ABSTRACT
The fusion-born alpha particle heating in magnetically confined fusion machines is a high priority subject for studies. The self-heating of thermonuclear fusion plasma by alpha particles was observed in recent deuterium-tritium (D-T) experiments on the joint European torus. This observation was possible by conducting so-called "afterglow" experiments where transient high fusion yield was achieved with neutral beam injection as the only external heating source, and then termination of the heating at peak performance. This allowed the first direct evidence for electron heating of plasmas by fusion-born alphas to be obtained. Interpretive transport modeling of the relevant D-T and reference deuterium discharges is consistent with the alpha particle heating observation.
ABSTRACT
On MAST, compressional Alfvén eigenmodes can be destabilized by the presence of a sufficiently large population of energetic particles in the plasma. This dependence was studied in a series of very similar discharges in which increasing amounts of hydrogen were puffed into a deuterium plasma. A simple method to estimate the isotopic ratio nH/nD using neutron emission measurements is here described. The inferred isotopic ratio ranged from 0.0 to 0.6 and no experimental indication of changes in radial profile of nH/nD were observed. These findings are confirmed by TRANSP/NUBEAM simulations of the neutron emission.
ABSTRACT
Recent experiments at JET aimed at producing 4He ions in the MeV range through third harmonic ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) acceleration of 4He beams in a 4He dominated plasma. MeV range D was also present through parasitic ICRH absorption on residual D. In this contribution, we analyze TOFOR neutron spectrometer data from these experiments. A consistent description of the data is obtained with d(d,n)3He and 9Be(α,n)12C neutron components calculated using Stix distributions for the fast D and 4He, taking finite Larmor radius effects into account and with a ICRH power partition of P(D)(RF) = 0.01×P(4He)(RF), in agreement with TOMCAT simulations.
ABSTRACT
The nonlinear evolution of waves excited by the resonant interaction with energetic particles, just above the instability threshold, is shown to depend on the type of relaxation process that restores the unstable distribution function. When dynamical friction dominates over diffusion in the phase space region surrounding the wave-particle resonance, an explosive evolution of the wave is found to be the only solution. This is in contrast with the case of dominant diffusion when the wave may exhibit steady-state, amplitude modulation, chaotic and explosive regimes near marginal stability. The experimentally observed differences between Alfvénic instabilities driven by neutral beam injection and those driven by ion-cyclotron resonance heating are interpreted.
ABSTRACT
In tokamak experiments, equilibrium reconstruction codes are used to calculate the location of the last closed flux surface, to map diagnostic information, and to derive important properties like current density and safety factor. At JET, the equilibrium code EFIT is automatically executed after each discharge. For speed and robustness, intershot EFIT is based on magnetic probe measurements only. As a consequence, the intershot profiles of the safety factor can be wrong for a variety of plasma scenarios. Internal diagnostic information, the pitch angle as measured with the motional stark effect, Faraday rotation angles, as well as pressure profile information can increase the accuracy of the EFIT equilibrium. In this paper, the accuracy of the internal diagnostics at JET and their impact on the EFIT results are discussed in detail. The influence of control parameters like the form of the test functions for ff' and p' on the equilibrium is investigated. The q(min) from this analysis agrees with information from magnetohydrodynamics analysis (e.g., Alfvén cascades and sawtooth analysis) to within 10%-15%.
ABSTRACT
A microwave interferometry technique is applied for the first time for detecting a discrete spectrum of Alfvén cascade (AC) eigenmodes excited with fast ions in reversed magnetic shear plasmas of the Joint European Torus. The interferometry measurements of plasma density perturbations associated with ACs show an unprecedented frequency and time resolution superior to that obtained with external magnetic coils. The measurements of ACs are used for monitoring the evolution of the safety factor and density of rational magnetic surfaces in the region of maximum plasma current.
ABSTRACT
Gamma-ray spectra from nuclear reactions between fusion-born alpha (alpha) particles and Be impurities were measured for the first time in deuterium-tritium plasmas in the Joint European Torus. The time dependence of the measured spectra allowed the determination of the density evolution of fast alpha particles. Correlation between the decay time of the gamma-ray emission and the plasma parameters in different plasma scenarios was established. Results are consistent with classical slowing down of the alpha particles in discharges with high plasma currents and monotonic q-profiles. In low plasma current discharges and in the discharges with large on-axis current holes (extreme reversal central magnetic shear), the gamma-ray emission decay times are shorter than the classical slowing down times, indicating an alpha-particle confinement degradation in such discharges in line with theoretical predictions.
ABSTRACT
Experimental evidence is presented for the existence of the theoretically predicted odd toroidicity induced Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) from the simultaneous appearance of odd and even TAEs in a normal shear discharge of the joint European torus. The modes are observed in low central magnetic shear plasmas created by injecting lower hybrid current drive. A fast ion population was created by applying ion cyclotron heating at the high-field side to excite the TAEs. The odd TAEs were identified from their frequency, mode number, and timing relative to the even TAEs.
ABSTRACT
The original description of alpha particle driven instabilities in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor in terms of toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) remained inconsistent with three fundamental characteristics of the observations: (i) the variation of the mode frequency with toroidal mode number, (ii) the chirping of the mode frequency for a given toroidal mode number, and (iii) the antiballooning density perturbation of the modes. It is now shown that these characteristics can be explained by observing that cylindrical-like modes can exist in the weak magnetic shear region of the plasma that then make a transition to TAEs as the central safety factor decreases in time.
ABSTRACT
Experiments on the JET tokamak show that the wave-induced pinch in the presence of toroidally asymmetric waves can provide a tool for controlling the profile of ion-cyclotron-resonant 3He ions. Direct evidence for the wave-induced pinch has been obtained from the measured gamma-ray emission profiles. Concurrent differences in the excitation of Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs), sawtooth stabilization, electron temperatures, and fast-ion stored energies are observed. The measured location of the AEs and gamma-ray emission profiles are consistent with the fast-ion radial gradient providing the drive for AEs.
ABSTRACT
Third-harmonic ion-cyclotron-resonance heating of 4He-beam ions has produced for the first time on the JET tokamak high-energy populations of 4He ions to simulate 3.5 MeV fusion-born alpha (alpha) particles. Acceleration of 4He ions to the MeV energy range is confirmed by gamma-ray emission from the nuclear reaction 9Be(alpha,ngamma) 12C and excitation of Alfvén eigenmodes. Concomitant electron heating and sawtooth stabilization are observed. The scheme could be used in next-step tokamaks to gain information on trapped alpha particles and to test alpha diagnostics in the early nonactivated phase of operation.
ABSTRACT
The chaotic regime in Alfvén eigenmode wave-particle interaction is identified for the first time in the tokamak plasma of the Joint European Torus. The Alfvén modes are driven by energetic hydrogen minority ions produced by ion cyclotron resonance heating. The experimental signatures of the chaotic regime include spectral broadening, phase flips, and nonperiodic amplitude variations. These phenomena are found to be consistent with a general nonlinear theory of kinetic instabilities near stability threshold developed by Berk, Breizman, and Pekker.
