Turbulence and Transport During Electron Cyclotron Heating in the DIII-D Tokamak

Turbulence and Transport During Electron Cyclotron Heating in the DIII-D Tokamak PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 30

Get Book Here

Book Description
The response of plasma parameters and broad wavenumber turbulence (1--40 cm−1, k[rho]{sub s} = 0.1--8) to auxiliary electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is reported on. In these plasmas the electron temperature responds most strongly to the ECH while the electron density and ion temperature are kept approximately constant. Thermal fluxes and diffusivities increase appreciably with ECH for both electron and ion channels. Significant changes to the density fluctuations over the full range of measured wavenumbers are observed. This range of wavenumbers encompasses that typically associated with ion temperature gradient, trapped electron mode, and electron temperature gradient modes. Changes in linear growth rates calculated using a gyrokinetic code show consistency with observed fluctuation increases over the whole range of wavenumbers.

Turbulence and Transport During Electron Cyclotron Heating in the DIII-D Tokamak

Turbulence and Transport During Electron Cyclotron Heating in the DIII-D Tokamak PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 30

Get Book Here

Book Description
The response of plasma parameters and broad wavenumber turbulence (1--40 cm−1, k[rho]{sub s} = 0.1--8) to auxiliary electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is reported on. In these plasmas the electron temperature responds most strongly to the ECH while the electron density and ion temperature are kept approximately constant. Thermal fluxes and diffusivities increase appreciably with ECH for both electron and ion channels. Significant changes to the density fluctuations over the full range of measured wavenumbers are observed. This range of wavenumbers encompasses that typically associated with ion temperature gradient, trapped electron mode, and electron temperature gradient modes. Changes in linear growth rates calculated using a gyrokinetic code show consistency with observed fluctuation increases over the whole range of wavenumbers.

Studies of Turbulence and Flows in the DIII-D Tokamak

Studies of Turbulence and Flows in the DIII-D Tokamak PDF Author: Jon Clark Hillesheim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Get Book Here

Book Description
Understanding the turbulent transport of particles, momentum, and heat continues to be an important goal for magnetic confinement fusion energy research. The turbulence in tokamaks and other magnetic confinement devices is widely thought to arise due to linearly unstable gyroradius-scale modes. A long predicted characteristic of these linear instabilities is a critical gradient, where the modes are stable below a critical value related to the gradient providing free energy for the instability and unstable above it. In this dissertation, a critical gradient threshold for long wavelength ($k_{\theta} \rho_s \lesssim 0.4$) electron temperature fluctuations is reported, where the temperature fluctuations do not change, within uncertainties, below a threshold value in $L_{T_e}^{-1}=\nabla T_e / T_e$ and steadily increase above it. This principal result, the direct observation of a critical gradient for electron temperature fluctuations, is also the first observation of critical gradient behavior for \textit{any} locally measured turbulent quantity in the core of a high temperature plasma in a systematic experiment. The critical gradient was found to be $L_{T_e}^{-1}_{crit}=2.8 \pm 0.4 \ \mathrm{m}^{-1}$. The experimental value for the critical gradient quantitatively disagrees with analytical predictions for its value. In the experiment, the local value of $L_{T_e}^{-1}$ was systematically varied by changing the deposition location of electron cyclotron heating gyrotrons in the DIII-D tokamak. The temperature fluctuation measurements were acquired with a correlation electron cyclotron emission radiometer. The dimensionless parameter $\eta_e=L_{n_e}/L_{T_e}$ is found to describe both the temperature fluctuation threshold and a threshold observed in linear gyrofluid growth rate calculations over the measured wave numbers, where a rapid increase at $\eta_e \approx 2$ is observed in both. Doppler backscattering (DBS) measurements of intermediate-scale density fluctuations also show a frequency-localized increase on the electron diamagnetic side of the measured spectrum that increases with $L_{T_e}^{-1}$. Measurements of the crossphase angle between long wavelength electron density and temperature fluctuations, as well as measurements of long wavelength density fluctuation levels were also acquired. Multiple aspects of the fluctuation measurements and calculations are individually consistent with the attribution of the critical gradient to the $\nabla T_e$-driven trapped electron mode. The accumulated evidence strongly enforces this conclusion. The threshold value for the temperature fluctuation measurements was also within uncertainties of a critical gradient for the electron thermal diffusivity found through heat pulse analysis, above which the electron heat flux and electron temperature profile stiffness rapidly increased. Toroidal rotation was also systematically varied with neutral beam injection, which had little effect on the temperature fluctuation measurements. The crossphase measurements indicated the presence of different instabilities below the critical gradient depending on the neutral beam configuration, which is supported by linear gyrofluid calculations. In a second set of results reported in this dissertation, the geodesic acoustic mode is investigated in detail. Geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) and zonal flows are nonlinearly driven, axisymmetric ($m=0,\ n=0$ potential) $E \times B$ flows, which are thought to play an important role in establishing the saturated level of turbulence in tokamaks. Zonal flows are linearly stable, but are driven to finite amplitude through nonlinear interaction with the turbulence. They are then thought to either shear apart the turbulent eddies or act as a catalyst to transfer energy to damped modes. Results are presented showing the GAM's observed spatial scales, temporal scales, and nonlinear interaction characteristics, which may have implications for the assumptions underpinning turbulence models towards the tokamak edge ($r/a \gtrsim 0.75$). Measurements in the DIII-D tokamak have been made with multichannel Doppler backscattering systems at toroidal locations separated by $180^{\circ}$; analysis reveals that the GAM is highly coherent between the toroidally separated systems ($\gamma> 0.8$) and that measurements are consistent with the expected $m=0,\ n=0$ structure. Observations show that the GAM in L-mode plasmas with $\sim 2.5-4.5$ MW auxiliary heating occurs as a radially coherent eigenmode, rather than as a continuum of frequencies as occurs in lower temperature discharges; this is consistent with theoretical expectations when finite ion Larmor radius effects are included. The intermittency of the GAM has been quantified, revealing that its autocorrelation time is fairly short, ranging from about 4 to about 15 GAM periods in cases examined, a difference that is accompanied by a modification to the probability distribution function of the $E \times B$ velocity at the GAM frequency. Conditionally-averaged bispectral analysis shows the strength of the nonlinear interaction of the GAM with broadband turbulence can vary with the magnitude of the GAM. Data also indicates a wave number dependence to the GAM's interaction with turbulence. Measurements also showed the existence of additional low frequency zonal flows (LFZF) at a few kilohertz in the core of DIII-D plasmas. These LFZF also correlated toroidally. The amplitude of both the GAM and LFZF were observed to depend on toroidal rotation, with both types of flows barely detectable in counter-injected plasmas. In a third set of results the development of diagnostic hardware, techniques used to acquire the above data, and related work is described. A novel multichannel Doppler backscattering system was developed. The five channel system operates in V-band (50-75 GHz) and has an array of 5 frequencies, separated by 350 MHz, which is tunable as a group. Laboratory tests of the hardware are presented. Doppler backscattering is a diagnostic technique for the radially localized measurement of intermediate-scale ($k_{\theta} \rho_s \sim 1$) density fluctuations and the laboratory frame propagation velocity of turbulent structures. Ray tracing, with experimental profiles and equilibria for inputs, is used to determine the scattering wave number and location. Full wave modeling, also with experimental inputs, is used for a synthetic Doppler backscattering diagnostic for nonlinear turbulence simulations. A number of non-ideal processes for DBS are also investigated; their impact on measurements in DIII-D are found, for the most part, to be small.

Turbulent Particle Transport in H-Mode Plasmas on Diii-D

Turbulent Particle Transport in H-Mode Plasmas on Diii-D PDF Author: Xin Wang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Plasma turbulence
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Get Book Here

Book Description
Particle transport is an important topic in plasma physics. It determines the density profile of a burning plasma within a tokamak a magnetic confinement device. Microscopic turbulent particle transport is two orders of magnitude larger than other transport mechanisms for electrons and small ions. In order to confine a plasma in a tokamak with a core density that exceeds the fusion criteria, it is essential to study turbulent particle transport. This thesis investigates how different plasma parameters such as the toroidal rotation and microscopic instabilities affect turbulent particle transport in the DIII-D tokamak. First, we show how toroidal rotation can indirectly affect particle transport, through its contribution to the radial electric field and thus the E B shearing rate. The plasma discharge which has best confinement is the one whose E B shearing rate is larger than or at least similar to the growth rates that drive turbulent transport at the plasma edge. Second, for the first time on DIII-D, we observe a correlation between electron density gradient and instability mode frequency in the plasma core. We find that, when the turbulence is driven by the ion temperature gradient (ITG), the local density gradient increases as the the absolute frequency of the dominant unstable mode decreases. Once the dominant unstable mode switches over to the trapped electron mode (TEM) regime, the local density gradient decreases again. As a result the density gradient reaches a maximum when the mode has zero frequency, which is corresponds to the cross over from ITG to TEM. This correlation opens a new opportunity for future large burning plasma devices such as ITER to increase the core density by controlling the turbulence regime. Finally, we show that, in low density regime, a reduction in core density is observed when electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is applied. This reduction is not the result of a change in turbulence regime nor the result of a change in the density gradient in the core. Through detailed time-dependent experimental analysis, linear gyro-kinetic simulations, and comparison to turbulence measurements we show that this reduction in core density is the result of an increase in turbulence drive at the plasma edge.

Electron Cyclotron Emission And Electron Cyclotron Heating (Ec12), Proceedings Of The 12th Joint Workshop

Electron Cyclotron Emission And Electron Cyclotron Heating (Ec12), Proceedings Of The 12th Joint Workshop PDF Author: Gerardo Giruzzi
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814487295
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 613

Get Book Here

Book Description
The 12th Joint Workshop on Electron Cyclotron Emission and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (EC-12) was held in Aix-en-Provence (France) from May 13 to 16, 2002. This workshop was concerned with the interaction of electromagnetic waves and hot plasmas, a subject of great importance in the framework of research on controlled thermonuclear fusion. Using as a fuel a mixture of deuterium and tritium, which can be extracted from sea water, this is a very promising way to develop an intrinsically safe reactor. The workshop gathered approximately one hundred specialists in the production, use and theory of millimetre waves for heating and diagnostics of fusion plasmas.

Electron Cyclotron Emission And Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (Ec-16) - Proceedings Of The 16th Joint Workshop (With Cd-rom)

Electron Cyclotron Emission And Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (Ec-16) - Proceedings Of The 16th Joint Workshop (With Cd-rom) PDF Author: Ronald Prater
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814462063
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427

Get Book Here

Book Description
This proceedings volume, the sixteenth in a biannual series, presents a snapshot of the state of current research worldwide on Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) and related technologies. The papers address the physics, both theory and experiment, of ECE and ECRH. The technologies of high power millimeter-wave sources — gyrotrons — and transmission lines and launchers are included. The focus is on physics and technology relevant to the research and development of nuclear fusion.

Electron Cyclotron Emission and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (EC-16)

Electron Cyclotron Emission and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (EC-16) PDF Author: Ronald Prater
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814340278
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427

Get Book Here

Book Description
This proceedings volume, the sixteenth in a biannual series, presents a snapshot of the state of current research worldwide on Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) and related technologies. The papers address the physics, both theory and experiment, of ECE and ECRH. The technologies of high power millimeter-wave sources - gyrotrons - and transmission lines and launchers are included. The focus is on physics and technology relevant to the research and development of nuclear fusion.

Mechanisms for Electron Transport Barrier Formation in the DIII-D Tokamak

Mechanisms for Electron Transport Barrier Formation in the DIII-D Tokamak PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 16

Get Book Here

Book Description
The E x B shear stabilization paradigm explains much of the phenomenology of ion thermal transport in tokamaks. Behavior in the electron channel, however, has continued to challenge our understanding. Recent experiments in DIII-D and elsewhere produce regions where electron thermal transport is almost completely eliminated with intense, localized, direct electron heating. Simulations of DIII-D discharges identify [alpha]-stabilization, local magnetic shear stabilization due to the Shafranov shift, as the dominant turbulence reduction mechanism in these experiments and may point the way toward regimes with simultaneous electron and ion internal transport barriers.

Turbulent Transport In Magnetized Plasmas (Second Edition)

Turbulent Transport In Magnetized Plasmas (Second Edition) PDF Author: C Wendell Horton, Jr
Publisher: #N/A
ISBN: 9813225904
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 522

Get Book Here

Book Description
For a few seconds with large machines, scientists and engineers have now created the fusion power of the stars in the laboratory and at the same time find the rich range of complex turbulent electromagnetic waves that transport the plasma confinement systems. The turbulent transport mechanisms created in the laboratory are explained in detail in the second edition of 'Turbulent Transport in Magnetized Plasmas' by Professor Horton.The principles and properties of the major plasma confinement machines are explored with basic physics to the extent currently understood. For the observational laws that are not understood — the empirical confinement laws — offering challenges to the next generation of plasma students and researchers — are explained in detail. An example, is the confinement regime — called the 'I-mode' — currently a hot topic — is explored.Numerous important problems and puzzles for the next generation of plasma scientists are explained. There is growing demand for new simulation codes utilizing the massively parallel computers with MPI and GPU methods. When the 20 billion dollar ITER machine is tested in the 2020ies, new theories and faster/smarter computer simulations running in near real-time control systems will be used to control the burning hydrogen plasmas.

Behavior of Electron and Ion Transport in Discharges with an Internal Transport Barrier in the DIII-D Tokamak

Behavior of Electron and Ion Transport in Discharges with an Internal Transport Barrier in the DIII-D Tokamak PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 15

Get Book Here

Book Description
The authors report results of experiments to further determine the underlying physics behind the formation and development of internal transport barriers (ITB) in the DIII-D tokamak. The initial ITB formation occurs when the neutral beam heating power exceeds a threshold value during the early stages of the current ramp in low-density discharges. This region of reduced transport, made accessible by suppression of long-wavelength turbulence by sheared flows, is most evident in the ion temperature and impurity rotation profiles. In some cases, reduced transport is also observed in the electron temperature and density profiles. If the power is near the threshold, the barrier remains stationary and enclosed only a small fraction of the plasma volume. If, however, the power is increased, the transport barrier expands to encompass a larger fraction of the plasma volume. The dynamic behavior of the transport barrier during the growth phase exhibits rapid transport events that are associated with both broadening of the profiles and reductions in turbulence and associated transport. In some, but not all, cases, these events are correlated with the safety factor q passing through integer values. The final state following this evolution is a plasma exhibiting ion thermal transport at or below neoclassical levels. Typically, the electron thermal transport remains anomalously high. Recent experimental results are reported in which rf electron heating was applied to plasmas with an ion ITB, thereby increasing both the electron and ion transport. Although the results are partially in agreement with the usual {rvec E} x {rvec B} shear suppression hypothesis, the results still leave questions that must be addressed in future experiments.

Lecture Series on Turbulent Transport in Tokamaks

Lecture Series on Turbulent Transport in Tokamaks PDF Author: Ronald E. Waltz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Plasma turbulence
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Get Book Here

Book Description