Commensurability oscillations by runaway and pinned electrons

We report on an investigation of commensurability oscillations in antidot square-lattices, and show that the commensurate peaks in resistivity ρ_xxderive from two kinds of electron: runaway and quasipinned electrons. The runaway electrons, which skip away along the antidot arrays, increase the value of conductivity σ_xx; and the quasipinned electrons, which orbit some antidots for a long time, decrease the value of σ_xx. Therefore, by competition between the two different types of electron, the conductivity σ_xxis determined. The conductivity σ_yxin the antidot lattice always has dips at the peaks in ρ_xx. As a result, by combining the of values of σ_xxand σ_yx, the resistivity is determined through the orthodox relation of ρ_xx =  σ_xx/ (σ_xx²  +   σ_yx²).     

Observation of disruptions in tokamak plasma under the influence of resonant helical magnetic fields

Summary Disruptive instabilities were investigated in the small-tokamak TBR-1 during the application of resonant helical magnetic fields created by external helical windings. Indications were found that the main triggering mechanism of the disruption was the rapid increase of them=2/n=1 mode which, apparently after reaching a certain amplitude, interacts with other resistive modes: the internal 1/1 mode in the case of a major disruption, or with higherm components, as the 3/1 or 4/1, in the case of minor disruptions. After the coupling, the growth of the associated islands would create a chaotic field line distribution in the region between the corresponding rational magnetic surfaces which caused the gross particle transport and, finally, destroyed the confinement. In addition, investigations on higherZ _eff discharges in which a mixture of helium and hydrogen was used resulted in much more unstable plasmas but apparently did not alter the basic characteristics of the disruptions. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

On the relation between plasma rotation induced by low-frequency resonant magnetic perturbations and transport in ergodic magnetic fields

The penetration of low-frequency resonant magnetic perturbations into a tokamak plasma and their influence on the plasma rotation are analyzed in linear and quaslisinear kinetic approaches. There are two explanations of experimentally observed acceleration of plasma rotation in the direction of the plasma current. First, it is a result of the resonant absorption of the momentum of the perturbation field by the plasma. Second, it is a result of a change in the radial electric field due to the ergodization of the magnetic field and the corresponding increase in the radial electron transport. It is shown that there is no contradiction between these two explanations. These are just two different interpretations of the same phenomenon. Published in Russian in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 6, pp. 420–423. The article was translated by the authors.     

Effect of resonant magnetic perturbations on edge plasma parameters in the STOR-M tokamak

Edge plasma properties have been modified in the Saskatchewan Torus-Modified tokamak by means of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP). It has been found that the radial profiles of ion saturation current and floating potential in the edge region can be modified by an externally applied static (m?=?2, n?=?1) RMP field. An increase in the pedestal plasma density (n) and more negative electric field (E_r) have been observed in the plasma edge region. It is believed that the RMP field altered the plasma transport in the edge and scrape-off layer regions, leading to a higher density pedestal and a potential drop in some cases. During the enhanced confinement phase, it is possible to identify a region where intermittent transport events, the so-called blobs, are created and the holes of lower density left behind.     

等离子体中充入工作气体抑制电子逃逸行为分析

利用NaI闪烁体探测器组成的伽马射线探测系统和BF₃正比计数管、³He正比计数管和ZnS闪烁体探测器组成的中子探测系统,研究了欧姆放电平稳阶段充入工作气体后对逃逸电子产生过程的影响.实验结果表明:在欧姆放电平稳阶段充入工作气体严重影响了逃逸电子行为,充入的工作气体能有效抑制逃逸电子的产生.     

等离子体中充入工作气体抑制电子逃逸行为分析

利用NaI闪烁体探测器组成的伽马射线探测系统和BF3 正比计数管、3He正比计数管和ZnS闪烁体探测器组成的中子探测系统,研究了欧姆放电平稳阶段充入工作气体后对逃逸电子产生过程的影响。实验结果表明：在欧姆放电平稳阶段充入工作气体严重影响了逃逸电子行为,充入的工作气体能有效抑制逃逸电子的产生。     

Inducing chaos by resonant perturbations: theory and experiment

We propose a scheme to induce chaos in nonlinear oscillators that either are by themselves incapable of exhibiting chaos or are far away from parameter regions of chaotic behaviors. Our idea is to make use of small, judiciously chosen perturbations in the form of weak periodic signals with time-varying frequency and phase, and to drive the system into a hierarchy of nonlinear resonant states and eventually into chaos. We demonstrate this method by using numerical examples and a laboratory experiment with a Duffing type of electronic circuit driven by a phase-locked loop. The phase-locked loop can track the instantaneous frequency and phase of the Duffing circuit and deliver resonant perturbations to generate robust chaos.     

Mechanism of generation of runaway electrons in a lightning leader

A mechanism is analyzed of the electric field enhancement in a lightning leader up to the level permitting runaway of low-energy electrons. The ionization wave propagation in the preionized domain in front of the leader makes it possible to overcome the limitation imposed on the field intensity by transversal expansion of the leader front. By means of numerical simulations, it is demonstrated that, at the final stage of formation of a new leader step, generation of an electric field is possible in the channels of the streamer zone ahead of the new step with intensity sufficient for electron runaway and, consequently, for producing the X-ray and γ-ray pulses observed in correlation with the lightning leader steps.     

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利用硬X射线探测系统监测HT-7托卡马克装置中逃逸电子轰击到装置第一壁材料时所产生的高能硬X射线,研究了在放电平顶阶段提高等离子体密度对逃逸电子行为的影响。实验结果表明,通过提高放电平顶阶段等离子体密度,HXR强度迅速降到很低的水平,这意味着能有效减少这个阶段形成的逃逸电子的数目及能量。     

Energy limit of runaway electrons in the HT-7 tokamak

The energy limit of runaway electrons in the HT-7 tokamak is investigated by measuring the synchrotron radiation originated from the runaway electrons and the hard X-ray radiation (HXR) when they hit the first wall. An upper boundary on the runaway energy can appear due to the resonance between the electron gyromotion and the magnetic field ripple in the low field side. The experimental derived maximum energy in the core is about 26 MeV, and maximum energy in the edge region is blocked to no more than 5 MeV. This resonance interaction of runaways with the nth harmonic of the magnetic field ripple can account for the observed energy gap of the runaways.     

The townsend coefficient and runaway of electrons in electronegative gas

We have studied the character of variation of the number of electrons formed in an electronegative gas (SF₆) under the action of an external electric field. At any value of the electric field strength E, the number of generated electrons exponentially increases with the distance from the cathode, while the average velocity and energy of electrons attain constant values. At small values of the reduced field strength, E/p<94 V/(cm Torr) (p is the gas pressure), the regime of electron attachment prevails that is characterized by negative values of the exponent (negative Townsend coefficients). For E/p>94 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication proceeds in the usual Townsend regime with positive exponents. In the intermediate region of E/p=40–160 V/(cm Torr), the electron multiplication coefficient exhibits a linear dependence on E/p. Numerical calculations based on a simple model show that the Townsend multiplication regime takes place even in very strong fields where the drag caused by ionization can be ignored. A universal function describing the electron runaway in SF₆ is obtained.     

Stimulation of high-frequency breakdown of gas in Uragan-3M torsatron by runaway electrons

In experiments on confinement and heating of plasma in the Uragan-3M torsatron, the method of high-frequency breakdown of the working gas is used. In these experiments, in conditions of a relatively stable magnetic field, the rf power supplied to the setup chamber has a frequency close to the ion-cyclotron frequency. Such a method of gas breakdown is not always sufficiently reliable. In our experiments, preliminary ionization of the working gas by the run-away electron beam is used for stabilizing the breakdown. This work contains the results of experiments on enhancement of the runaway electron beam and on the interaction of the runaway electron beam in the Uragan-3M torsatron with the HF electromagnetic pump field. This enables us to formulate a number of recommendations for using spontaneously formed beams of accelerated particles for stimulating the rf breakdown. Our results confirm the possibility of gas breakdown by runaway electrons.     

Observation of trapped and passing runaway electrons by infrared camera in the EAST tokamak

In EAST, synchrotron radiation is emitted by runaway electrons in the infrared band, which can be observed by infrared cameras. This synchrotron radiation is mainly emitted by passing runaway electrons with tens of Me V energy. A common feature of radiation dominated by passing runaway electrons is that it is strongest on the high field side. However,the deeply trapped runaway electrons cannot reach the high field side in principle. Therefore, in this case, the high field side radiation is expected to be weak. This paper reports for the first time that the synchrotron radiation from trapped runaway electrons dominates that from passing runaway electrons and is identifiable in an image. Although the synchrotron radiation dominated by trapped runaway electrons can be observed in experiment, the proportion of trapped runaway electrons is very low.     

EAST 装置等离子体逃逸电子同步辐射行为的实验研究

通过红外可见内窥镜诊断系统对EAST 等离子体芯部逃逸电子的同步辐射功率谱进行了分析,得出低能段逃逸电子同步辐射主要在红外波段,随着逃逸电子能量的增加,同步辐射向短波方向移动进入可见光波段。在欧姆放电条件下,对逃逸电子同步辐射所产生的的红外可见光进行了成像分析,同时研究了EAST 等离子体在低杂波和中性束注入加热条件下的逃逸电子行为。实验结果显示,低杂波和NBI 的投入总体抑制电子的逃逸,但低杂波投入初期产生的快电子对逃逸电子的产生具有促进作用。