| 1. |
- Stroth, U., et al.
(författare)
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Progress from ASDEX Upgrade experiments in preparing the physics basis of ITER operation and DEMO scenario development
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 62:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L-H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts.
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| 2. |
- Pucella, G., et al.
(författare)
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Overview of the FTU results
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 62:4
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the 2018 IAEA FEC Conference, FTU operations have been devoted to several experiments covering a large range of topics, from the investigation of the behaviour of a liquid tin limiter to the runaway electrons mitigation and control and to the stabilization of tearing modes by electron cyclotron heating and by pellet injection. Other experiments have involved the spectroscopy of heavy metal ions, the electron density peaking in helium doped plasmas, the electron cyclotron assisted start-up and the electron temperature measurements in high temperature plasmas. The effectiveness of the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system has been demonstrated and the new capabilities of the runaway electron imaging spectrometry system for in-flight runaways studies have been explored. Finally, a high resolution saddle coil array for MHD analysis and UV and SXR diamond detectors have been successfully tested on different plasma scenarios.
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| 3. |
- Mariani, A., et al.
(författare)
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First-principle based predictions of the effects of negative triangularity on DTT scenarios
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 64:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasmas with negative triangularity (NT) shape have been recently shown to be able to achieve H-mode levels of confinement in L-mode, avoiding detrimental edge localised modes. Therefore, this plasma geometry is now studied as a possible viable option for a future fusion reactor. Within this framework, an NT option is under investigation for the full power scenario of the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) facility, under construction in Italy, with δ t o p = − 0.32 / δ b o t t o m ≃ 0.02 top/bottom triangularity values at the separatrix. The transport properties of this scenario are studied in this work. Gyrokinetic GENE simulations and integrated modelling using ASTRA with the quasi-linear trapped gyro-Landau fluid (TGLF) model have been performed. The emerging picture from the ASTRA-TGLF runs with boundary conditions at ρ t o r = 0.94 is that, in the L-mode NT option, the larger peaking of the kinetic profiles in the edge region is not sufficient to recover the loss of the PT H-mode pedestal, and reach similar central temperature values. Two additional shapes are also considered, obtained by flipping the triangularity of the scenarios, to single out the effect of the triangularity sign. A negligible ‘direct’ effect of the triangularity is found for the L-mode, while a small beneficial effect is observed for the H-mode. The ASTRA-TGLF results are validated by GENE and TGLF stand-alone at two selected radii. GENE shows ITG dominant micro-instability and explains the small beneficial effect of the NT for the H-mode as due to a strong reduction of the heat fluxes, when reversing the triangularity, with a relatively high T i stiffness. An improvement of the predicted performances of the NT DTT scenario could come from ρ tor ≳ 0.9 , as indicated by some recent experiments at the tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) and ASDEX Upgrade.
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| 4. |
- Casiraghi, I, et al.
(författare)
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First principle-based multi-channel integrated modelling in support of the design of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 61:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An intensive integrated modelling work of the main scenarios of the new Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) facility with a single null divertor configuration has been performed using first principle quasi-linear transport models, in support of the design of the device and of the definition of its scientific work programme. First results of this integrated modelling work on DTT (R (0) = 2.14 m, a = 0.65 m) are presented here along with outcome of the gyrokinetic simulations used to validate the reduced models in the DTT range of parameters. As a result of this work, the heating mix has been defined, the size of device has been increased to R (0) = 2.19 m and a = 0.70 m, the use of pellets for fuelling has been recommended and reference profiles for diagnostic design, estimates of neutron yields and fast particle losses have been made available.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Casiraghi, I, et al.
(författare)
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Scenario modelling for the Divertor Tokamak Test facility
- 2022
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Ingår i: NUOVO CIMENTO C-COLLOQUIA AND COMMUNICATIONS IN PHYSICS. - : SOC ITALIANA FISICA. - 2037-4909. ; 45:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The scenario integrated modelling is a top priority work during the design of a new tokamak, as the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) under construction at the ENEA Research Center in Frascati. The first simulations of the main baseline scenarios contributed to the optimization of the DTT project, particularly with regard to the machine size and heating systems, besides serving as reference for diagnostics design. In this paper we report the first simulations of the full power baseline scenario in the final configuration of the machine and heating mix.
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| 8. |
- Castaldo, L, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic Variants Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Do Not Associate with Measures of Sub-Clinical Atherosclerosis: Results from the IMPROVE Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Genes. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4425. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases (CVD) share common metabolic pathways. We explored the association between three NAFLD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs738409, rs10401969, and rs1260326 with sub-clinical atherosclerosis estimated by the carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) and the inter-adventitia common carotid artery diameter (ICCAD) in patients free from clinically overt NAFLD and CVD. The study population is the IMPROVE, a multicenter European study (n = 3711). C-IMT measures and ICCAD were recorded using a standardized protocol. Linear regression with an additive genetic model was used to test for association of the three SNPs with c-IMT and ICCAD. In secondary analyses, the association of the three SNPs with c-IMT and ICCAD was tested after stratification by alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT). No associations were found between rs738409, rs1260326, rs10401969, and c-IMT or ICCAD. Rs738409-G and rs10401969-C were associated with ALT levels (p < 0.001). In patients with ALT levels above 28 U/L (highest quartile), we observed an association between rs10401969-C and c-IMT measures of c-IMTmax and c-IMTmean-max (p = 0.018 and 0.021, respectively). In conclusion, NAFLD-associated SNPs do not associate with sub-clinical atherosclerosis measures. However, our results suggest a possible mediating function of impaired liver function on atherosclerosis development.
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| 9. |
- Hering, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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The rapid "teabag" method for high-end purification of membrane proteins
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Overproduction and purification of membrane proteins are generally challenging and time-consuming procedures due to low expression levels, misfolding, and low stability once extracted from the membrane. Reducing processing steps and shortening the timespan for purification represent attractive approaches to overcome some of these challenges. We have therefore compared a fast "teabag" purification method with conventional purification for five different membrane proteins (MraY, AQP10, CIC-1, PAR2 and KCC2). Notably, this new approach reduces the purification time significantly, and the quality of the purified membrane proteins is equal to or exceeds conventional methods as assessed by size exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE and downstream applications such as ITC, crystallization and cryo-EM. Furthermore, the method is scalable, applicable to a range of affinity resins and allows for parallelization. Consequently, the technique has the potential to substantially simplify purification efforts of membrane proteins in basic and applied sciences.
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| 10. |
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