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The article reviews the physics of fusion alpha particles and energetic neutral beam ions studied in the final phase of TFTR operation, with an emphasis on observations in reversed magnetic shear (RS) and enhanced reversed shear (ERS) DT plasmas. Energy resolved measurements of the radial profiles of confined, trapped alphas in RS plasmas exhibit reduced core alpha density with increasing alpha energy, in contrast to plasmas with normal monotonic shear. The measured profiles are consistent with predictions of increased alpha loss due to stochastic ripple diffusion and increased first orbit loss in RS plasmas. In experiments in which a short tritium beam pulse is injected into a deuterium RS plasma, the measured DT neutron emission is lower than standard predictions assuming first orbit loss and stochastic ripple diffusion of the beam ions. A microwave reflectometer measured the spatial localization of low toroidal mode number (n), alpha driven toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAEs) in DT RS discharges. Although the observed ballooning character of the n = 4 mode is consistent with predictions of a kinetic MHD stability code, the observed antiballooning nature of the n = 2 mode is not. Furthermore, the modelling does not show the observed strong dependence of mode frequency on n. These alpha driven TAEs do not cause measurable alpha loss in TFTR. Other Alfven frequency modes with n = 2-4 seen in both DT and DD ERS and RS discharges are localized to the weak magnetic shear region near qmin. In 10-20% of DT discharges, normal low n MHD activity causes alpha loss at levels above the first orbit loss rate.

Predictions with the 1½-D BALDUR transport code, using recent theory based models for thermal and particle transport, are compared with measured profiles of electron plasma density and electron and ion temperatures for Ohmic, L-mode and supershot discharges on TFTR. The profile consistent drift wave model is found to overestimate the ion temperatures at high heating powers so that a third mode or loss process is needed in addition to drift wave transport (trapped electron mode and ηi mode) and an edge loss model. None of several versions of the local multiple mode models, using the 1989 Carreras-Diamond resistive ballooning mode, gives Te, Ti within 20% for all three TFTR regimes studied.

Ion absorption of the high harmonic fast wave in a spherical torus is of critical importance to assessing the viability of the wave as a means of heating and driving current. Analysis of recent National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) shots has revealed that under some conditions when neutral beam and radio-frequency (RF) power are injected into the plasma simultaneously, a fast ion population with energy above the beam injection energy is sustained by the wave. In agreement with modeling, these experiments find the RF-induced fast ion tail strength and neutron rate at lower B-fields to be less enhanced, likely due to a larger beta profile, which promotes greater off-axis absorption where the fast ion population is small. Ion loss codes find the increased loss fraction with decreased B insufficient to account for the changes in tail strength, providing further evidence that this is an RF interaction effect. Though greater ion absorption is predicted with lower k(sub)||, surprisingly little variation in the tail was observed, along with a small neutron rate enhancement with higher k(sub)||. Data from the neutral particle analyzer, neutron detectors, X-ray crystal spectrometer, and Thomson scattering is presented, along with results from the TRANSP transport analysis code, ray-tracing codes HPRT and CURRAY, full-wave code and AORSA, quasi-linear code CQL3D, and ion loss codes EIGOL and CONBEAM.

Insufficient helium exhaust can seriously degrade the performance of any fusion reactor and has recently been identified as a potentially significant issue for ITER. The effects of variations of the ratios D{sup He}/{chi}i, D{sup He}/D{sup D}, v{sup He}/D{sup He} and of the sawtooth period on helium exhaust in ITER are studied with BALDUR code transport simulations. Recent measurements of D{sup He}/{chi}i, at TFTR, of D{sup He}/D{sup D} at TEXTOR of v{sup He}/D{sup He} at TFTR, TEXTOR, and JT-60 are found compatible with sustained ignition and helium exhaust requirements for ITER. Ignition is found to be critically sensitive to the ratio v{sup He}/D{sup He}, particularly at the plasma edge, and to reduced sawtooth period. These critical dependencies are moderated for reduced helium recycling at the separatrix and for hollow particle diffusivity profiles. 17 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

1-{1/2}-d BALDUR transport code predictions using recent theoretically-based models for thermal and particle transport are compared to measured profiles of electron plasma density and electron and ion temperatures for TFTR ohmic, L-mode and supershot discharges. The profile consistent drift wave model is found to overestimate ion temperatures at high heating powers, so that a third mode or loss process is needed in addition to drift wave transport (TEM, {eta}{sub i}) and an edge loss model. None of several versions of local multiple mode models, using the 1989 Carreras-Diamond resistive ballooning model, gives T{sub e}, T{sub i} within 20% for all three TFTR regimes studied. 36 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.