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A powerful and flexible hard x-ray (HXR) camera has been recently installed and tested on the WEST tokamak (CEA, France) in collaboration with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The diagnostic is a pinhole camera fielded with a 2D pixel detector equipped with a 1 mm thick CdTe sensor. The novelty of this diagnostic technique is the detector's capability of adjusting the threshold energy at the pixel level. This innovation provides great flexibility in the energy configuration, allowing simultaneous space, energy, and time resolved x-ray measurements. The novel camera has been used to measure the core radiation from non-Maxwellian (fast) electrons accelerated by Lower Hybrid (LH) waves and also the beam–target emission of tungsten in the divertor region produced by fast electron losses interacting with the target. In addition, anisotropic hard x-ray emission has been detected for the first time at the WEST core and edge plasma, with opposite toroidal intensity trends. Experimental vertical and toroidal HXR profiles have been successfully reproduced with the LH code LUKE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experiments performed in JET at high level of plasma heating, in preparation of, and during the DT campaign have shown significant discrepancies between electron temperature measurements by Thomson Scattering (TS) and Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE). In order to perform a systematic analysis of this phenomenon, a simple model of bipolar distortion of the electron distribution function has been developed, allowing analytic calculation of the EC emission and absorption coefficients. Extensive comparisons of the modelled ECE spectra (at both the 2nd and the 3rd harmonic extraordinary mode) with experimental measurements display good agreement when bulk electron distribution distortions around 1-2 times the electron thermal velocity are used and prove useful for a first level of analysis of this effect.

For high-temperature JET and TFTR discharges, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements of central electron temperature were systematically found to be up to 20% higher than those taken with Thomson scattering. In recent high-performance JET discharges, central Te measurements, performed with LIDAR Thomson scattering and the X-mode ECE interferometer, have been studied in a large database, including deuterium (DD), and deuterium-tritium plasmas (DT). Discrepancies between Te measurements have been observed outside of the experimental uncertainties. ECE measurements, at high Te, have been found to be higher or lower than those of LIDAR, depending on the specific plasma scenario. In addition, discrepancies between the peaks of the second and third harmonic ranges of the ECE spectrum have been interpreted as evidence for the presence of non-Maxwellian features in the electron distribution function. These comparisons seem to suggest that such features can be found in most of the high-performance scenarios selected in this JET database.

The ECRH system formerly used in Tore Supra is being upgraded to start on WEST in 2023, at a power level of 1MW and frequency of 105 GHz. Its ultimate 3MW/1000s capability is expected to enlarge the WEST operational domain by increasing margins with respect to H-mode access, and by providing additional flexibility in terms of achievable scenarios using impurity and/or MHD control. This flexibility is made possible using an antenna based on three steerable mirrors for controlled power injection. In order to determine an appropriate range of EC wave injection angles for WEST scenarios, the fast and reliable ray-tracing code REMA has been interfaced with the WEST IMAS database. This allows the EC power damping rate to be quickly assessed, as well as deposition profiles to be predicted in realistic plasma conditions. Based on a typical WEST discharge at central magnetic field B0~3.6 T, central line-averaged electron density nl~4 × 1019 m−3 and central electron temperature Te0~3keV, ray-tracing calculations have been performed. Comprehensive poloidal and toroidal angle scans, as well as variations of Bt, nl and Te0 with respect to the reference parameters have allowed an adequate range of injection angles to be determined for efficient use of ECRH and/or ECCD in typical WEST scenarios, and compared with the mechanical limits set by the antenna mechanical characteristics. In order to further characterize the effect of this new power source in WEST scenarios, EC wave deposition and current profiles from ray-tracing calculations have been included in integrated simulation codes. It has been shown that this additional power source could allow central electron heating to be achieved, potentially alleviating the issue of radiative collapse caused by impurities observed in some situations.

A new method to obtain the mean energy of fast electron losses in fusion plasmas using a versatile multi-energy hard x-ray (HXR) detector is presented. The method is based on measuring the thick-target emission of tungsten in the divertor region produced by fast electron losses interacting with the target and modeling the tungsten spectra by a Monte Carlo code which simulates the interaction between a beam of electrons and a solid target. The mean energy of the fast electron losses is determined through the comparison between the experimental and synthetic emission. The results show that fast electron losses during lower hybrid current drive discharges at WEST have a mean energy of 90–140 keV and represent only 2% of the total heat flux at the target. Additionally, anisotropic HXR emission has been detected for the first time at the WEST core and edge plasma, with opposite directions. It is due to the forward-peak emission of two distinctive populations of fast electrons: co-current fast electrons in the core and counter-current fast electron losses at the inner strike point. In view of future experiments like ITER where electron cyclotron current drive will generate a fast electron population, this technique could serve as a real-time monitor of fast electron losses and eventually feed an actuator on the current drive generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is dedicated to the study of the discrepancies encountered in electron temperature (Te) measurements carried out with electron cyclotron emission (ECE) and Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostics in the core of the JET tokamak. A large database of discharges has been collected, including high-performance scenarios performed with deuterium only and deuterium–tritium mixtures. Discrepancies have been found between core Te measurements taken with an X-mode ECE interferometer (TECE) and a LIDAR TS system (TLID) for T e > 5 keV. Depending on the plasma scenario, TECE has been found to be systematically higher or lower than TLID. Discrepancies have also been observed between the peaks of the ECE spectrum in the second (X2) and third (X3) harmonic domains, even in high optical thickness conditions. These discrepancies can be interpreted as evidence of the presence of non-Maxwellian features in the electron energy distribution function (EEDF). In order to investigate the relation between the shape of the EEDF and the measured discrepancies, a model for bipolar perturbations of Maxwellian EEDF has been developed. The model allows analytical calculations of ECE absorption and emission coefficients; hence, the comparison of modeled ECE spectra with experimental data. The different experimental results observed for the various JET scenarios have been found to be qualitatively reproducible by adapting the model parameters, suggesting that bipolar distortions of the bulk EEDF could play a role in giving rise to the reported discrepancies between ECE and TS measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) has been observed to be driven by alpha particles in a JET deuterium-tritium internal transport barrier plasma. The observation occurred 50 ms after the removal of neutral beam heating (NBI). The mode is observed on magnetics, soft-xray, interferometry and reflectometry measurements. We present detailed stability calculations using a similar tool set validated during deuterium only discharges. These calculations strongly support the conclusion that the observed mode is a TAE, and that this mode was destabilized by alpha particles. Non-ideal effects from the bulk plasma are interpreted as responsible for suppressing the majority of TAEs which were also driven by alpha particles, but the modes that match the observations are predicted to be particularly weak for these non-ideal effects. This mode located far from the core on the outboard midplane is found to be driven by both trapped and passing particles despite alpha particles originating in the core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reference ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) heating schemes for ITER deuterium–tritium (D-T) plasmas at the full magnetic field of 5.3 T are second harmonic heating of T and 3He minority heating. The wave-particle resonance location for these schemes coincide and are central at a wave frequency of 53 MHz at 5.3 T. Experiments have been carried out in the second major D-T campaign (DTE2) at JET, and in its prior D campaigns, to integrate these ICRF scenarios in JET high-performance plasmas and to compare their performance with the commonly used hydrogen (H) minority heating. In 50:50 D:T plasmas, up to 35% and 5% larger fusion power and diamagnetic energy content, respectively, were obtained with second harmonic heating of T as compared to H minority heating at comparable total input powers and gas injection rates. The core ion temperature was up to 30% and 20% higher with second harmonic T and 3He minority heating, respectively, with respect to H minority heating. These are favourable results for the use of these scenarios in ITER and future fusion reactors. According to modelling, adding ICRF heating to neutral beam injection using D and T beams resulted in a 10%–20% increase of on-axis bulk ion heating in the D-T plasmas due to its localisation in the plasma core. Central power deposition was confirmed with the break-in-slope and fast Fourier transform analysis of ion and electron temperature in response to ICRF modulation. The tail temperature of fast ICRF-accelerated tritons, their enhancement of the fusion yield and time behaviour as measured by an upgraded magnetic proton recoil spectrometer and neutral particle analyser were found in agreement with theoretical predictions. No losses of ICRF-accelerated ions were observed by fast ion detectors, which was as expected given the high plasma density of n e ≈ 7–8 × 1019 m−3 in the main heating phase that limited the formation of ICRF-accelerated fast ion tails. 3He was introduced in the machine by 3He gas injection, and the 3He concentration was measured by a high-resolution optical penning gauge in the sub-divertor region. The DTE2 experiments with 3He minority heating were carried with a low 3He concentration in the range of 2%–4% given the fact that the highest neutron rates with 3He minority heating in D plasmas were obtained at low 3He concentrations of ∼2%, which also coincided with the highest plasma diamagnetic energy content. In addition to 3He introduced by 3He gas injection, an intrinsic concentration of 3He of the order of 0.2%–0.4% was measured in D-T plasmas before 3He was introduced in the device, which is attributed to the radioactive decay of tritium to 3He. According to modelling, even such low intrinsic concentrations of 3He lead to significant changes in ICRF power partitioning during second harmonic heating of T due to absorption of up to 30% of the wave power by 3He. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WEST (tungsten environment in steady-state tokamak) is starting operation for the first time with a water-cooled full tungsten divertor, enabling long pulse operation. Heating is provided by radiofrequency systems, including lower hybrid current drive (LHCD). In this context, a compact multi-energy hard x-ray camera has been installed for energy and space-resolved measurements of the electron temperature, the fast electron tail density produced by LHCD and runaway electrons, and the beam–target emission of tungsten at the target due to fast electron losses interacting with the divertor plates. The diagnostic is a pinhole camera based on a 2D pixel array detector (Pilatus 3 CdTe CMOS Hybrid-Pixel detector produced by DECTRIS). The novelty of this diagnostic technique is the detector's capability of adjusting the threshold energy at pixel level. This innovation provides great flexibility in the energy configuration, allowing simultaneous space and energy-resolved x-ray measurements. This contribution details two important steps in the preparation of the diagnostic operation. First, the in-vessel spatial calibration that was carried out with a radioactive source. Second, the synthetic diagnostic is obtained by the suite of codes ALOHA/C3PO/LUKE/R5-X2, which simulates LH wave propagation and absorption, as well as the fast electron bremsstrahlung production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the extension of the ‘three-ion’ species ICRF technique for heating mixture plasmas using fast injected NBI ions as resonant ‘third’ species. In this scenario the ICRF power is absorbed by the fast beam ions in the vicinity of the mode conversion layer where the left-hand polarized RF electric field E+ is strongly enhanced. The ions in the beam velocity distribution that have a Doppler-shifted resonance close to the mode conversion layer efficiently absorb RF power and undergo acceleration. We show first experimental observations of ICRF heating of D-NBI ions in H-D plasmas in JET with the ITER-like wall. In agreement with theoretical predictions and numerical modelling, acceleration of the D-NBI ions in this D-(DNBI)-H scenario is confirmed by several fast-ion measurements. An extension of the heating scheme discussed here is acceleration of T-NBI and D-NBI ions in D-T plasmas, offering the potential to further boost the Q-value in future D-T campaigns in JET.

The interaction of AlfvĂ©n eigenmodes (AEs) and energetic particles is one of many important factors determining the success of future tokamaks. In JET, eight in-vessel antennas were installed to actively probe stable AEs with frequencies ranging 25â€"250 kHz and toroidal mode numbers | n | < 20. During the 2019â€"2020 deuterium campaign, almost 7500 resonances and their frequencies f 0, net damping rates Îł < 0, and toroidal mode numbers were measured in almost 800 plasma discharges. From a statistical analysis of this database, continuum and radiative damping are inferred to increase with edge safety factor, edge magnetic shear, and when including non-ideal effects. Both stable AE observations and their associated damping rates are found to decrease with | n |. Active antenna excitation is also found to be ineffective in H-mode as opposed to L-mode; this is likely due to the increased edge density gradient’s effect on accessibility and ELM-related noise’s impact on mode identification. A novel measurement is reported of a marginally stable, edge-localized ellipticity-induced AE probed by the antennas during high-power auxiliary heating (ion cyclotron resonance heating and neutral beam injection) up to 25 MW. NOVA-K kinetic-MHD simulations show good agreement with experimental measurements of f 0, Îł, and n, indicating the dominance of continuum and electron Landau damping in this case. Similar experimental and computational studies are planned for the recent hydrogen and ongoing tritium campaigns, in preparation for the upcoming DT campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheared flows are known to reduce turbulent transport by decreasing the correlation length and/or intensity of turbulent structures. The transport barrier that takes place at the edge during improved regimes such as H mode, corresponds to the establishment of a large shear of the radial electric field. In this context, the radial shape of the radial electric field or more exactly of the perpendicular E Ă— B velocity appears as a key element in accessing improved confinement regimes. In this paper, we present the radial profile of the perpendicular velocity measured using Doppler back-scattering system at the edge of the plasma, dominated by the E Ă— B velocity, during the first campaigns of the WEST tokamak. It is found that the radial velocity profile is clearly more sheared in lower single null configuration (with the B Ă— ∇ B magnetic drift pointing toward the active X -point) than in upper single null configuration for ohmic and low current plasmas (B = 3.7 T and q 95 = 4.7), consistently with the expectation comparing respectively ‘favourable’ versus ‘unfavourable’ configuration. Interestingly, this tendency is sensitive to the plasma current and to the amount of additional heating power leading to plasma conditions in which the E Ă— B velocity exhibits a deeper well in USN configuration. For example, while the velocity profile exhibits a clear and deep well just inside the separatrix concomitant with the formation of a density pedestal during Lâ€"H transitions observed in LSN configuration, deeper E r wells are observed in USN configuration during similar transitions with less pronounced density pedestal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent JET deuterium experiments with an advanced tokamak scenario using an internal transport barrier (ITB) have been performed to clearly observe destabilized toroidicity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) by fast ions; interestingly, these also exhibit unstable electromagnetic (EM) perturbations in the sub-TAE frequency range. We identify such EM perturbations to be beta-induced ion temperature gradient (BTG) eigenmodes and not beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes nor beta-induced Alfvén acoustic eigenmodes, which are often unstable in such high-beta plasmas with high-power neutral beam injection (NBI). The BTG modes are the most unstable modes due to the high thermal ion temperature gradient related to the ITB, high thermal ion temperature compared to thermal electron temperature (high T i / T e ), and a high ion beta regime. BTG mode experimental characteristics match the analytical theory, i.e., location in the vicinity of a rational magnetic surface with a low magnetic shear, mode frequency scaling with the ion diamagnetic frequency ( ω i * ), and a coupling among Alfvén and drift waves. We also perform linear gyrokinetic simulations with validated plasma profiles and equilibrium, and find a mode kinetically driven by thermal ions with similar characteristics as the experimental BTG modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three identical new WEST ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) antennas have been designed, assembled then commissioned on plasma from 2013 to 2019. The WEST ICRH system is both load-resilient and compatible with long-pulse operations. The three antennas have been successfully operated together on plasma in 2019 and 2020, with up to 5.8 MW of coupled power. The load resilience capability has been demonstrated and the antenna feedback controls for phase and matching have been developed. The breakdown detection systems have been validated and successfully protected the antennas. The use of ICRH in combination with lower hybrid has triggered the first high confinement mode transitions identified on WEST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the physical principles behind the novel three-ion scenarios using radio frequency waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF). We discuss how to transform mode conversion electron heating into a new flexible ICRF technique for ion cyclotron heating and fast-ion generation in multi-ion species plasmas. The theoretical section provides practical recipes for selecting the plasma composition to realize three-ion ICRF scenarios, including two equivalent possibilities for the choice of resonant absorbers that have been identified. The theoretical findings have been convincingly confirmed by the proof-of-principle experiments in mixed H–D plasmas on the Alcator C-Mod and JET tokamaks, using thermal 3He and fast D ions from neutral beam injection as resonant absorbers. Since 2018, significant progress has been made on the ASDEX Upgrade and JET tokamaks in H–4He and H–D plasmas, guided by the ITER needs. Furthermore, the scenario was also successfully applied in JET D–3He plasmas as a technique to generate fusion-born alpha particles and study effects of fast ions on plasma confinement under ITER-relevant plasma heating conditions. Tuned for the central deposition of ICRF power in a small region in the plasma core of large devices such as JET, three-ion ICRF scenarios are efficient in generating large populations of passing fast ions and modifying the q-profile. Recent experimental and modeling developments have expanded the use of three-ion scenarios from dedicated ICRF studies to a flexible tool with a broad range of different applications in fusion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fishbone-induced transport of alpha particles is computed for the ITER 15 MA baseline scenario (ITER Physics Expert Group on Energy Drive 1999 Nucl. Fusion 39 2471) using the non-linear hybrid Kinetic-MHD code XTOR-K. Two limit cases have been studied, in order to analyse the characteristic regimes of the fishbone instability: the weak kinetic drive limit (Berk et al 1999 Phys. Plasmas 6 3102) and the strong kinetic drive limit (Zonca et al 2015 New J. Phys. 17 013052). In both those regimes, characteristic features of the n = m = 1 fishbone instability are recovered, such as a strong up/down-chirping of the mode frequency, associated with a resonant transport of trapped and passing alpha particles. The effects of the n = m = 0 sheared poloidal and toroidal plasma rotation are taken into account in the simulations. The shear is not negligible, which implies that the fishbone mode frequency has a radial dependency, impacting the wave-particle resonance condition. Phase space hole and clump structures are observed in both non-linear regimes, centered around the precessional and passing resonances. These structures remains attached to the resonances as the different mode frequencies chirp up and down. In the non-linear phase, the transport of individual resonant trapped particles is identified to be linked to mode-particle synchronization. On this basis, a partial mechanism for the non-linear coupling between particle transport and mode dominant down-chirping is proposed. The overall transport of alpha particles through the q = 1 surface is of order 2–5\% of the initial population between the simulations. The loss of alpha power is found to be directly equal to the loss of alpha particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated experiments to generate energetic D ions and fusion-born alpha particles were performed at the Joint European Torus (JET) with the ITER-like wall (ILW). Using the 3-ion radio frequency (RF) heating scenario, deuterium ions from neutral beam injection (NBI) were accelerated in the core of mixed plasmas to higher energies with ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) waves, in turn leading to a core-localized source of alpha particles. The fast-ion distribution of RF-accelerated D-NBI ions was controlled by varying the ICRF and NBI power (4–6 MW, 3–20 MW), resulting in rather high D-D neutron (≈ 1 × 1016 s−1) and alpha rates (≈ 2 × 1016 s−1) at moderate input heating power. Theory and TRANSP analysis shows that large populations of co-passing MeV-range D ions were generated using the 3-ion ICRF scenario. This important result is corroborated by several experimental observations, in particular gamma-ray measurements. The developed experimental scenario at JET provides unique conditions for probing several aspects of future burning plasmas, such as the contribution from MeV range ions to global confinement, but without introducing tritium. Dominant fast-ion core electron heating with and a rich variety of fast-ion driven Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) were observed in these plasmas. The observed AE activities do not have a detrimental effect on the thermal confinement and, in some cases, may be driven by the fusion born alpha particles. A strong continuous increase in neutron rate was observed during long-period sawteeth (1 s), accompanied by the observation of reversed shear AEs, which implies that a non monotonic q profile was systematically developed in these plasmas, sustained by the large fast-ion populations generated by the 3-ion ICRF scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the diversity of materials at known locations in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak to extract, local information on which plasma-surface interaction processes are dominant during ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) (near vs far field effects). Metallic impurity content is indicated by the intensity of impurity line emissions observed with a fast-time-response extreme ultraviolet spectrometer, normalized to line-averaged plasma density, i.e. Iimp/ne. Parametric dependencies are explored over scans of ICRH and LH (lower hybrid) power and for different toroidal phasings between straps, strap power balance, and magnetic configurations. This diversity of behavior is interpreted as the signature of different physical processes. Before 2017, as only the upper divertor region contained tungsten (W), the W content in the core used to increase a lot when moving from lower to upper single null configurations, and was correlated with the total injected power rather than the ICRH power. Molybdenum, covering the part of the inner wall facing one ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) antenna appear sensitive to this antenna power and phasing benchmarked by modeling suggesting a probable interaction due to residual ICRF waves crossing the plasma. Materials close and magnetically-connected to an active antenna show better correlation with ICRF antenna electrical tuning than those which are far away, or not connected. This is particularly the case with W since 2018, because the limiter tiles of the LH launchers were changed from graphite to tungsten. In these latter conditions, it is shown that W sources at the mid-plane (equatorial plane) contribute to a significant fraction of the core contamination by tungsten (25% in ohmic regime, and more during ICRH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]