| 1. |
- Hender, T. C., et al.
(author)
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MHD stability with strongly reversed magnetic shear in JET
- 2002
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 44:7, s. 1143-1154
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent operation of JET with centrally strongly reversed magnetic shear, produced with the help of lower hybrid current drive, has extended the domain in which internal transport barriers (ITBs) can be formed in JET. Performance is frequently limited by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in these reversed shear regimes. The most severe limit is a pressure driven kink mode which leads to a disruption. This disruptive limit is essentially the same in ITB plasmas with low or strongly reversed shear. Unique to the reversed shear regime is a dominantly n = 1 mode, which has multiple harmonics. This mode is a seemingly common limit to performance, in the highest performance plasmas. Also unique to the reversed shear regime are q > 1 sawteeth events, which can in turn trigger n = 1 post-cursor oscillations. In general, these post-cursor oscillations are benign but do provide valuable information on the q-profile. Other instabilities, including 'snakes' at the outer q = 3 surface, are also observed to limit the performance of reversed magnetic shear ITB regimes.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Kiptily, V. G., et al.
(author)
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gamma-ray diagnostics of energetic ions in JET
- 2002
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 42:8, s. 999-1007
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper reports recent progress in the field of gamma-ray diagnosis of fast ions in the JET tokamak. The gamma-rays, born in nuclear reactions between fast ions and main plasma impurities and/or plasma fuel ions, are analysed with a new modelling tool (the GAMMOD code) that has been developed for a quantitative analysis of the measured gamma-ray energy spectra. The analysis of the gamma-ray energy spectra identifies the different fast ions giving rise to the gamma-ray emission and assesses the effective tail temperatures and relative concentrations of these fast ions. This assessment is possible, since the excitation functions for the different nuclear reactions are well established and exhibit a threshold or/and a resonant nature. The capabilities of the gamma-ray spectral analysis are illustrated with the examples from the recent gamma-ray diagnostic measurements of He-4, He-3, deuterium and hydrogen ions accelerated by ion-cyclotron resonance frequency heating in JET. Simultaneous measurements of several fast ion species, including highly energetic gamma-particles, are demonstrated. In addition to the gamma-spectroscopy, tomographic reconstructions of the radial profile of the gamma-ray emission are performed using the JET neutron profile monitor, thus providing direct measurements of the radial profiles of fast ions in JET.
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| 4. |
- Mantsinen, M. J., et al.
(author)
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Alpha-tail production with ion-cyclotron-resonance heating of He-4-beam ions in JET plasmas
- 2002
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 88:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Third-harmonic ion-cyclotron-resonance heating of He-4-beam ions has produced for the first time on the JET tokamak high-energy populations of He-4 ions to simulate 3.5 MeV fusion-born alpha (alpha) particles. Acceleration of He-4 ions to the MeV energy range is confirmed by gamma-ray emission from the nuclear reaction Be-9(alpha, ngamma) C-12 and excitation of Alfven eigenmodes. Concomitant electron heating and sawtooth stabilization are observed. The scheme could be used in next-step tokamaks to gain information on trapped alpha particles and to test a diagnostics in the early nonactivated phase of operation.
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| 5. |
- Mantsinen, M. J., et al.
(author)
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Analysis of ion cyclotron heating and current drive at omega approximate to 2 omega(cH) for sawtooth control in JET plasmas
- 2002
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 44:8, s. 1521-1542
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ion cyclotron heating and current drive at omega approximate to 2omega(cH) in JET deuterium plasmas with a hydrogen concentration n(H)/(n(D)+n(H)) in the range of 5-15% are analysed, comparing results of numerical computer modelling with experiments. Second harmonic hydrogen damping is found to be maximized by placing the resonance on the, low-field side (LFS) of the torus, which minimizes competing direct electron damping and parasitic high-harmonic D damping in the presence of D beams. The shape of the calculated current perturbation and the radial localization of the heating power density for the LFS resonance are consistent with the experimentally observed evolution of the sawtooth period when the resonance layer moves near the q = 1 surface. Since the calculated driven current is dominated by a current of diamagnetic type caused by finite orbit widths of trapped resonating ions, it is not too sensitive to the ICRF phasing. Control of sawteeth with ion cyclotron current drive using the LFS omega approximate to 2omega(cH) resonance in the present experimental conditions can thus be best obtained by varying the resonance location rather than the ICRF phasing. Due to differences in fast ion orbits, collisional electron heating and fast ion pressure profiles are significantly more peaked for a LFS resonance than for a high-field side (HFS) resonance. For the HFS omega approximate to 2omega(cH) resonance, an enhanced neutron rate is observed in the presence of D beam ions, which is consistent with parasitic D damping at the omega approximate to 2omega(cD) resonance in the plasma centre.
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| 6. |
- Mantsinen, M. J., et al.
(author)
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On the role of different phasings of the ICRF antennas in optimized shear discharges in JET
- 2000
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 40:10, s. 1773-1789
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In discharges with internal transport barriers produced by combined NBI and ICRF heating using the hydrogen minority scheme in JET, confinement and fusion performance are strongly affected by the direction of propagation of the ICRF waves. When the waves propagate along the plasma current, the formation of an internal transport barrier is prompter and the neutron yield is up to a factor of two higher than that for propagation against the current. An ICRF induced pinch of resonating trapped ions is put forward as a candidate for explaining the observations. Simulation results are presented which show that this effect is strong enough to provide a credible explanation for the experimental results.
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| 7. |
- Noterdaeme, J. M., et al.
(author)
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Heating, current drive and energetic particle studies on JET in preparation of ITER operation
- 2003
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 43:3, s. 202-209
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper summarizes the recent work on JET in the three areas of heating, current drive and energetic particles. The achievements have extended the possibilities of JET, have a direct connection to ITER operation and provide new and interesting physics. Toroidal rotation profiles of plasmas heated far off axis with little or no refuelling or momentum input are hollow with only small differences on whether the power deposition is located on the low field side or on the high field side. With LH current drive the magnetic shear was varied from slightly positive to negative. The improved coupling (through the use of plasma shaping and CD4) allowed up to 3.4 MW of PLH in internal transport barrier (ITB) plasmas with more than 15 MW of combined NBI and ICRF heating. The q-profile with negative magnetic shear and the ITB could be maintained for the duration of the high heating pulse (8 s). Fast ions have been produced in JET with ICRF to simulate alpha particles: by using third harmonic He-4 heating, beam injected He-4 at 120 kV were accelerated to energies above 2 MeV taking advantage of the unique capability of JET to use NBI with 4 He and to confine MeV class ions. ICRF heating was used to replicate the dynamics of alpha heating and the control of an equivalent Q = 10 `burn' was simulated.
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| 8. |
- Pamela, J., et al.
(author)
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Overview of results and possibilities for fast particle research on JET
- 2002
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 42:8, s. 1014-1028
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The large physical size of the JET tokamak, its heating systems and diagnostics, and its capability to operate with full deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasmas, including high-power tritium neutral beam injection (NBI), give it unique possibilities in fast particle research in fusion plasmas. These have already been used to generate significant (2-3 MW level) power in fusion a-particles in the 1997 D-T campaign. Recent JET experiments have concentrated on two important scenarios of relevance to next-step tokamak devices: the ELMy H-mode plasmas and plasmas with strong internal transport barriers (ITBs). The achieved progress will help in preparation for a possible second D-T experiment on JET. Fast particle studies have also been carried out recently using ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH)-accelerated particles and external-excitation methods to study Alfven eigenmodes (AEs). Looking towards the future, the capability of JET will be enhanced by upgrades to the NBI system, ICRH system and various diagnostics. Results of the first JET D-T experiment (DTE1) form a basis on which to elaborate a second D-T experiment (DTE2) which could be proposed after these enhancements. The alpha-physics part of this programme would be divided between the investigation of alpha-particle confinement, heating and loss processes in the 'integrated scenarios' (where the discharge is as close as possible to an ITER-relevant scenario), and dedicated 'alpha-physics' experiments, with specially prepared plasmas. In ELMy H-mode plasmas the fusion performance could roach Q(=P-fusion/P-input) of similar to0.33 at the highest combined heating powers, corresponding to similar to 6x10(-4), allowing a test of the margins of TAE stability in quasi-steady-state conditions. The integrated-scenario fast particle programme could concentrate on the instabilities and heating in plasma regimes with strong steady-state ITBs, with expected Q values similar to0.58 and similar to2x10(-3), demonstrating the compatibility of these operating scenarios with alpha-effects. Excitation of TAEs by alpha-particles in the plasma core could also be studied in such integrated scenarios. An issue which will receive attention is the confinement of MeV energy ions in the centre of ITB plasmas with strongly reversed shear, where the low current density in the centre may lead to the alpha-particles entering loss orbits. In preparation for a D-T campaign, studies of triton burn-up in deuterium ITB plasmas will begin in the 2002 experimental campaigns. Special 'afterglow' experiments to measure TAEs after the termination of the (stabilizing) NBI have already been explored in JET deuterium ITB scenarios and would be planned for DTE2. It is intended to develop special versions of ITB plasmas with dominant ion heating which would maximize the sensitivity to degradation of alpha-heating effects.
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| 9. |
- Westerhof, E., et al.
(author)
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Control of sawteeth and triggering of NTMs with ion cyclotron resonance frequency waves in JET
- 2002
-
In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 42:11, s. 1324-1334
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new scenario to delay or prevent neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) onset is presented. By active sawtooth destabilization, short period and low amplitude sawteeth are generated, such that the sawtooth produced NTM seed island is reduced and the threshold normalized plasma pressure for triggering of NTMs, beta(Nonset), is increased. The scenario has been explored experimentally in the Joint European Torus (JET). Ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) waves tuned to the 2nd harmonic H-minority resonance have been used for sawtooth control. Whereas ICRF waves generally induce sawtooth stabilization, favouring the triggering of NTMs and reducing beta(Nonset), the present experiments show that by toroidally directed waves, ion cyclotron current drive is produced, and that sawteeth can be destabilized by careful positioning of the 2nd harmonic H resonance layer with respect to the sawtooth inversion radius. As a result, NTM onset is delayed and beta(Nonset) is increased above its value obtained in discharges with additional heating from neutral beam injection alone.
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