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The specific size and structure of the edge current profile has important effects on the magnetohydrodynamic stability and ultimate performance of many advanced tokamak (AT) operating modes. This is true for both bootstrap and externally driven currents that may be used to tailor the edge shear. Absent a direct local measurement of j(r), the best alternative is a determination of the poloidal field. Measurements of the precision (0.1°–0.01° in magnetic pitch angle and 1–10 ms) necessary to address issues of stability and control and provide constraints for EFIT are difficult to do in the region of interest (ρ=0.9–1.1). Using Zeeman polarization spectroscopy of the 2S–2P lithium resonance line emission from the DIII-D LIBEAM [D. M. Thomas, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66, 806 (1995); D. M. Thomas, A. W. Hyatt, and M. P. Thomas, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61, 340 (1990)] measurements of the various field components may be made to the necessary precision in exactly the region of interest to these studies. Because of the negli...

A new reciprocating Langmuir probe was used to measure density and temperature profiles, ion flow, and potential fluctuation levels from the lower divertor floor up to the X point on the DIII-D Tokamak. This probe is designed to make fast (2 kHz swept, 20 kHz Mach, 500 kHz Vfloat) measurements with 2 mm spatial resolution in the region where the largest gradients on the plasma open flux tubes are found and therefore provide the best benchmarks for scrap-off layer and divertor numerical models. Profiles are constructed using the 300 ms time history of the probe measurements during the 25 cm reciprocating stroke. Both single and double null plasmas can be measured and compared with a 20 Hz divertor Thomson scattering system. The probe head is constructed of four different kinds of graphite to optimize the electrical and thermal characteristics. Electrically insulated pyrolytic graphite rings act as a heat shield to absorb the plasma heat flux on the probe shaft and are mounted on a carbon/carbon composite core for mechanical strength. The Langmuir probe sampling tips are made of a linear carbon fiber composite. The mechanical, electrical, data acquisition, and power supply systems will be described. Initial measurements will also be presented.

The next generation of tokamaks present unique challenges to plasma diagnostic design due to the physical size of the devices and the radiation environment. The need for a density measurement for density feedback control for a prototype reactor such as ITER is well established and several proposals for line average measurements have been put forward. In this article, a design for a line average density diagnostic for ITER using collinear interferometry and Faraday rotation measurements will be presented. Plasma effects on both types of measurements and density resolution will be discussed along with the possibility of combining the information from the two collinear measurements to improve the reliability and quality of the density profile. Survivability of the plasma facing mirrors, in particular the surface flatness and surface roughness, are critical issues and preliminary analysis suggests these may limit the wavelength of probing beams. Thermal and stress analysis of the plasma facing mirrors will be...

Strong shaping, favourable for stability and improved energy confinement, together with a significant expansion of the central region of improved confinement in negative central magnetic shear target plasmas, increased the maximum fusion power produced in DIII-D by a factor of 3. Using deuterium plasmas, the highest fusion power gain, the ratio of fusion power to input power, Q, was 0.0015, corresponding to an equivalent Q of 0.32 in a deuterium-tritium plasma, which is similar to values achieved in tokamaks of larger size and magnetic field. A simple transformation relating Q to the stability parameters is presented

Detailed analysis of recent high beta discharges in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrates that the resistive vacuum vessel can provide stabilization of low n magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes. The experimental beta values reaching up to {beta}{sub T} = 12.6% are more than 30% larger than the maximum stable beta calculated with no wall stabilization. Plasma rotation is essential for stabilization. When the plasma rotation slows sufficiently, unstable modes with the characteristics of the predicted {open_quotes}resistive wall{close_quotes} mode are observed. Through slowing of the plasma rotation between the q = 2 and q = 3 surfaces with the application of a non-axisymmetric field, the authors have determined that the rotation at the outer rational surfaces is most important, and that the critical rotation frequency is of the order of {Omega}/2{pi} = 1 kHz.

Accurate equilibrium reconstruction and detailed stability analysis of a strongly shaped, double‐null, βT=11% discharge shows that the plasma core is in the second stable regime to ideal ballooning modes. The equilibrium reconstruction using all the available data (coil currents, poloidal magnetic loops, motional Stark effect data, the kinetic pressure profile, the magnetic axis location, and the location of the two q=1 surfaces) shows a region of negative magnetic shear near the magnetic axis, an outer positive shear region, and a low shear region connecting the two. The inner negative shear region allows a large positive shear region near the boundary, even at low q (q95=2.6), permitting a large outer region pressure gradient to be first regime stable. The inner region is in the second stable regime, consistent with the observed axial beta [βT(0)=44%]. In the low shear region p’ vanishes, consistent with Mercier stability. This is one way to extend the ballooning limit in shaped plasmas while maintainin...

There is a need for a real time, reliable density measurement compatible with the restricted access and radiation environment on International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Due to the large plasma path length, high density and field, refraction, and Faraday rotation effects makes the use of contemporary long wavelength (≳50 μm) interferometers impractical. In this paper we consider the design of a short wavelength vibration compensated interferometer which allows operation without a prohibitively large vibration isolated structure and permits the optics to be conveniently mounted directly in or on the tokamak. A density interferometer design for ITER incorporating a 10.6 μm CO2 interferometer with vibration compensation provided by a 3.39 μm HeNe laser is discussed. The proposed interferometer design requires only a small intrusion into the ITER tokamak without a large support structure, refraction and Faraday rotation problems are avoided, and it provides a density resolution of at least 0.5%. Results are presented from an interferometer installed on the DIII‐D tokamak incorporating essential elements of the proposed ITER design including 10.6 and 3.39 μm lasers, a retroreflector mounted on the vacuum wall of the DIII‐D tokamak and real‐time density feedback control. In this paper we consider a short wavelength interferometer design that incorporates vibration compensation for use on ITER. Our primary concern is to develop an interferometer design that will produce a reliable real time density monitor. We use the ITER conceptual design activity report as the basis of the design.

The authors describe the design and operation of a 40 spatial channel Thomson scattering system that uses multiple 20-Hz Nd:YAG lasers to measure the electron temperature and density profiles periodically throughout an entire plasma discharge. Interference filter polychromators disperse the scattered light, which is detected by silicon avalanche photodiodes. The measurable temperature range is from 10 eV to 20 keV, and the minimum detectable density is about 2*10/sup 18/ m/sup -3/. Laser control and data acquisition are performed in real time by a VME-based microcomputer. Data analysis is performed by a MicroVAX 3400. Unique features of this system include burst mode operation, where multiple lasers are fired in rapid succession ( >

A silicon avalanche photodiode with an internal gain of about 50 to 100 is used in a temperature‐controlled environment to measure the Nd:YAG laser Thomson scattered spectrum in the wavelength range from 700 to 1150 nm. A charge‐sensitive preamplifier has been developed for minimizing the noise contribution from the detector electronics. Signal levels as low as 20 photoelectrons (S/N=1) can be detected. Measurements show that both the signal and the variance of the signal vary linearly with the input light level over the range of interest, indicating Poisson statistics. The signal is processed using a 100 ns delay line and a differential amplifier which subtracts the low‐frequency background light component. The background signal is amplified with a computer‐controlled variable gain amplifier and is used for an estimate of the measurement error, calibration, and Zeff measurements of the plasma. The signal processing has been analyzed using a theoretical model to aid the system design and establish the pro...

A VME‐based real‐time computer system for laser control, data acquisition, and analysis for the DIII‐D multipulse Thomson scattering diagnostic is described. The laser control task requires precise timing of up to eight Nd:YAG lasers, each with an average firing rate of 20 Hz. A cpu module in a real‐time multiprocessing computer system will operate the lasers with evenly staggered laser pulses or in a ‘‘burst mode,’’ where all available (fully charged) lasers can be fired at 50–100 μs intervals upon receipt of an external event trigger signal. One or more cpu modules, along with a LeCroy FERA (fast encoding and readout ADC) system, will perform real‐time data acquisition and analysis. Partial electron temperature and density profiles will be available for plasma feedback control within 1 ms following each laser pulse. The VME‐based computer system consists of two or more target processor modules (25 MHz Motorola 68030) running the VMEexec real‐time operating system connected to a Unix‐based host system (also a 68030). All real‐time software is fully interrupt driven to maximize system efficiency. Operator interaction and (non‐real‐time) data analysis takes place on a MicroVAX 3400 connected via DECnet.

A multilaser system is being developed for the DIII‐D Thomson scattering diagnostic. This system combines the beams from up to 8 Nd:YAG lasers onto a common beamline in which the beams are nearly parallel and are all focused into a small, common area within the desired scattering volume. Each laser can be fired at a constant rate (20 Hz per laser) for a high average repetition rate, or together in a ‘‘burst,’’ which will give very high sampling rates (10–20 kHz) for short periods. The burst mode will be triggerable by plasma events, which will allow for study of transient phenomena, but will require nonperiodic firing of the lasers. Beamline diagnostics include position sensitive detectors for computer controlled feedback alignment of the 35 m beamline, an image position detection system for monitoring the alignment of the collection lens to the scattering volume, and a 1‐D reticon camera for divergence monitoring. The effects of the nonperiodic firing of the lasers will be monitored with the reticon camera.

It is generally agreed that the primary scientific goal of the first near Sun fly-by mission is to identify the source of momentum responsible for driving the solar wind and to understand the physics of solar coronal heating. In this paper, we present an innovative concept for obtaining a unique set of data with which to better understand the physics of solar wind acceleration and coronal heating. The instrument, called the Solar Event Correlation Analyzer (SECA), operates on the principle that the topology of the open magnetic field lines can be used to causally correlate the evolution of small scale structures (events) in the Sun’s transition region with in situ solar probe measurements. These small-scale events are generally viewed as the mechanisms providing energy and momentum for the solar corona and wind, an assumption that will be conclusively tested with the SECA instrument. This paper describes the SECA concept and its scientific justification.

Author(s): Lazarus, EA; Navratil, GA; Greenfield, CM; Strait, EJ; Austin, ME; Burrell, KH; Casper, TA; Baker, DR; DeBoo, JC; Doyle, EJ; Durst, R; Ferron, JR; Forest, CB; Gohil, P; Groebner, RJ; Heidbrink, WW; Hong, R; Houlberg, WA; Howald, AW; Hsieh, C; Hyatt, AW; Jackson, GL; Kim, J; Lao, LL; Lasnier, CJ; Leonard, AW; Lohr, J; La Haye RJ; Maingi, R; Miller, RL; Murakami, M; Osborne, TH; Perkins, LJ; Petty, CC; Rettig, CL; Rhodes, TL; Rice, BW; Sabbagh, SA; Schissel, DP; Scoville, JT; Snider, RT; Staebler, GM; Stallard, BW; Stambaugh, RD; St John HE; Stockdale, RE; Taylor, PL; Thomas, DM; Turnbull, AD; Wade, MR; Wood, R; Whyte, D | Abstract: Fusion power has been increased by a factor of 3 in DIII-D by tailoring the pressure profile to avoid the kink instability in H-mode plasmas. The resulting plasmas are found to have neoclassical ion confinement. This reduction in transport losses in beam-heated plasmas with negative central shear is correlated with a dramatic reduction in density fluctuations. Improved magnetohydrodynamic stability is achieved by controlling the plasma pressure profile width. In deuterium plasmas the highest gain Q (the ratio of fusion power to input power), was 0.0015, corresponding to an equivalent Q of 0.32 in a deuterium-tritium plasma. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

There is a need for real time, reliable density measurement for tokamak plasma density control, compatible with the restricted access and radiation environment on ITER. Line average density measurements using microwave or laser interferometry techniques have proven to be robust and reliable for density control on contemporary tokamaks. In ITER, the large path length, high density and high density gradients, limit the wavelength of a probing beam to shorter then about 50 µm due to refraction effects. In this paper we consider the design of short wavelength vibration compensated interferometers and Faraday rotation techniques for density measurements on ITER. These techniques allow operation of the diagnostics without a prohibitively large vibration isolated structure and permit the optics to be mounted directly on the radial port plugs on ITER. A beam path designed for 10.6 µm (CO2 laser) with a tangential path through the plasma allows both an interferometer and a Faraday rotation measurement of the line average density with good density resolution while avoiding refraction problems. Plasma effects on the probing beams and design tradeoffs will be discussed along with radiation and long pulse issues. A proposed layout of the diagnostic for ITER will be presented.

Neutral beams were injected into low field (B = 0.7-1.0 T) deuterium plasmas in an attempt to destabilize toroidicity induced Alfvén eigenmodes (TAE modes). When the parallel beam velocity approached the Alfvén velocity and the volume averaged beam beta exceeded 2%, localized, propagating modes with n = 2-10 were observed. As much as 45% of the beam power was lost as a result of the modes. The threshold for TAE instability is at least one order of magnitude higher than that predicted by Fu and VanDam (Phys. Fluids B 1 (1989) 1949). © 1991, IOP publishing Ltd.

Recent results from the DIII-D tokamak have provided significant contributions to the understanding of many of the elements of tokamak physics and the application of this understanding to the design of next generation devices including ITER and CIT. The limitations of magnetohydrodynamic stability on the values of plasma beta (the ratio of kinetic pressure to the containing pressure of the magnetic field) that can be attained has been experimentally demonstrated and found to be described by existing theory. Values of beta (10.7%) well in excess of those required for proposed devices (ITER and CIT) have been demonstrated. Regimes of confinement (H-mode) have been established that scale favorably to proposed next generation devices, and experiments demonstrating the dependence of the energy confinement on plasma size have been completed. Understanding of confinement is rapidly developing especially in the areas of bulk transport and the role of turbulence in the plasma edge. Key experimental results in areas of plasma transport and edge plasma phenomena are in agreement with theories based on short wavelength turbulence. Control of the divertor heat loads and impurity influx has been demonstrated, and new progress has been made in the understanding of plasma edge phenomena. Experiments with ion Bernstein wave heating have not found regimes in which these waves can produce effective central ion heating. Electron cyclotron current drive experiments have demonstrated 70 kA of driven current in 400 kA discharges.

We propose use of a fast Alfven wave interferometer and reflectometer as a tokamak diagnostic to measure the plasma mass density, D–T species mix profile, and density fluctuations. Utilizing the property that the phase velocity of the fast wave propagating across the magnetic field is the Alfven speed with thermal correction, this fast wave interferometer on the DIII-D tokamak was successfully used to obtain the line integrated density. Since the position of the ion–ion hybrid cutoff in tokamaks is uniquely determined by the species mix ratio and wave frequency, the reflectometer arrangement finds the species mix profile. The inversion method of reflectometry is discussed. The multiple chord interferometer also measures the mass density fluctuation profile.

The authors' data indicate that the L-mode to H-mode transition in the DIII-D tokamak is associated with the sudden reduction in anomalous, fluctuation-connected transport across the outer midplane of the plasma. In addition to the reduction in edge density and magnetic fluctuations observed at the transition, the edge radial electric field becomes more negative after the transition. They have determined the scaling of the H-mode power threshold with various plasma parameters; the roughly linear increase with plasma density and toroidal field are particularly significant. Control of the ELM frequency and duration by adjusting neutral beam input power has allowed us to produce H-mode plasmas with constant impurity levels and durations up to 5 s. Energy confinement time in ohmic H-mode plasmas and in deuterium H-mode plasmas with deuterium beam injection can exceed saturated ohmic confinement times by at least a factor of two. Energy confinement times above 0.3 s have been achieved in these beam-heated plasmas with plasma currents in the range of 2.0 to 2.5 MA. Local transport studies have shown that electron and ion thermal diffusivities and angular momentum diffusivity are comparable in magnitude and all decrease with increasing plasma current.

The results of the in-situ pellet experiments in Doublet III are summarized, with particular attention to the recent measurements of the electron temperature and density during the early phase of the discharge when large vertical elongations are achieved.

A major portion of the DIII-D program includes studies of the L-H transition, of the VH-mode, of particle transport and control and of the power-handling capability of a divertor. Significant progress has been made in all of these areas and the purpose of this paper is to summarize the major results obtained during the last two years. An increased understanding of the origin of improved confinement in H-mode and in VH-mode discharges has been obtained, good impurity control has been achieved in several operating scenarios, studies of helium transport provide encouraging results from the point of view of reactor design, an actively pumped divertor chamber has controlled the density in H-mode discharges and a radiative divertor is a promising technique for controlling the heat flux from the main plasma.