The effect of the use of different electrode materials for edge-plasma biasing on plasma density and floating potential modifications

The effect of the use of different electrode materials for edge-plasma biasing on plasma density and floating-potential profile modifications has been recently investigated on the CASTOR tokamak. Dependences of biasing current, edge plasma density and floating potential on biasing voltage have been measured. Induced relaxation events and fast (10–50) kHz oscillations are shown and surface changes of the biasing electrodes are discussed in the paper. Presented at the Workshop “Electric Fields, Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas”, Tarragona, Spain, July 3–4, 2005.     

The Role of Radial Electric Fields in the Tokamaks TEXTOR-94, CASTOR, and T-10

Radial electric fields (E _r) and their role in the establishment of edge transport barriers and improved confinement have been studied in the tokamaks TEXTOR-94 and CASTOR, where E _r is externally applied to the plasma in a controlled way using a biased electrode, as well as in the tokamak T-10 where an edge transport barrier (H-mode) is obtained during electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) of the plasma.The physics of radial currents was studied and the radial conductivity in the edge of TEXTOR-94 (R = 1.75 m, a = 0.46 m) was found to be dominated by recycling (ion-neutral collisions) at the last closed flux surface (LCFS) and by parallel viscosity inside the LCFS. From a performance point of view (edge engineering), such electrode biasing was shown to induce a particle transport barrier, a reduction of particle transport, and a concomitant increase in energy confinement. An H-mode-like behaviour can be induced both with positive and negative electric fields. Positive as well as negative electric fields were shown to strongly affect the exhaust of hydrogen, helium, and impurities, not only in the H-mode-like regime.The impact of sheared radial electric fields on turbulent structures and flows at the plasma edge is investigated on the CASTOR tokamak (R = 0.4 m, a = 0.085 m). A non-intrusive biasing scheme that we call "separatrix biasing" is applied whereby the electrode is located in the scrape-off layer (SOL) with its tip just touching the LCFS. There is evidence of strongly sheared radial electric field and E×B flow, resulting in the formation of a transport barrier at the separatrix. Advanced probe diagnosis of the edge region has shown that the E×B shear rate that arises during separatrix biasing is larger than for standard edge plasma biasing. The plasma flows, especially the poloidal E×B drift velocity, are strongly modified in the sheared region, reaching Mach numbers as high as half the sound speed. The corresponding shear rates ( 5×10⁶ s^-1) derived from both the flow and electric field profiles are in excellent agreement and are at least an order of magnitude higher than the growth rate of unstable turbulent modes as estimated from fluctuation measurements.During ECRH in the tokamak T-10 (R = 1.5 m, a = 0.3 m), a regime of improved confinement is obtained with features resembling those in the H-mode in other tokamaks. Using a heavy ion beam probe, a narrow potential well is observed near the limiter together with the typical features of the L-H transition. The time evolution of the plasma profiles during L-H and H-L transitions is clearly correlated with that of the density profile and the formation of a transport barrier near the limiter. The edge electric field is initially positive after the onset of ECRH. It changes its sign during the L-H transition and grows till a steady condition is reached. Similar to the biasing experiments in TEXTOR-94 and CASTOR, the experimentally observed transport barrier is a barrier for particles.     

用偏压限制器控制KT－5C托卡马克等离子体边缘电场的实验研究

在托卡马克ＫＴ－５Ｃ上，我们首次采用可灵活组合的多块限制器进行了施加偏压以控制等离子体边缘电场的实验，结果表明，在本装置上限制器加正偏压优于加负偏压，正偏压改变等离子体边缘电场效果更明显。偏压限制器收集面积、纵场和偏置电压的大小对偏压效果的影响都是敏感的。改变限制器收集面积和偏压导致的边缘电场的变化最终将趋于饱和，另外发现，偏压限制器与等离子体柱的相对位置对等离子体边缘电场的影响也是重要的。     

HL-2A等离子体边缘的快速单探针测量

介绍了对HL-2A装置中平面边缘等离子体的单探针测量。单探针是安装在可径向移动、并可绕轴旋 转360o的传动杆上的。在1MHz的快速采样频率下,测量了主等离子体边缘的温度、密度、悬浮电位、空间电位、极 向等离子体流速的径向分布。测量的结果表明,利用单探针测量的主等离子体边缘参数与朗缪尔四探针测量结果 基本一致。     

A fluid model of the current-voltage characteristics of an electron emitting electrode immersed in a two electron temperature plasma

The current voltage characteristics of a negatively biased electron emitting electrode immersed in a two-electron temperature plasma are analyzed by a simple one dimensional fluid model. Based on the assumption that the electron density in the pre-sheath region obeys the Boltzmann law the Bohm criterion is derived in the form of a transcendental equation for the Mach number, which can have up to 3 solutions. According to these solutions the ion velocity at the sheath edge can be determined either by the hot or by the cool electron temperature. When it is determined by the cool electron temperature and the hot electron temperature is high enough the critical electron emission current from the collector can have a very pronounced local maximum and a minimum when regarded as a function of the electrode potential. Because of that the current voltage characteristics of the electrode may exhibit up to 3 different floating potentials. This result is in good agreement with the experimental observations reported in [J. Appl. Phys. 63, 5674 (1988)].     

Poloidal Structure of the Turbulence and the Turbulent Flux During Edge Plasma Biasing in the Castor Tokamak

The poloidal structure of the turbulence and the turbulent particle flux in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of the CASTOR tokamak are analysed by means of a poloidal ring of 124 probes distributed uniformly along the whole poloidal circumference. Fluctuation measurements are performed in standard ohmic regime as well as in discharges when a biased electrode is inserted either into the SOL or deeper into the confinement region. It is found that in both cases a strongly sheared radial electric field is created in the SOL, which de-correlates the density and radial velocity fluctuations and reduces their levels. Consequently, the turbulent flux is reduced. However, no phase shift is observed between density and radial velocity fluctuations. When the electrode is localized in the confinement region, all the above effects are less pronounced because of a smaller shear. In addition, the increase of the E × B velocity at biasing leads in both cases to the formation of oscillations in the temporal correlation function. These oscillations are specifically associated to the poloidal mode (m = q), which is created for a limited time and rotates poloidally. This mode does not modify the phase between density and radial velocity fluctuations and has no further effect on the turbulent flux.     

Role of guard rings in improving the performance of silicon detectors

BARC has developed large-area silicon detectors in collaboration with BEL to be used in the pre-shower detector of the CMS experiment at CERN. The use of floating guard rings (FGR) in improving breakdown voltage and reducing leakage current of silicon detectors is well-known. In the present work, it has been demonstrated that FGRs can also be used to improve the spectroscopic response of silicon detectors. The results have been confirmed by carrying outα-particle (≈5 MeV) andγ-ray (60 keV) spectroscopies with the FGR floating or biased and the underlying physics aspect behind the change in spectra is explained. Although reduction in leakage current after biasing one of the guard rings has been reported earlier, the role of a guard ring in improving the spectroscopic response is reported for the first time. Results of TCAD simulations for silicon detectors with the guard ring under different biasing conditions have been presented. Low yield in producing large-area silicon detectors makes them very costly. However, with one of the FGRs biased even a detector having large surface leakage current can be used to give the same response as a very good detector. This makes the use of large-area silicon detectors very economical as the yield would be very high (>90%).     

First Results of Biasing Experiments on the T-10 Tokamak

The first results of the electrode biasing experiments performed on the T-10 tokamak are presented. Positive voltage applied to an electrode inserted inside the tokamak limiter results in the H-mode transition characterised by a decrease of D emission intensity, a rise of line-average plasma density and an increase in energy lifetime. Growth of core electron and ion temperatures during the electrode biasing implies the formation of the thermal barrier in addition to the particle transport barrier.     

Decay of enhanced density and damping of plasma flows after the electrode biasing termination on the CASTOR tokamak

Electrode biasing is a standard tool for modification of both edge and global plasma parameters on the CASTOR tokamak (R=0.4 m,a=85 mm,B _T=1.3 T,I _p1≈9 kA,q _a≈10). During a steady state phase of a discharge, a polarization voltage is applied on an electrode immersed into the edge plasma. This voltage causes radial currents that create radial electric field and, due to theE×B drift, they cause an enhanced rotation. Then, as a consequence, the interaction with walls decreases and particle confinement and density increase. Recently, the decay of plasma density and plasma flows after the termination of the biasing period was investigated on the CASTOR tokamak. These observations are linked to processes and mechanisms that control generation of radial electric fields in plasmas and damping ofE×B sheared flows and that therefore represent a key issue for understanding the transition to improved confinements modes. In the contribution, measured time scales of the transition to the ohmic regime after the biasing termination will be shown. Further, possible consequences of these measured scales for the valuation and explanation of important processes in the plasma will be discussed.     

Relaxation times and energy barriers of rubbing-induced birefringence in glass-forming polymers

The relaxations of rubbing-induced birefringence (RIB) in several glass-forming polymers, including polycarbonate and polystyrene (PS) derivatives with various modifications to the phenyl ring side group, are studied. Significant relaxations of RIB are observed at temperatures well below the glass transition temperature T _g . The relaxation times span a wide range from ∼ 10 s to probably geological time scale. Physical aging effects are absent in the RIB relaxations. The model proposed for the interpretation of RIB in PS describes well the RIB relaxations in all the polymers investigated here. The energy barriers are of the order of a few hundred kJ/mol and decrease with decreasing temperature, in opposition to the trend of Vogel-Fulcher form for polymer segmental relaxations above T _g . The relaxation behaviors of different polymers are qualitatively similar but somewhat different in quantitative details, such as in the values of the saturated birefringence, the shape of the initial barrier density distribution functions, the rates of barrier decrease with decreasing temperature, and the dependence of relaxation times on temperature and parameter , etc. The RIB relaxations are different from any of the other relaxations below T _g that have been reported in the literature, such as dielectric relaxations or optical probe relaxations. A microscopic model for the relaxations of RIB is much desired.     

Design and construction of hot limiter biasing system for the tokamak

A hot limiter biasing system with a simplified fast switch circuit was designed, constructed, and installed on the IR-T1 tokamak, and then the negative voltage applied to a hot limiter inserted inside the tokamak fixed limiter and the plasma current, poloidal, and radial components of the magnetic fields, loop voltage, diamagnetic flux, and the ion saturation currents in the absence and presence of the biased limiter were measured. Results of measurements of biasing effects on the plasma equilibrium behavior and edge plasma rotation are compared and discussed.     

Self-Similarity of Edge Plasma Fluctuations in TEXTOR

In TEXTOR the long-range time dependence of edge plasma fluctuations has been investigated. The results indicate that the tail of the autocorrelation function decays as a power law for time lags longer than the local decorrelation time. The frequency spectra of the fluctuations show similar features to those obtained in "sandpile" models. Using rescaled range (R/S) analysis techniques the self-similarity parameters have been estimated for the potential fluctuation data detected by Langmuir probes. The results show that the Hurst exponents are well above 0.5 over the self-similarity range at all the measured radial locations. All these facts reveal the self-similar character of the electrostatic fluctuations at the plasma edge of TEXTOR, consistent with plasma transport as characterized by self-organized criticality (SOC). Furthermore, we have analyzed in this respect discharges in which an edge transport barrier was created by means of edge biasing, hitherto limited to floating potential measurements in the scrape off layer outside the barrier region. The results show a decrease of fluctuating amplitudes, a reduction of decorrelation time of local turbulence and, surprisingly, a concomitant increase of the Hurst exponent. This result implies that the mechanisms governing the decorrelation of local turbulence may differ from those governing the decorrelation of SOC transport events.     

Mechanisms of asymmetric leakage current in Pt/Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/Nb-SrTiO3 capacitor

Mechanisms of leakage current have been investigated in the capacitor consisting of a Ba_0.6Sr_0.4TiO₃ thin film, a Pt top electrode, and a Nb-doped SrTiO₃ (STON) bottom electrode. The leakage current shows asymmetric behavior for different bias voltage. For the Pt electrode negatively biased, the leakage current can be explained by modified Schottky emission mechanism, and the barrier height is obtained as 0.44 eV. For the Pt electrode positively biased, the leakage current shows a space-charge-limited current behavior. The trap in dielectric film is regarded as deep traps, and the density of trapped carrier is estimated as about 3.2×10²³/m³. PACS 77     

Experimental measurements and modelling of the structure of the radial electric field in RFX

The experimental determination of the radial electric fieldE _r and the associatedE ×B drift velocity at the edge of RFX is presented and possible mechanisms responsible for its generation are discussed.E _r measurements by means of an array of Langmuir probes and those deduced from Doppler spectroscopy of impurity lines agree fairly well. In particular the rotation velocity of the plasma edge has been determined from the Doppler shift of a C III emission line. The observation of other ions characterised by different radial positions, such as B IV and C V, has allowed an estimate of the velocity shear. Typical values of plasma rotation at the edge are around 10 km/s while the velocity shear is of the order of (10⁵−10⁶)s⁻¹ in the spontaneous layer, a few cm thick, usually observed in standard discharges. Plasma rotation has been artificially modified by both positive and negative edge biasing and the associated increase or decrease of the fluid velocity is well in agreement with the radial electric field change. The modification ofE _r during edge biasing and Pulsed Poloidal Current Drive (PPCD) are also reported and interpreted within a momentum balance model. Analytical and self-consistent Monte Carlo models at the plasma edge suggest that impurities have a relevant role in the generation of the radial electric field, due to their relatively large Larmor radius. Presented at the Workshop on Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement and Exhaust, Budapest, 18–19 June 2000.     

The width of the rotational contour of vibrational and vibronic bands of complex molecules in the gas phase as a temperature indicator

From the independence of the contour of spectral density of the rotational (orientation) correlation function of a rigid molecular top of arbitrary symmetry on temperature in the frequency scale based on the reduced time of rotational orientation relaxation and from the near independence of the rotational contour of vibrational and vibronic absorption bands of dipole transitions in the same coordinates in a model of “regular diffusion” of the transition oscillator with a classically rotating rigid molecular top, it is suggested that it is possible to use the halfwidth of the contour for estimation of temperatures. Data are presented on the halfwidth of 48 contours of bands of A, B, and C types at this frequency for 12 compounds for a temperature range of from units to 500 degrees of absolute temperature measured experimentally and (for low temperatures) calculated by the quantum theory. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 312–317, May–June, 1997.     

Spatially resolved photoresponse measurements on pentacene thin-film transistors

A confocal setup with a spatial resolution in the submicron regime is employed for investigating the response of pentacene transistors to local illumination. The transistors show enhanced and inhomogeneous photoresponse in the proximity of the hole-injecting contact. These inhomogeneities represent contact areas of varying injection efficiency. Thus, this technique allows imaging of contact efficiencies with submicron resolution over large areas up to hundreds of microns. Drift–diffusion simulations including a photogeneration/recombination process have been performed to model the photoresponse. The simulations illustrate that the potential drop along the channel is dramatically reduced in the illuminated area due to photoconductance (i.e. photoinjection of excitons and subsequent dissociation). Also, the injection barrier for holes is reduced if the illumination is close to the hole-injecting electrode. The rapid decay of the photoresponse with increasing distance to the positively biased electrode is caused by the limited electron mean free path in our devices.     

Radial electric fields and confinement in the TJ-II stellarator

Radial plasma potential profiles have been obtained in the TJ-II by the Heavy Ion Beam Probing (HIBP) diagnostics. Results show that the potential increases up to 1 kV near the magnetic axis in ECRH low-density plasmas. The secondary ion current profiles, which directly reflect the plasma density, are hollow. In low-density ECRH operation, radial electric fields are found to be positive in the plasma core, however, a reduction in these fields is observed with increasing density. Radial plasma potential profiles show evidence of structures in configurations with low-order rational surfaces. In particular, HIBP measurements have permitted characterization of the plasma potential profile during e-ITB formation. Experiments in TJ-II have shown that it is possible to modify the global confinement and edge plasma parameters with limiter biasing, illustrating the direct impact of radial electric fields on confinement properties. Plasma potential measurements by the HIBP diagnostic show a strong impact of heating method (ECRH versus NBI) on radial electric fields.Presented at the Workshop Electric Fields Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas, Nice, France, October 26–27, 2004.     

A probe-based method for measuring the transport coefficient in the tokamak edge region

A new method for measuring the diffusion coefficient in the edge plasma of fusion devices is presented. The method is based on studying the decay of the plasma fluctuation spectrum inside a small ceramic tube having its mouth flush with a magnetic surface and its axis aligned along the radial direction. The plasma fluctuations are detected by an electrode, radially movable inside the tube. In the experiment described herein, which was performed in the edge region of the CASTOR tokamak, the electrode measured the floating potential. The experimental arrangement is the same used for the direct plasma potential measurements according to the “Ball-pen probe” [1], the design of which is based on the Katsumata probe principle. When the electrode protrudes from the tube, the measured signal shows the floating potential fluctuations of the plasma. Retracting the electrode into the tube, the signal power spectrum displays a decay. This decay is different for different frequencies, and is exponential. Assuming a mainly diffusive behaviour of the plasma inside the tube, the spectrum decay length can be used to derive a value of the diffusion coefficient. The measurement were performed at different radial positions in the CASTOR edge region, so that a radial profile of the diffusion coefficient was obtained. Typical values ofD are of (2–3) m²/s, consistent with expectations from the global particle balance. The radial profile shows a tendency of the diffusion coefficient to increase going deeper into the plasma.     

Plasma confinement in tokamaks with robust torus

We present a non-linear symplectic map that describes the alterations of the magnetic field lines inside the tokamak plasma due to the presence of a robust torus (RT) at the plasma edge. This RT prevents the magnetic field lines from reaching the tokamak wall and reduces, in its vicinity, the islands and invariant curve destruction due to resonant perturbations. The map describes the equilibrium magnetic field lines perturbed by resonances created by ergodic magnetic limiters (EMLs). We present the results obtained for twist and non-twist mappings derived for monotonic and non-monotonic plasma current density radial profiles, respectively. Our results indicate that the RT implementation would decrease the field line transport at the tokamak plasma edge.