| 1. |
- Fenstermacher, M.E., et al.
(författare)
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DIII-D research advancing the physics basis for optimizing the tokamak approach to fusion energy
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 62:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- DIII-D physics research addresses critical challenges for the operation of ITER and the next generation of fusion energy devices. This is done through a focus on innovations to provide solutions for high performance long pulse operation, coupled with fundamental plasma physics understanding and model validation, to drive scenario development by integrating high performance core and boundary plasmas. Substantial increases in off-axis current drive efficiency from an innovative top launch system for EC power, and in pressure broadening for Alfven eigenmode control from a co-/counter-I p steerable off-axis neutral beam, all improve the prospects for optimization of future long pulse/steady state high performance tokamak operation. Fundamental studies into the modes that drive the evolution of the pedestal pressure profile and electron vs ion heat flux validate predictive models of pedestal recovery after ELMs. Understanding the physics mechanisms of ELM control and density pumpout by 3D magnetic perturbation fields leads to confident predictions for ITER and future devices. Validated modeling of high-Z shattered pellet injection for disruption mitigation, runaway electron dissipation, and techniques for disruption prediction and avoidance including machine learning, give confidence in handling disruptivity for future devices. For the non-nuclear phase of ITER, two actuators are identified to lower the L-H threshold power in hydrogen plasmas. With this physics understanding and suite of capabilities, a high poloidal beta optimized-core scenario with an internal transport barrier that projects nearly to Q = 10 in ITER at ∼8 MA was coupled to a detached divertor, and a near super H-mode optimized-pedestal scenario with co-I p beam injection was coupled to a radiative divertor. The hybrid core scenario was achieved directly, without the need for anomalous current diffusion, using off-axis current drive actuators. Also, a controller to assess proximity to stability limits and regulate β N in the ITER baseline scenario, based on plasma response to probing 3D fields, was demonstrated. Finally, innovative tokamak operation using a negative triangularity shape showed many attractive features for future pilot plant operation.
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| 2. |
- Waszak, S. M., et al.
(författare)
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Spectrum and prevalence of genetic predisposition in medulloblastoma: a retrospective genetic study and prospective validation in a clinical trial cohort
- 2018
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Ingår i: Lancet Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1470-2045. ; 19:6, s. 785-798
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Medulloblastoma is associated with rare hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes; however, consensus medulloblastoma predisposition genes have not been defined and screening guidelines for genetic counselling and testing for paediatric patients are not available. We aimed to assess and define these genes to provide evidence for future screening guidelines. Methods In this international, multicentre study, we analysed patients with medulloblastoma from retrospective cohorts (International Cancer Genome Consortium [ICGC] PedBrain, Medulloblastoma Advanced Genomics International Consortium [MAGIC], and the CEFALO series) and from prospective cohorts from four clinical studies (SJMB03, SJMB12, SJYC07, and I-HIT-MED). Whole-genome sequences and exome sequences from blood and tumour samples were analysed for rare damaging germline mutations in cancer predisposition genes. DNA methylation profiling was done to determine consensus molecular subgroups: WNT (MBWNT), SHH (MBSHH), group 3 (MBGroup3), and group 4 (MBGroup4). Medulloblastoma predisposition genes were predicted on the basis of rare variant burden tests against controls without a cancer diagnosis from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC). Previously defined somatic mutational signatures were used to further classify medulloblastoma genomes into two groups, a clock-like group (signatures 1 and 5) and a homologous recombination repair deficiency-like group (signatures 3 and 8), and chromothripsis was investigated using previously established criteria. Progression-free survival and overall survival were modelled for patients with a genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma. Findings We included a total of 1022 patients with medulloblastoma from the retrospective cohorts (n=673) and the four prospective studies (n=349), from whom blood samples (n=1022) and tumour samples (n=800) were analysed for germline mutations in 110 cancer predisposition genes. In our rare variant burden analysis, we compared these against 53 105 sequenced controls from ExAC and identified APC, BRCA2, PALB2, PTCH1, SUFU, and TP53 as consensus medulloblastoma predisposition genes according to our rare variant burden analysis and estimated that germline mutations accounted for 6% of medulloblastoma diagnoses in the retrospective cohort. The prevalence of genetic predispositions differed between molecular subgroups in the retrospective cohort and was highest for patients in the MBSHH subgroup (20% in the retrospective cohort). These estimates were replicated in the prospective clinical cohort (germline mutations accounted for 5% of medulloblastoma diagnoses, with the highest prevalence [14%] in the MBSHH subgroup). Patients with germline APC mutations developed MBWNT and accounted for most (five [71%] of seven) cases of MBWNT that had no somatic CTNNB1 exon 3 mutations. Patients with germline mutations in SUFU and PTCH1 mostly developed infant MBSHH. Germline TP53 mutations presented only in childhood patients in the MBSHH subgroup and explained more than half (eight [57%] of 14) of all chromothripsis events in this subgroup. Germline mutations in PALB2 and BRCA2 were observed across the MBSHH, MBGroup3, and MBGroup4 molecular subgroups and were associated with mutational signatures typical of homologous recombination repair deficiency. In patients with a genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma, 5-year progression-free survival was 52% (95% CI 4069) and 5-year overall survival was 65% (95% CI 5281); these survival estimates differed significantly across patients with germline mutations in different medulloblastoma predisposition genes. Interpretation Genetic counselling and testing should be used as a standard-of-care procedure in patients with MBWNT and MBSHH because these patients have the highest prevalence of damaging germline mutations in known cancer predisposition genes. We propose criteria for routine genetic screening for patients with medulloblastoma based on clinical and molecular tumour characteristics. Copyright (c) 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 3. |
- Beurskens, M N A, et al.
(författare)
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H-mode pedestal scaling in DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade, and JET
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 18:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multidevice pedestal scaling experiments in the DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), and JET tokamaks are presented in order to test two plasma physics pedestal width models. The first model proposes a scaling of the pedestal width Delta/a proportional to rho*(1/2) to rho* based on the radial extent of the pedestal being set by the point where the linear turbulence growth rate exceeds the E x B velocity. In the multidevice experiment where rho* at the pedestal top was varied by a factor of four while other dimensionless parameters where kept fixed, it has been observed that the temperature pedestal width in real space coordinates scales with machine size, and that therefore the gyroradius scaling suggested by the model is not supported by the experiments. The density pedestal width is not invariant with rho* which after comparison with a simple neutral fuelling model may be attributed to variations in the neutral fuelling patterns. The second model, EPED1, is based on kinetic ballooning modes setting the limit of the radial extent of the pedestal region and leads to Delta(psi) proportional to beta p(1/2). All three devices show a scaling of the pedestal width in normalised poloidal flux as Delta(psi) proportional to beta p(1/2), as described by the kinetic ballooning model; however, on JET and AUG, this could not be distinguished from an interpretation where the pedestal is fixed in real space. Pedestal data from all three devices have been compared with the predictive pedestal model EPED1 and the model produces pedestal height values that match the experimental data well.
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| 4. |
- Beurskens, M. N. A., et al.
(författare)
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Pedestal width and ELM size identity studies in JET and DIII-D; implications for ITER
- 2009
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 51:12, s. 124051-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dependence of the H-mode edge transport barrier width on normalized ion gyroradius (rho* = rho/a) in discharges with type I ELMs was examined in experiments combining data for the JET and DIII-D tokamaks. The plasma configuration as well as the local normalized pressure (beta), collisionality (nu*), Mach number and the ratio of ion and electron temperature at the pedestal top were kept constant, while rho* was varied by a factor of four. The width of the steep gradient region of the electron temperature (T-e) and density (n(e)) pedestals normalized to machine size showed no or only a weak trend with rho*. A rho(1/2) or rho(1) dependence of the pedestal width, given by some theoretical predictions, is not supported by the current experiments. This is encouraging for the pedestal scaling towards ITER as it operates at lower rho* than existing devices. Some differences in pedestal structure and ELM behaviour were, however, found between the devices; in the DIII-D discharges, the n(e) and T-e pedestal were aligned at high rho* but the ne pedestal shifted outwards in radius relative to T-e as rho* decreases, while on JET the profiles remained aligned while rho* was scanned by a factor of two. The energy loss at an ELM normalized to the pedestal energy increased from 10% to 40% as rho* increased by a factor of two in the DIII-D discharges but no such variation was observed in the case of JET. The measured pedestal pressures and widths were found to be consistent with the predictions from modelling based on peeling-ballooning stability theory, and are used to make projections towards ITER
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| 5. |
- Curie, M. T., et al.
(författare)
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A survey of pedestal magnetic fluctuations using gyrokinetics and a global reduced model for microtearing stability
- 2022
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Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 29:4, s. 042503-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents a global reduced model for slab-like microtearing modes (MTMs) in the H-mode pedestal, which reproduces distinctive features of experimentally observed magnetic fluctuations, such as chirping and discrete frequency bands at noncontiguous mode numbers. Our model, importantly, includes the global variation of the diamagnetic frequencies, which is necessary to reproduce the experimental observations. The key insight underlying this model is that MTM instability is enabled by the alignment of a rational surface with the peak in the profile of the diamagnetic frequency. Conversely, MTMs are strongly stabilized for toroidal mode numbers for which these quantities are misaligned. This property explains the discrete fluctuation bands in several DIII-D and JET discharges, which we survey using our reduced model in conjunction with global gyrokinetic simulations. A fast yet accurate reduced model for MTMs enables rapid interpretation of magnetic fluctuation data from a wide range of experimental conditions to help assess the role of MTM in the pedestal.
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| 10. |
- Beurskens, M. N. A., et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of hybrid and baseline ELMy H-mode confinement in JET with the carbon wall
- 2013
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 53:1, s. 013001-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The confinement in JET baseline type I ELMy H-mode plasmas is compared to that in so-called hybrid H-modes in a database study of 112 plasmas in JET with the carbon fibre composite (CFC) wall. The baseline plasmas typically have βN ∼ 1.5-2, H98 ∼ 1, whereas the hybrid plasmas have βN ∼ 2.5-3, H98 < 1.5. The database study contains both low- (δ ∼ 0.2-0.25) and high-triangularity (δ ∼ 0.4) hybrid and baseline H-mode plasmas from the last JET operational campaigns in the CFC wall from the period 2008-2009. Based on a detailed confinement study of the global as well as the pedestal and core confinement, there is no evidence that the hybrid and baseline plasmas form separate confinement groups; it emerges that the transition between the two scenarios is of a gradual kind rather than demonstrating a bifurcation in the confinement. The elevated confinement enhancement factor H98 in the hybrid plasmas may possibly be explained by the density dependence in the τ98 scaling as n0.41 and the fact that the hybrid plasmas operate at low plasma density compared to the baseline ELMy H-mode plasmas. A separate regression on the confinement data in this study shows a reduction in the density dependence as n0.09±0.08. Furthermore, inclusion of the plasma toroidal rotation in the confinement regression provides a scaling with the toroidal Alfvén Mach number as and again a reduced density dependence as n0.15±0.08. The differences in pedestal confinement can be explained on the basis of linear MHD stability through a coupling of the total and pedestal poloidal pressure and the pedestal performance can be improved through plasma shaping as well as high β operation. This has been confirmed in a comparison with the EPED1 predictive pedestal code which shows a good agreement between the predicted and measured pedestal pressure within 20-30% for a wide range of βN ∼ 1.5-3.5. The core profiles show a strong degree of pressure profile consistency. No beneficial effect of core density peaking on confinement could be identified for the majority of the plasmas presented here as the density peaking is compensated by a temperature de-peaking resulting in no or only a weak variation in the pressure peaking. The core confinement could only be optimized in case the ions and electrons are decoupled, in which case the ion temperature profile peaking can be enhanced, which benefits confinement. In this study, the latter has only been achieved in the low-triangularity hybrid plasmas, and can be attributed to low-density operation. Plasma rotation has been found to reduce core profile stiffness, and can explain an increase in profile peaking at small radius ρtor = 0.3.
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