Fokker-planck study of tokamak electron cyclotron resonance heating

A Fokker－Planck study is carried out for tokamak electron cyclotron resonance heating by writing the quasi-linear diffusion operator into a form adaptive to the collision operator and considering the wave absorption characteristics of both the O-mode and the X-mode in different magnetic surfaces. Though the Fokker－Planck code is non-relativistic in nature, however, if the relativistic resonance condition for the nearly perpendicularly propagating waves is treated suitably, we can obtain correct results. The energy loss mechanism through anomalous transport is also modelled using a suitable loss term. In the heating phase, the electron distribution deviates from the Maxwellian distribution substantially, which leads to non-linear absorption characteristics. The wave damping rate is non-linear and changes with time. The electron pressure is usually anisotropic under different conditions: p_{e⊥}/p_{e‖}>2 for different D_0 and τ_e.     

Behaviour of the peripheral electron temperature at the H-mode transition induced by the peripheral electron cyclotron heating of a tokamak plasma

The behaviour of the peripheral electron temperature at the H-mode transition induced by the peripheral electron cyclotron heating shows that the H-mode transition is triggered at the crash phase of the sawteeth and the concept of the “threshold temperature” well describes the condition for the H-mode transition. The particle confinement seems to be improved during the H-mode, which is deduced from a simple model.     

Long-pulse improved central electron confinement in the TCV tokamak with electron cyclotron heating and current drive

Current profile tailoring by electron cyclotron heating (ECH) and current drive (ECCD) is used to improve central electron energy confinement in the TCV tokamak. Counter-ECCD on axis alone achieves this goal in a transient manner only. A stable scenario is obtained by a two-step sequence of off-axis ECH, which stabilizes magnetohydrodynamics modes, and on-axis counter-ECCD, which generates a flat or inverted current profile. This high-confinement regime, with central temperatures up to 9 keV (at a normalized beta(N) approximately 0.6), has been sustained for the entire duration of the heating pulse, or over 200 electron energy confinement times and 5 current redistribution times.     

Electron cyclotron heating in the WT-1 tokamak

When a high power microwave is injected into a tokamak plasma, the intensities of microwave radiations emitted from the plasma and those of impurity lines are increased. Such increases are observed only when the electron cyclotron resonance field is present in the torus. The upper hybrid resonance heating is also observed near the plasma surface.     

Investigation of the effect of electron cyclotron heating on runaway generation in the KSTAR tokamak

Wave enhanced runaway generation is expected to play an important role in the conversion of plasma current into runaway current during major disruptions. The fast electrons created by electron cyclotron heating (ECH) were used to study this issue in KSTAR. It is found that the fast electrons driven by ECH can enhance runaway production in the flat top phase with high loop voltage. The runaway current in disruptions was not enhanced by the ECH produced fast electron population due to the strong magnetic fluctuations which inhibited the generation of runaway electrons. It is found that a complete loss of existing REs during thermal quench has occurred in KSTAR limiter configuration discharges.     

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在HL-2A单零偏滤器条件下,对由弱场侧沿赤道平面垂直注入的电子回旋寻常波(O-模)的波迹和波的功率沉积剖面进行了分析计算。对近磁轴共振情形,需要确定一个有效的物理尺度以正确获得波功率沉积。单一波束的有效吸收层的厚度可以合理地作为这一物理尺度,从而获得统一的功率沉积公式。对比研究了磁轴偏离赤道面和位于赤道面情况下的波功率沉积剖面。     

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利用调制送气过程中观察到的冷脉冲传播,研究了在HL-2A装置欧姆放电条件下的电子热输运。从扰动输运方程出发,分析了电子热输运过程,利用在实验中获得的数据,进行了曲线拟合和数值计算,得到了在HL-2A装置欧姆放电条件下强场侧电子热输运系数的分布特征为χ=15-14(1-r2)2m2.s-1。     

On the excitation of ion cyclotron and electron cyclotron waves by beams of charged particles

The instabilities of the electrostatic waves of a hot plasma in a magnetic field, excited by beams of charged particles, have been studied in some special cases within the framework of the linear theory. We are interested in short-wavelength oscillations with a transverse wavelength compareable with the Larmore radius of ions or electrons, with frequencies in the vicinity of the harmonic cyclotron frequency of ions or electrons. Expressions have been derived for the increments of these instabilities in the case of a beam with an isotropic distribution function in the velocity space, as well as with an anisotropic distribution function. The influence of the beam temperature on the character of the instabilities and the conditions of formation of the instabilities are discussed, and the order of magnitude of the increments is estimated.The authors thanks J. Václavík and V. Kopecký for valuable discussions and comments.     

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.     

Microwave preionization of the tokamak discharge at the electron cyclotron resonance

When ohmic heating power is applied during the microwave discharge at the electron cyclotron resonance, the plasma current and density build-up become fast and the loop voltage required to start the tokamak discharge decreases. The micro-wave burst observed in the initial stage is reduced and the burst of hard X-rays, occurring at the quasi-steady stage of discharge in the case of no microwave injection, disappears, suggesting that the production of run-away electrons is suppressed strongly.