present quasi-linear models match well experiments in baseline scenarios, and thus offer reliable predictions for the ITER reference scenario, but have issues in advanced scenarios. Some of these challenges are examined and discussed. In the longer term, advances in high performance computing will continue to drive physics discovery through increasingly complex gyrokinetic simulations, allowing also further development of reduced models. The development of neural network surrogate models is another recent advance that bridges the gap towards physics-based fast models for optimisation and control applications.

Wide Operational Windows of Edge-Localized Mode Suppression by Resonant Magnetic Perturbations in the DIII-D Tokamak.

Abstract: Edge-localized mode (ELM) suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) generally occurs over very narrow ranges of the plasma current (or magnetic safety factor q_{95}) in the DIII-D tokamak. However, wide q_{95} ranges of ELM suppression are needed for the safety and operational flexibility of ITER and future reactors. In DIII-D ITER similar shape plasmas with n=3 RMPs, the range of q_{95} for ELM suppression is found to increase with decreasing electron density. Nonlinear two-fluid MHD simulations reproduce the observed q_{95} windows of ELM suppression and the dependence on plasma density, based on the conditions for resonant field penetration at the top of the pedestal. When the RMP amplitude is close to the threshold for resonant field penetration, only narrow isolated magnetic islands form near the top of the pedestal, leading to narrow q_{95} windows of ELM suppression. However, as the threshold for field penetration decreases with decreasing density, resonant field penetration can take place over a wider range of q_{95}. For sufficiently low density (penetration threshold) multiple magnetic islands form near the top of the pedestal giving rise to continuous q_{95} windows of ELM suppression. The model predicts that wide q_{95} windows of ELM suppression can be achieved at substantially higher pedestal pressure in DIII-D by shifting to higher toroidal mode number (n=4) RMPs.

Observations and Modeling of the Onset of Fast Reconnection in the Solar Transition Region

Abstract: Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that plays a critical role not only in energy release in the solar atmosphere, but also in fusion, astrophysical, and other space plasma environments. One of the challenges in explaining solar observations in which reconnection is thought to play a critical role is to account for the transition of the dynamics from a slow quasi-continuous phase to a fast and impulsive energetic burst of much shorter duration. Despite the theoretical progress in identifying mechanisms that might lead to rapid onset, a lack of observations of this transition has left models poorly constrained. High-resolution spectroscopic observations from NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) now reveal tell-tale signatures of the abrupt transition of reconnection from a slow phase to a fast, impulsive phase during UV bursts or explosive events in the Sun's atmosphere. Our observations are consistent with numerical simulations of the plasmoid instability, and provide evidence for the onset of fast reconnection mediated by plasmoids and new opportunities for remote-sensing diagnostics of reconnection mechanisms on the Sun.

Onset of fast magnetic reconnection and particle energization in laboratory and space plasmas

Abstract: The onset of magnetic reconnection in space, astrophysical and laboratory plasmas is reviewed discussing results from theory, numerical simulations and observations. After a brief introduction on magnetic reconnection and approach to the question of onset, we first discuss recent theoretical models and numerical simulations, followed by observations of reconnection and its effects in space and astrophysical plasmas from satellites and ground-based detectors, as well as measurements of reconnection in laboratory plasma experiments. Mechanisms allowing reconnection spanning from collisional resistivity to kinetic effects as well as partial ionization are described, providing a description valid over a wide range of plasma parameters, and therefore applicable in principle to many different astrophysical and laboratory environments. Finally, we summarize the implications of reconnection onset physics for plasma dynamics throughout the Universe and illustrate how capturing the dynamics correctly is important to understanding particle acceleration. The goal of this review is to give a view on the present status of this topic and future interesting investigations, offering a unified approach.

A new explanation of the sawtooth phenomena in tokamaks

Abstract: The ubiquitous sawtooth phenomena in tokamaks are so named because the central temperature rises slowly and falls rapidly, similar to the blades of a saw. First discovered in 1974, it has so far eluded a theoretical explanation that is widely accepted and consistent with experimental observations. We propose here a new theory for the sawtooth phenomena in auxiliary heated tokamaks, which is motivated by our recent understanding of “magnetic flux pumping.” In this theory, the role of the ( m , n ) = ( 1 , 1 ) mode is to generate a dynamo voltage, which keeps the central safety factor, q0, just above 1.0 with low central magnetic shear. When central heating is present, the temperature on axis will increase until at some point, and the configuration abruptly becomes unstable to ideal MHD interchange modes with equal poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, m = n > 1. It is these higher order modes and the localized magnetic stochasticity they produce that cause the sudden crash of the temperature profile, not magnetic reconnection. Long time 3D MHD simulations demonstrate these phenomena, which appear to be consistent with many experimental observations.

Continuum electromagnetic gyrokinetic simulations of turbulence in the tokamak scrape-off layer and laboratory devices

Abstract: We present algorithms and results from Gkeyll, a full-f continuum, electromagnetic gyrokinetic code, designed to study turbulence in the edge region of fusion devices. The edge is computationally very challenging, requiring robust algorithms that can handle large-amplitude fluctuations and stable interactions with plasma sheaths. We present an energy-conserving high-order discontinuous Galerkin scheme that solves gyrokinetic equations in Hamiltonian form. Efficiency is improved by a careful choice of basis functions and automatically generated computation kernels. Previous verification tests were performed in the straight-field-line large plasma device [Shi et al., J. Plasma Phys. 83, 905830304 (2017)] and the Texas Helimak, a simple magnetized torus [Bernard et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 042301 (2019)], including the effect of end-plate biasing on turbulence. Results for the scrape-off layer for NSTX parameters with a model helical magnetic geometry with bad curvature have been obtained [Shi et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 012307 (2019)]. In this paper, we present algorithms for the two formulations of electromagnetic gyrokinetics: the Hamiltonian and the symplectic. We describe each formulation and show results of benchmark tests. Although our scheme works for the Hamiltonian formulation, the presence of spurious numerical modes for high-β and large k ⊥ 2 ρ s 2 regimes shows that the symplectic formulation is more robust. We then review our recent algorithm for the symplectic formulation [Mandell et al., J. Plasma Phys. 86, 905860109 (2020)], along with example application of this new capability. Maintaining positivity of the distribution function can be challenging, and we describe a new and novel exponential recovery based algorithm to address this.

MHD stability and disruptions in the SPARC tokamak

Abstract: SPARC is being designed to operate with a normalized beta of that rises linearly with a change in the plasma current. Massive material injection is planned to reduce the disruption loading. A data-driven approach to predict an oncoming disruption and trigger mitigation is discussed.

Conservative discontinuous Galerkin schemes for nonlinear Dougherty-Fokker-Planck collision operators

Abstract: We present a novel discontinuous Galerkin algorithm for the solution of a class of Fokker–Planck collision operators. These operators arise in many fields of physics, and our particular application is for kinetic plasma simulations. In particular, we focus on an operator often known as the ‘Lenard–Bernstein’ or ‘Dougherty’ operator. Several novel algorithmic innovations, based on the concept of weak equality, are reported. These weak equalities are used to define weak operators that compute primitive moments, and are also used to determine a reconstruction procedure that allows an efficient and accurate discretization of the diffusion term. We show that when two integrations by parts are used to construct the discrete weak form, and finite velocity-space extents are accounted for, a scheme that conserves density, momentum and energy exactly is obtained. One novel feature is that the requirements of momentum and energy conservation lead to unique formulas to compute primitive moments. Careful definition of discretized moments also ensure that energy is conserved in the piecewise linear case, even though the kinetic-energy term, is not included in the basis set used in the discretization. A series of benchmark problems is presented and shows that the scheme conserves momentum and energy to machine precision. Empirical evidence also indicates that entropy is a non-decreasing function. The collision terms are combined with the Vlasov equation to study collisional Landau damping and plasma heating via magnetic pumping.

Machine learning surrogate models for Landau fluid closure

Abstract: The first result of applying the machine/deep learning technique to the fluid closure problem is presented in this paper. As a start, three different types of neural networks [multilayer perceptron (MLP), convolutional neural network (CNN), and two-layer discrete Fourier transform (DFT) network] were constructed and trained to learn the well-known Hammett–Perkins Landau fluid closure in configuration space. We find that in order to train a well-preformed network, a minimum size of the training data set is needed; MLP also requires a minimum number of neurons in the hidden layers that equals the degrees of freedom in Fourier space, despite the fact that training data are being fed into the configuration space. Out of the three models, DFT performs the best for the clean data, most likely due to the existence of the simple Fourier expression for the Hammett–Perkins closure, but it is the least robust with respect to input noise. Overall, with appropriate tuning and optimization, all three neural networks are able to accurately predict the Hammett–Perkins closure and reproduce the intrinsic nonlocal feature, suggesting a promising path to calculating more sophisticated closures with the machine/deep learning technique.

Charge-state independent anomalous transport for a wide range of different impurity species observed at Wendelstein 7-X

Abstract: In this paper, the plasma volume averaged impurity confinement of selected charge states and impurity species has been characterized for the Stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), covering a wide range of atomic charges (Z = 12–44) and atomic masses (M = 28–184). A comparison of the experimental findings to theoretical neoclassical and turbulent transport expectations suggests, aside from/in addition to the neoclassical transport, an additional significant anomalous transport mechanism, which is not inconsistent with the predictions of a turbulence dominated impurity transport and is in agreement with the experimental results from recent transport studies based on the direct measurements of impurity diffusion profiles, performed at W7-X.