EDGE REYNOLDS STRESS STRUCTURE OF LOWER HYBRID WAVE INJECTION IN THE HL—1M PLASMA

The radial profiles of electrostatic Reynolds stress,plasma poloidal rotations,radial and poloidal electric fields have been measured in the plasma boundary region on the HL-1M tokamak using a multi-array of Mach/Langmuir probes.During experiments of lower hybrid wave current drive,the variations in LHW drive power xill cause changes in the edge electric field,poloidal rotation veloity and Reynolds stress.The results indicate that sheared poloidal flow can be generated in the edge plasma due to radially varied Reynolds stress.     

Measurements of Reynolds stress and turbulence in the boundary plasma of the HT-7 tokamak

Measurements of electric field fluctuations, Reynolds stress and poloidal flow have been performed in the boundary region of the HT-7 tokamak using a Langmuir probe array.Sheared radial electric field and poloidal flow have been found in the vicinity of the limiter and the turbulence has been clearly modified in this region. Furthermore,the electrostatic Reynolds stress component shows a radial gradient close to the velocity shear layer location.All results here indicate that the radial gradient of Reynolds stress may play an important role in the driving of poloidal flows in the plasma boundary region.     

Analyses of edge plasma characteristics in HL-2A

The edge plasma characteristics are studied by both a movable array of Mach/Reynolds stress/Langmuir 10-probes in the boundary region and the fixed flush probe arrays on the 4 divertor neutralization plates at the same toroidal cross-section in the HL-2A tokamak. The dependence of the Reynolds stress on poloidal flow in the edge plasma is analysed. The result indicates that the sheared poloidal flow in tokamak plasma can be induced by the radial gradient of Reynolds stress. In the divertor experiments of HL-2A, the profiles of the electron temperature, density and floating potential on divertor plates are measured by the flush probe arrays. The edge electron temperature in divertor configuration is higher than that in limiter configuration. The temperature asymmetry between outer and inner target plates is observed. The result of magnetic surface reconstructed from 18 Mirnov coils signals is presented. Both the particle recycling and the impurity flux in the bulk plasma during divertor discharges are discussed. Neutral gas pressure in divertor chamber, measured by fast ionization gauge during divertor discharge, is given.     

Simulation on effect of poloidal power spectrum on lower hybrid wave propagation

The coupling of lower hybrid wave to the plasma is a crucial issue for efficient current drive in tokamaks. This paper establishes a new coupling model which assumes the antenna to be a curved face and the plasma to be a cylinder. Power spectrum considering the coupling between wave-guides in both poloidal and toroidal direction is simply estimated and discussed. The effect of the poloidal wave vector on wave propagation, power deposition and driven current is also investigated with the help of lower hybrid current drive code. Results show that the poloidal wave vector affects the ray tracing, and also has effect on power deposition and driven current. The effect of the poloidal wave vector on power deposition and driven current profile depends on plasma parameters. Preliminary studies suggest that it seems possible to control the current profile by adjusting the poloidal phase difference between the waveguide in poloidal direction.     

First Measurement of the Magnetic Turbulence Induced Reynolds Stress in a Tokamak

Reynolds stress component due to magnetic turbulence was first measured in the plasma edge region of the HT-7 superconducting tokamak using an insertable magnetic probe. A radial gradient of magnetic Reynolds stress was observed to be close to the velocity shear layer location; however, in this experiment its contribution to driving the poloidal flows is small compared to the electrostatic component. The electron heat transport driven by magnetic turbulence is quite small and cannot account for the total energy transport at the plasma edge.     

Edge Plasma Performance of Lower Hybrid Wave Injection on the HL-1M Tokamak

Recently, the L-mode to H-mode (L-H) transition in tokamak plasma confinement was found to be related to the presence of the poloidal flow shear near the plasma edge. An important mechanism is the ion orbit loss caused by interaction with the limiter. A complementary explanation is the generation of poloidal flows by plasma fluctuations via the Reynolds stress and the poloidal spin-up of plasmas from poloidal asymmetryof particle and momentum sources.     

Statistical Characterization of Boundary Fluctuations in the HT—7 Tokamak

The statistical properties of plasma fluctuations are characterized in the boundary region of HT-7 tokamak. A non-Gaussian feature is observed in fluctuations of ion saturation current and floating potential in most of the scrape-off layer regions. The statistical properties of fluctuations have a clear radial dependence, showing a near-Gaussian character in the proximity of the velocity shear layer location and another region where the poloidal velocity has a trend to zero. Fluctuations show a bursty character with pulses asymmetric in time and the time asymmetry reaches the minimum around the shear layer. From the results, we can see an obvious coupling of the pulses and the poloidal flow.     

Modification of Boundary Fluctuations by LHCD in the HT—7 Tokamak

Measurements of boundary fluctuations and fluctuation driven electron fluxes have been performed in ohmic and lower hybrid current drive enhanced confinement plasma using a graphite Langmuir probe array on HT-7 tokamak. The fluctuations are significantly suppressed and the turbulent fluxes are remarkably depressed in the enhanced plasma. We characterized the statistical properties of fluctuations and the particle flux and found a non-Gaussian character in the whole scrape-off layer with minimum deviations from Gaussian in the proximity of the velocity shear layer in ohmic plasma. In the enhanced plasma the deviations in the boundary region are all reduces obviously. The fluctuations and induced electron fluxes show sporadic bursts asymmetric in time and the asymmetry is remarkably weakened in the lower hybrid current driving (LHCD) phase. The results suggest a coupling between the statistical behaviour of fluctuations and the turbulent flow.     

STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN POWER DEPOSITION OF THE LOWER HYBRID WAVES AND THE HARD X-RAY RADIATION ON HT-7 TOKAMAK

A seven-channel NaI(Tl) detector array installed on an HT-7 superconducting tokamak has been used to detect the hard X-ray (E_hν>20keV) emitted from the plasma. The physical mechanism of the lower hybrid waves propagating and absorbed in the plasma is investigated by the measurement of hard X-ray radial profile at different discharge parameters.     

Measurements of Boundary Plasma in Synergy Discharges of IBW and LHCD on the HT-7 Tokamak

By applying ion Bernstein wave (IBW) heating into the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) plasma, improved confinements have been obtained in the HT-7 tokamak. The central electron temperature was doubled and the storage energy was increased significantly. The core electron density and temperature were broadened and ther profiles near the edge were steepened. A transport barrier has been formed in the vicinity of the limlter radial location. An enhanced shear in poloidal phase velocity was found in the same region with reduction of the fluctuation levels and the coherences between fluctuations. The results suggest that the improved confinement in the IBW and LHCD plasma is at least partially due to the modification of shear in poloidal velocity and then the suppression of fluctuations and fluctuation induced fluxes via de-correlation effect.     

Pellet and Supersonic Molecular Beam Injection Fuelling on the HL-1M Tokamak

An eight-shots pellet injection (PI) and a supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) system have proposed and developed on the HL-1M tokamak for advanced fuelling experiments. The peaked density profile and improved confinement are typical feature of PI and SMBI discharge. It strongly depends on the wall recycling conditions of the HL-1M tokamak and injection parameters.     

The First Results of Supersonic Molecular Beam Injection in the HL-2A Tokamak

HL-2A tokamak, the first tokamak with divertor in China, has been constructed and put into operation in 2002. The main parameters are R=1.65 m, a=0.4 m, BT=2.8 T, Ip = 0. 48 MA. The divertor of HL-2A is unique, because it is characterized with a large closed divertor chamber. The device has double divertor chamber, but now it is operating with lower single null configuration to study the physics of divertor for the next step design of a divertor. Supersonic molecular beam injection （SMBI） system with LN2 cooling trap was first installed and demonstrated on the HL-2A tokamak in 2004. The first results of SMBI into HL-2A plasma are to demonstrate the function of the HL-2A divertor and to observe the cold pulse propagation during multi-pulse SMBI on HL-2A Tokamak.     

The first results of divertor discharge and supersonic molecular beam injection on the HL-2A tokamak

HL-2A tokamak is the first tokamak with divertors in China. The plasma boundary and the position of the striking point on the target plates of the HL-2A closed divertor were simulated by the current filament code and they were in agreement with the diagnostic results in the divertor. Supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) system was first installed and tested on the HL-2A tokamak in 2004. In the present experiment low pressure SMBI fuelling on the HL-2A closed divertor was carried out. The experimental results indicate that the divertor was operated in the `linear regime' and during the period of SMB pulse injection into the HL-2A plasma the power density convected at the target plate surfaces was 0.4 times of that before or after the beam injection. It is a useful fuelling method for decreasing the heat load on the neutralizer plates of the divertor.     

Investigation of Edge Fluctuation Characteristics on the HL-2A Tokamak

The edge plasma fluctuation characteristics are studied by the fast reciprocating scanning 6-probes in the boundary region. These probes can measure edge plasma temperature, density, poloidal electric field, radial electric field, Reynolds stress, and their profiles in once discharges. Measurement results are used to analyze plasma confinement, turbulent fluctuations and their correlation characteristics during multi-shot pellet injection （MPI） , supersonic molecular beam injection （SMB1） and electron cyclotron resonant heating （ ECRH ） discharges.     

High Bootstrap Current Fraction during the Synergy of LHCD and IBW on the HT-7 Tokamak

More than 70% of the total plasma current is sustained by the bootstrap current and current drive during the synergy of lower hybrid current driving (LHCD) and ion Berstein wave (IBW) heating on the HT-7 tokamak.The lower hybrid non-inductive current source is off-axis and well localized, and more than 35% bootstrap current plasma has been obtained. The IBW in controlling electron pressure profile can be integrated into the LHCD target plasma. The largest steep gradient of the electron pressure profile in the region ρ - 0.5-0.7 mostly comes from the electron temperature profile, which may induce the large fraction bootstrap current. The large off-axis bootstrap current can help to create negative magnetic shear, and the good plasma confinement is achieved.     

Establishment of Configuration with Optimized Current Profile in Pellet Fuelled Discharge on HL-2A

A sawtooth-free period is produced following the pellet injection in the pellet fuelled discharge of qa = 3.4 （where qa is the safety factor at the plasma boundary） in the HL-2A tokamak. Establishment of the current profile such as in the hybrid scenario is studied under the condition of pellet injection in HL-2A. It is shown that a q-profile of weak negative shear is produced immediately after the pellet injection, and it then evolves to a broad flat profile with q0 〉 1 （where qo is the safety factor at the centre）. The measured MHD mode structures evidence consistencies of the evaluated q-profile with locations of the q = 1 surface in the sawtoothing period and of the q = 2 surface in the sawtooth-free period. TRANSP analysis indicates that the energy confinement is enhanced substantially during and after pellet injection, which is resulted from the q-profile optimization and the plasma density peaking.     

Ohmic Radio-Frequency Synergy Current Drive and Transformer Recharging Experiments in the HT-7 Tokamak

Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments for investigating the interaction between lower hybrid (LH) wave and residual dc electric field were performed in extensive plasma parameter ranges in the HT-7 superconducting tokamak. The experimental results are well fitted to the Karney-Fisch theory on the efficiency of LH waves energy converted to poloidal magnetic field energy. The fraction of absorbed LH power is about 0.75 for the HT-7 machine, and the upshift of the LH-wave parallel refraction index during LHCD experiments have been derived by the optimizing fitting parameters. The LH wave is also used for the transformer recharging when the plasma current is maintained unchanged. The highest efficiency about 7% has been achieved in HT-7 machine.     

Experimental characteristics of a lower hybrid wave multi-junction coupler in the HT-7 tokamak

A phase-controlled lower hybrid wave (LHW) multi-junction (MJ) coupler (3(rows)×(columns)× (subwaveguides)) has been developed in the HT-7 tokamak. Simulations show that it is more effective for driving plasma current than an ordinary phase-controlled LHW antenna (3(rows)×12(columns)) (traditional coupler). The plasma--wave coupling experiments show that the reflection coefficient (RC) is below 10%, implying that the MJ grill can launch the wave into the plasma effectively. The effect of power spectrum launched by the MJ coupler on RC indicates that an optimal condition is requisite for a better coupling in the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments. Studies indicate that the drive efficiency of the MJ antenna is higher than that of the traditional one, which is mainly ascribed to the discrepancy in impurity concentration, plasma temperature, and spectrum directivity. An improved confinement with an electron internal transport barrier is obtained by LHCD. The analysis shows that the modified negative (low) magnetic shear and the change of radial electric field profile due to LHCD are possible factors responsible for the eITB formation.     

Particle confinement and density profile behaviour on HL-1M

In this paper the density profile behaviour and the particle confinement operation regime on HL-1M have been studied under the pellet injection (PI), supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI), gas puffing (GP) and lower hybrid current drive experimental situations. The relationships between density profile, particle confinement time and edge safe factor have been explored. The density profile, which is measured by six-channel far-infrared ray laser interferometer has been analysed by using the peaking coefficient calculation code. Changes of the outward and inward diffusion velocities before and after the peaking of the central density profile have been calculated using the global particle balance equations. The particle confinement operation regimes have been discussed. The peaking density profile can be easily obtained under the condition of efficient fuelling. In ohmic discharges, confinement time increases as the peaking density profile factor rises, and is saturated at a critical value related to the fuelling efficiency. The particle confinement time of SMBI lies between the values of GP and PI, and its value is about 3-5 times of the energy confinement time.     

Pellet Injection Experiments in the HL-2A Tokamak

The advantages of pellet injection as a competitive means of fuelling a tokamak are well known. They include： （ 1 ） deep deposition of fuel, （ 2 ） better fuelling efficiency, （ 3 ） purer plasma, and so on. Meanwhile, improving plasma performance by pellet injection has been proven in many tokamak experiments. The deposition of pellet particles following pellet injection causes a temporal change of the local plasma temperature and density gradients which affects the transport properties of the plasma, so pellet injection can be used as a method of studying the transport process as well.