L-mode to H-mode transition triggered by sawtooth-induced heat flux in EAST

H-modes induced by sawtooth events can be often observed in discharges with marginal auxiliary power injection in EAST. Poloidal flow shear at the very plasma edge, increasing ∼25% up to the threshold value, is observed just before the L-H transition by means of a fast reciprocating probe array in EAST. This suddenly risen poloidal flow shear, caused by the increased turbulent driven Reynolds force, is motived by the heat pulse originally released by a sawtooth crash at the plasma core. Associated with the critical poloidal flow shear, the local turbulent decorrelation rate increases significantly. The increased turbulent decorrelation rate compensated by nonlinear energy transfer rate from the turbulence to the low-frequency shear flows, exceeding the turbulence energy input rate, is sustained for several hundred microseconds till the turbulence quench happening.     

First evidence of the role of zonal flows for the L-H transition at marginal input power in the EAST tokamak

A quasiperiodic Er oscillation at a frequency of <4 kHz, much lower than the geodesic-acoustic-mode frequency, with a modulation in edge turbulence preceding and following the low-to-high (L-H) confinement mode transition, has been observed for the first time in the EAST tokamak, using two toroidally separated reciprocating probes. Just prior to the L-H transition, the Er oscillation often evolves into intermittent negative Er spikes. The low-frequency Er oscillation, as well as the Er spikes, is strongly correlated with the turbulence-driven Reynolds stress, thus providing first evidence of the role of the zonal flows in the L-H transition at marginal input power. These new findings not only shed light on the underlying physics mechanism for the L-H transition, but also have significant implications for ITER operations close to the L-H transition threshold power.     

HL—1装置偏压电极类H模能量约束时间研究

能量约束时间是衡量环流器等离子体约束性能的重要参数。分析表明，在加偏压电Ｌ模过渡到类Ｈ模的过程中，如果等离子体的辐射损失功率与总损失功率之比显著变化，则扣除辐射损失的能量约束时间的增量是一种更好的衡量约束得到改善的尺度。在这种考虑之下，我们讨论ＨＬ－１等离子体偏压电极Ｌ模－类Ｈ模过的能量约束及电子热传导特性。     

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.     

HL-2A装置上超声分子束注入触发L-H转换的实验研究

利用具有定向速度的超声分子束注入技术,研究了HL-2A装置在较低加热功率条件下实现L-H转换的等离子体放电特征,从边缘密度分布的差异比较分析了普通送气和超声分子束注入对L-H转换的影响.实验结果表明,HL-2A装置上采用超声分子束注入可直接触发L-H转换,明显降低L-H转换功率.通过对大量实验数据的分析和整理发现,利用超声分子束注入实现L-H转换的最低加热功率,比同等条件下采用普通送气实现L-H转换的最低加热功率减少约10％.     

EAST װ�ù�������������������Ϊ�о�

利用多阵列高时空分辨的软X射线阵列成像系统对EAST芯部固有杂质驱动的蛇形振荡进行时间动态演化和空间结构反演研究,研究了实验上发现的两种时空行为明显不同的两类蛇形振荡,一类具有字母V或W形状的动态频谱,空间上为理想近圆状热芯结构;另外一类蛇形振荡和锯齿崩塌共存,振荡的频谱呈现手掌状,空间上为很大的电阻性月牙形磁岛结构。结果表明,锯齿共存的蛇形振荡的饱和径向扰动位移通常比无锯齿的蛇形振荡大,并且会触发边界的新经典撕裂模。     

HL－1装置几种锯齿崩溃机制的层析摄影研究

本文采用二维层析摄影技术研究了ＨＬ－１装置几种锯齿崩溃的机制。在高密度欧姆放电中，观测到在类锯齿崩溃时，对流泡对中心热心的挤压。在纯欧姆放电中，观测到长达４４ｍｓ的大锯齿，在崩溃时出现了强的对流和冷泡对等离子体柱的扰动，并可能发生与其它磁流体不稳定模式的耦合作用。在微波反锯齿振荡和相对应的软Ｘ射线反锯齿振荡的研究中，观察到了软Ｘ射线辐射截面从一个圆变成一个椭圆的现象     

EAST 装置固有杂质驱动蛇形振荡行为研究

利用多阵列高时空分辨的软X 射线阵列成像系统对EAST 芯部固有杂质驱动的蛇形振荡进行时间动态演化和空间结构反演研究,研究了实验上发现的两种时空行为明显不同的两类蛇形振荡,一类具有字母V 或W形状的动态频谱,空间上为理想近圆状热芯结构;另外一类蛇形振荡和锯齿崩塌共存,振荡的频谱呈现手掌状,空间上为很大的电阻性月牙形磁岛结构。结果表明,锯齿共存的蛇形振荡的饱和径向扰动位移通常比无锯齿的蛇形振荡大,并且会触发边界的新经典撕裂模。     

Influence of peripheral radial electric field on L-H transition in T-10 tokamak

In this paper the peripheral plasma behaviour during and after L-H transition on the tokamak T-10 is considered. Abrupt changes of Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) plasma parameters (ion saturation current, floating potential, electron temperature) are observed in regimes with transition to the improved plasma confinement. Such changes begin (5–150) ms prior to the L-H transition. The time delay of a transition depends on auxiliary plasma heating powerP _aux and plasma currentI _p (at constant toroidal magnetic field inductionB _t). Presented at the Workshop on the Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement and Exhaust, Budapest, 18–19 June, 2000. This work is supported by Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russia (contract 69F) and by Ministry of Science and Technology of Russia (Federal Program “Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion and Plasma Processes”).     

HL-lM装置杂质粒子输运与约束特性

在HL-lM装置上利用激光吹气技术,在等离子体边缘瞬态注入少量Al杂质粒子,通过对真空紫外光谱和软X射线区的杂质辐射测量,分别研究了欧姆等离子体和低杂波电流驱动等离子体两种情况下,Al杂质粒子输运与约束特性。结果表明：在欧姆等离子体和低杂波电流驱动等离子体两种情况下,等离子体中心区,在没有MHD锯齿震荡和有MHD锯齿震荡非锯齿破裂期间,杂质粒子输运基本上受新经典规律支配;在有MHD锯齿震荡锯齿破裂期间,杂质粒子输运受MHD不稳定性支配,但其时间很短(通常小于300μs),所以在这种情况下,杂质粒子输运的平均效应比新经典值稍大。而约束区杂质粒子输运则比新经典的值大很多,是反常的。在一定条件下低混杂波电流驱动可以改善等离子体粒子约束。     

Compound sawtooth in EAST LHCD plasma:An experimental study

A compound sawtooth with an incomplete relaxation was observed in EAST’s lower hybrid current drive(LHCD)plasma. The sub-crash phase of the compound sawtooth corresponds to a longer-lasting and slower-growing 1/1 mode.Based on the two-dimensional(2D) SXR tomography, the time-dependent 2D image of a compound sawtooth crash is obtained. The island produced during a resistive internal kink mode is observed in the all crash phases of the compound sawtooth. The destabilization of 1/1 long-lasting saturated 1/1 mode is related to the current driven by the LHCD near the q = 1 surface.     

Destabilization of fast-ion-induced long sawteeth by localized current drive in the JET tokamak

In a tokamak fusion reactor the energetic alpha particles will transiently stabilize the magnetohydrodynamic activity causing sawtooth oscillations. The crash events terminating long sawtooth free periods can provide seed islands for neoclassical tearing modes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 105001 (2002)]]. To shorten the sawtooth periods localized current drive near the q=1 surface is a possibility. This Letter provides the first experimental evidence for the effectiveness of this method in the different physics regime associated with fast-ion-induced long sawteeth on the JET tokamak.     

Negative specific heat, phase transition and particles spilling from a potential well

For a finite number of noninteracting particles in a box with a potential well in the center, the microcanonical kinetic energy in dependence on the total energy as it is negative can be classified into three categories. The first exhibits a monotonical rise and the specific heat is positive. The second shows a diminishing sawtooth wave with a global rise. The last corresponds to the extreme case and takes the regular sawtooth wave form. The sawtooth wave portion associates periodically a kinetic energy fall in spite of an increase of the total energy; and we attribute to such a fall the negative specific heat. The phase transition can be defined when the relatively dense particle state in the well and relatively dilute particle state in the rest volume of the box coexist, and the appearance of the negative specific heat is sufficient but not necessary for the onset of the phase transition.     

Generation of suprathermal electrons during magnetic reconnection at the sawtooth crash and disruption instability in the T-10 tokamak

Evidence for excitation of suprathermal electrons ( E(gamma) approximately 20-100 keV) during magnetic reconnection in the T-10 tokamak is presented through analysis of the x-ray measurements with enhanced spatial and time resolution. A toroidally viewing x-ray imaging system and a fast hard x-ray detector placed inside the tokamak vessel allow identification of bursts of the nonthermal x-ray radiation around X points of the m = 1 and m = 2 magnetic islands during the sawtooth crash and prior to the energy quench at the density limit disruption.     

Magnetic reconnection triggering magnetohydrodynamic instabilities during a sawtooth crash in a Tokamak plasma

Thomson scattering measurements with subcentimeter spatial resolution have been made during a sawtooth crash in a Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak fusion plasma. The unparalleled resolution of the temperature profile has shed new light on the mechanisms that underlie the sawtooth. As magnetic reconnection occurs, the temperature gradient at the island boundary increases. The increased local temperature gradient is sufficient to make the helical core unstable to ideal magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, thought to be responsible for the rapidity of the collapse.     

Suppression of internal plasma oscillations by trapped high energy nuclei

The suppression of macroscopic oscillations (so-called “sawteeth”) of the central region of a magnetically confined plasma column is related to the effect of magnetically trapped energetic nuclei produced by the injection of rf waves or neutral beams. We evaluate the threshold for, and describe the process involved in, the transition of m⁰ = 1 modes, which trigger the crash phase of sawtooth oscillations, to a regime that is shown to be stable.     

HL—1M装置等离子体中类锯齿电子密度振荡

在欧姆放电和低杂波电流驱动（ＬＨＣＤ）及激光吹气注入杂质的联合实验中,首次在ＨＬ－１Ｍ 装置上观测到了与软Ｘ射线对应得非常好的锯齿型密度振荡。这种类锯齿型的密度振荡存在于低杂波电流驱动与激光吹气等离子体中。分析表明,该锯齿不是通常的ｑ ＝ １ 有理面上的锯齿,而是在低杂波与杂质共同作用下产生的类锯齿型的密度振荡。一种可能的机制是低杂波电流驱动下杂质的中心积累及崩塌引起的扰动磁场导致了快电子的损失,从而使得密度发生振荡     

Application of Zernicke polynomials on HT-7 tomography

Zernicke polynomials method was first used in HT-7 tomography. Combining the characteristics of the soft X-ray imaging system in HT-7 tokamak, some of the technical consideration in applicating the tomography method are reported in this Letter. Through analyzing experimental soft X-ray data of a typical discharge with m=1 mode superimposed on sawtooth, it is shown that in the mid-mode and precursor phases, the central magnetic surface structure is composed of a hot core and a small magnetic island. In the crash phase, the hot core is obviously pushed outside and evolves into a crescent. The magnetic island is large. In addition, we compared the reconstructions obtained with Zernicke polynomials method and the Fourier-Bessel expansion method. The comparison result shows that as the magnetic island is large, Zernicke polynomials method seems more suitable to reconstruct the central plasma emissivity distribution on HT-7 tokamak. At last, through analyzing the oscillation amplitude and island size of the m=1 mode superimposed on sawtooth, it is thought that the large oscillation amplitude is due to large pressure gradient at the vicinity of inversion surface.     

Zonal flows and transient dynamics of the L-H transition

We elucidate the role of zonal flows in transient phenomena observed during L-H transition by studying a simple L-H transition model which contains the evolution of zonal flows, mean ExB flows, and the ion pressure gradient. Zonal flows are shown to trigger the L-H transition and cause time-transient behavior through the self-regulation of turbulence before a mean shearing, due to a steep pressure profile, secures a quiescent H mode. Surprisingly, this self-regulation lowers the power threshold for the ultimate transition to a quiescent H-mode state.     

Ion Viscosity Stabilization of Tokamak Resistive Internal Kink Modes

For most of small and medium sized Tokamaks, the unstable mode responsible for the sawtooth crash is the resistive internal kink mode. However, the plasma parameters can be in the ion kinetic regime. In this paper, we consider the dependence of the mode growth rate on the magnetic shear which is changeable during a sawtooth cycle and find that the ion viscosity effect can completely stabilize the mode only for shear smaller than some critical value, corresponding to the stable phase of the sawtooth evolution. This is consistent with one of the salient phenomena of the sawtooth, the sudden onset.