Neoclassical tearing mode stabilization by electron cyclotron current drive for HL-2M tokamak

Investigation of neoclassical tearing mode and its suppression by electron cyclotron current drive(ECCD) has been carried out in HL-2 M tokamak. The current driving capability of the electron cyclotron wave is evaluated. It is found that the deposition location can be effectively controlled by changing the poloidal angle. The validation of electron cyclotron wave heating and current driving has been demonstrated for the upper launcher port. We show that 3.0 MW and2.5 MW modulated ECCD can completely stabilize(2,1) and(3,2) NTMs, respectively. The non-modulated ECCD, radial misalignment as well as current profile broadening have deleterious effect on the NTM stabilization. The time required for suppression of(3,2) mode is shorter than that required for the suppression of(2,1) mode. Moreover, the time needed for complete stabilization at different initial island width has been quantitatively presented and analyzed.     

Numerical simulation of electron cyclotron current drive characteristics on EAST

Electron cyclotron current drive （ECCD） will be applied in the EAST tokamak during its the new campaign. In order to provide theoretical predictions for relevant physical experiments, some numerical simulations of ECCD with the parameters of EAST have been can＇ied out by using TORAY-GA code based on the understanding of ECCD mechanisms. ECCD efficiencies achieved in different plasma and electron cyclotron （EC） wave parameters are given. The dependences of ECCD characteristics on EC wave injection angle, toroidal magnetic field, plasma density, and temperature are presented and discussed.     

Complete suppression of neoclassical tearing modes with current drive at the electron-cyclotron-resonance frequency in ASDEX upgrade tokamak

Noninductive current drive has been performed in the tokamak ASDEX upgrade by injection of radiofrequency waves at the second harmonic of the electron-cyclotron frequency in order to suppress unwanted disturbances of the magnetic-field configuration. The current has been driven parallel [co-electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD)] and antiparallel (counter-ECCD) to the plasma current to compare the effect of heating with direct current drive in the magnetic island. For the first time it has been shown experimentally that total stabilization of neoclassical tearing modes is possible with co-ECCD. The experiments verify the role of direct current drive as opposed to local heating.     

Enhancement of the stabilization efficiency of a neoclassical magnetic island by modulated electron cyclotron current drive in the ASDEX upgrade tokamak

The efficiency of generating a helical current in magnetic islands for the purpose of suppression of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) by electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) is studied experimentally in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. It is found that the efficiency of generating helical current by continuous current drive in a rotating island drops drastically as the width 2d of the co-ECCD driven current becomes larger than the island width W. However, by modulating the co-ECCD in phase with the rotating islands O point, the efficiency can be recovered. The results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations taking into account the equilibration of the externally driven current on the island flux surfaces. The result is especially important for large next-step fusion devices, such as ITER, where 2d>W is expected to be unavoidable during NTM suppression, suggesting that modulation capability should be foreseen.     

撕裂模实时主动控制系统

在HL-2A装置上发展了一套撕裂模实时主动控制系统。该系统在放电期间用电子回旋发射/软X射线诊断实时确定撕裂模的几何位置,结合实时剖面重建和电子回旋波沉积计算,得到电子回旋波反射镜的控制角度值。通过电机实时驱动电子回旋波反射镜到达指定角度,使得电子回旋波功率沉积在撕裂模的有理磁面附近,改变当地局部的电流剖面,从而控制撕裂模,改善等离子体约束。该系统已经在2015年以后的实验中投入使用,并取得了良好的控制效果。它不仅能够实时发现并控制经典撕裂模,并且具有控制新经典撕裂模的潜力。     

外部驱动电流抑制双撕裂模的发展

在Hall MHD方程组中引入外部驱动电流项,数值模拟外部驱动电流对双撕裂模不稳定性的影响.结果表明,在x点加入反向外部驱动电流对撕裂模的发展有抑制作用,周期性的外部驱动电流对双撕裂模不稳定性的抑制效果较好,能控制磁岛的尺度在相互驱动的临界尺度以下,避免发生双撕裂模非线性磁场重联的爆发,随着驱动电流周期变大抑制效果变坏,在一定限度内随着驱动电流强度增大抑制效果变好,在一定范围内随着驱动电流宽度变小抑制效果变好.     

The influence of mode coupling on the non-linear evolution of tearing modes

On the basis of tearing mode theory a simple but physically explicit model of the evolution of toroidally coupled rotating magnetic islands has been developed. The basic mechanism identified by the model in the island evolution is the locking in phase of rotating islands that leads to rapid destabilisation of an initially stable mode. Destabilisation of marginally stable (2, 1) and (3, 1) modes is analysed in several scenarios. It is shown that mode coupling is an effective way of destabilising a m=3 island in a low- plasma. The numerical examples presented show the individual roles of coupling, inertia and a resistive wall. The model was applied for the analysis of MHD observations of an ASDEX discharge. Received 4 May 1999 and Received in final form 23 July 1999     

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Tearing mode real-time active control system has been developed on HL-2A tokamak. During the plasma discharge, electron cyclotron emission and soft X-ray diagnostic signals are used to get the geometric location where tearing modes emerge, combined with the real time profile reconstruction and electron cyclotron wave (ECW) deposition algorithm, the target angle of ECW steering mirror can be obtained. Then the mirror angle is set by the motor so that the ECW power deposit at the position of tearing modes finally. Consequently the tearing modes can be controlled, owing to the change of local current profile, and the plasma confinement is improved. This system has been deployed in HL-2A campaigns after 2015, and the good control effect is obtained. It has been proved that the system can discover and control not only the classical tearing modes in real time, but also has the potential to control the neoclassical tearing mode in the future.     

First Observation of Neoclassical Tearing Modes in the HL-2A Tokamak

The m/n = 2/1 neoclassical tearing modes are first observed in HL-2A low density, low beta plasma with central electron cyclotron resonance heating. The neoclassical tearing modes （NTMs） are triggered by a sawtooth crash with m/n = 1/1 precursors, which are toroidal coupled with a small scale m/n = 2/1 mode. The time history of the island width is compared with the prediction of the NTM theory, showing a good agreement between theory and experiment.     

Stabilization of tearing mode by current drive

The major disruption limits the operation of present tokamaks. Experimental evidences point out that the growth of tearing modes or the magnetic islands is primarily responsible for the occurrence. Taking the non-inductive current drive effects into account, a set of 3D nonlinear equation is derived. It is shown from simulation that the growth of the magnetic island is suppressed effectively by RF current drive. It is consistent with recent experiments on the HL-1 tokamak in which the plasma is stabilized by an RF current drive.     

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以磁流体理论为基础,采用基于有限体积法的通量差分分裂格式数值求解具有双曲保守律形式的电阻磁流体方程组.编写C++程序对平板几何位形下的等离子体双撕裂模进行了长时间数值模拟,得到双撕裂模不稳定性的演化图景,捕捉到了双撕裂模非线性发展过程中磁场重联的几个典型阶段,讨论了等离子体电阻和两个有理面之间的距离对双撕裂模不稳定性非线性发展的影响.为研究磁流体动力学提供了一种可行的高精度数值算法.     

基于有限体积法数值模拟双撕裂模非线性演化

以磁流体理论为基础,采用基于有限体积法的通量差分分裂格式数值求解具有双曲保守律形式的电阻磁流体方程组。编写C++程序对平板几何位形下的等离子体双撕裂模进行了长时间数值模拟,得到双撕裂模不稳定性的演化图景,捕捉到了双撕裂模非线性发展过程中磁场重联的几个典型阶段,讨论了等离子体电阻和两个有理面之间的距离对双撕裂模不稳定性非线性发展的影响。为研究磁流体动力学提供了一种可行的高精度数值算法。     

Novel Applications of Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Gyro-Devices

The possible applications of high-power millimeter (mm) and submillimeter waves from gyro-devices span a wide range of technologies. The plasma physics community has already taken advantage of recent advances in applying high-power micro- and mm-waves generated by gyrotron oscillators in the areas of RF-plasma production, heating, noninductive current drive, plasma stabilization and active plasma diagnostics for magnetic confinement thermonuclear fusion research, such as lower hybrid current drive (8 GHz), electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) (28–170 GHz), electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), collective Thomson scattering and heat-wave propagation experiments. Other important applications of gyrotrons are electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges for generation of multi-charged ions and soft X-rays, as well as industrial materials processing and plasma chemistry. Submillimeter wave gyrotrons are employed in high-frequency broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Future applications which await the development of novel high-power gyro-amplifiers include high resolution radar ranging and imaging in atmospheric and planetary science as well as deep-space and specialized satellite communications and RF drivers for next-generation high-gradient linear accelerators (supercolliders). The present paper reviews the state-of-the-art and future prospects of these recent applications of gyro-devices.     

Generation and amplification of magnetic islands by drift interchange turbulence

We investigate the multiscale nonlinear dynamics of a linearly stable or unstable tearing mode with small-scale interchange turbulence using 2D MHD numerical simulations. For a stable tearing mode, the nonlinear beating of the fastest growing small-scale interchange modes drives a magnetic island with an enhanced growth rate to a saturated size that is proportional to the turbulence generated anomalous diffusion. For a linearly unstable tearing mode the island saturation size scales inversely as one-fourth power of the linear tearing growth rate in accordance with weak turbulence theory predictions. Turbulence is also seen to introduce significant modifications in the flow patterns surrounding the magnetic island.     

Internal kink instability during off-axis electron cyclotron current drive in the DIII-D tokamak

Experimental evidence is reported of an internal kink instability driven by a new mechanism: barely trapped suprathermal electrons produced by off-axis electron cyclotron heating on the DIII-D tokamak. It occurs in plasmas with an evolving safety factor profile q(r) when q(min) approaches 1. This instability is most active when ECCD is applied on the high field side of the flux surface. It has a bursting behavior with poloidal/toroidal mode number = m/n = 1/1. In positive magnetic shear plasmas, this mode becomes the fishbone instability. This observation can be qualitatively explained by the drift reversal of the barely trapped suprathermal electrons.     

Optimized calculation of the synergy conditions between electron cyclotron current drive and lower hybrid current drive on EAST

The optimized synergy conditions between electron cyclotron current drive(ECCD) and lower hybrid current drive(LHCD) with normal parameters of the EAST tokamak are studied by using the C3PO/LUKE code based on the understanding of the synergy mechanisms so as to obtain a higher synergistic current and provide theoretical reference for the synergistic effect in the EAST experiment. The dependences of the synergistic effect on the parameters of two waves(lower hybrid wave(LHW) and electron cyclotron wave(ECW)), including the radial position of the power deposition, the power value of the LH and EC waves, and the parallel refractive indices of the LHW(N) are presented and discussed.     

Simulation of electron cyclotron current drive and electron cyclotron resonant heating for the HL-2A tokamak＊

A quasi-linear formalism is developed for relativistic particles. It is self-consistent including spatial diffusion. An attempt is made to simulate the process of electron cyclotron resonant heating （ECRH） and electron cyclotron current drive （ECCD） for the HL-2A tokamak. Temperature oscillating regimes in Tore Supra diagnosed by MHD activity seem to be reproduced in the simulation. The special feature in this paper is to see the resonance in the long time scale for relativistic plasma.     

流动等离子体对托卡马克中撕裂模的影响

本文分析了托卡马克中的等离子体具有一个整体流动速度时,撕裂模的活动情况。分析与数值计算指出,等离子体的整体流动(等价于具有一个旋转频率)不影响撕裂模的活动,只是使撕裂模具有一个和等离子体相同的旋转频率。外加螺旋场在撕裂层能有效地抑制住等离子体的旋转。螺旋场对撕裂模的稳定作用不受等离子体旋转的影响。 关键词：     

Effect of heating on the suppression of tearing modes in tokamaks

The suppression of (neoclassical) tearing modes is of great importance for the success of future fusion reactors like ITER. Electron cyclotron waves can suppress islands, both by driving noninductive current in the island region and by heating the island, causing a perturbation to the Ohmic plasma current. This Letter reports on experiments on the TEXTOR tokamak, investigating the effect of heating, which is usually neglected. The unique set of tools available on TEXTOR, notably the dynamic ergodic divertor to create islands with a fully known driving term, and the electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic to provide detailed 2D electron temperature information, enables a detailed study of the suppression process and a comparison with theory.     

反常电子粘滞性引起的线性双撕裂模研究

用圆柱位形的磁流体动力学方程对由反常电子粘滞性引起的双撕裂模的线性行为做了数值研究.分析了两个有理面的间距、粘滞率大小和极向模数对双撕裂模模式结构的影响,给出了各种情况下双撕裂模线性增长率跟表征反常电子粘滞率大小的电子雷诺数的定标关系.