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The two-dimensional radial vs poloidal structure and motion of edge turbulence in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) were measured using high-speed imaging of the visible light emission from a localized neutral gas puff. Edge turbulence images are shown and analysed for Ohmic, L- and H-mode plasma conditions. The two-dimensional images often show regions of strong localized light emission known as 'blobs', which move both poloidally and radially at a typical speed of ?105?cm?s?1, and sometimes show spatially periodic features.

Coaxial helicity injection (CHI) on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has produced 240 kA of toroidal current without the use of the central solenoid. Values of the current multiplication ratio (CHI produced toroidal current/injector current) up to 10 were obtained, in agreement with predictions. The discharges, which lasted for up to 200 ms, limited only by the programmed waveform, are more than an order of magnitude longer in duration than any CHI discharges previously produced in a spheromak or a spherical torus.

Alpha particle physics experiments were done on TFTR during its DT run from 1993 to 1997. These experiments utilized several new alpha particle diagnostics and hundreds of DT discharges to characterize the alpha particle confinement and wave-particle interactions. In general, the results from the alpha particle diagnostics agreed with the classical single particle confinement model in MHD quiescent discharges. The alpha loss due to toroidal field ripple was identified in some cases, and the low radial diffusivity inferred for high energy alphas was consistent with orbit averaging over small scale turbulence. Finally, the observed alpha particle interactions with sawteeth, toroidal Alfven eigenmodes and ICRF waves were approximately consistent with theoretical modelling. What was learned is reviewed and what remains to be understood is identified.

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.

The effect on plasma turbulence of orbit averaging by thermal ions is considered, and illustrated for two modes of potential importance for tokamaks. The effect can reduce the ion response below that in earlier treatments, modifying the predicted mode growth rate, which in turn modifies the turbulent transport. For both modes, the effect modifies earlier transport expressions with a neoclassical factor,'' which makes the scalings of the resultant transport coefficients with plasma current and magnetic field closer to those found experimentally. Additionally, for the trapped electron mode, this mechanism provides a potential explanation of the observed more favorable scaling of {chi}{sub i} with T{sub i} in supershots than in L-modes. 21 refs., 2 figs.

Measurements of the flux charged fusion products escaping from the TFTR plasma have been made with a new type of detector which can resolve the particle flux versus pitch angle, energy and time. The design of this detector is described, and results from the 1987 TFTR run are presented. These results are approximately consistent with predictions from a simple first-orbit particle loss model with respect to the pitch angle, energy, time and plasma current dependences of the signals.

The transport of high-energy runaway electrons near the outside of a low-density ORMAK discharge is investigated by measuring the flux of runaways to the outer limiter during and after an inward shift of the plasma column. The experimental results are interpreted through a runaway confinement model which includes both the classical outward displacement of the runaway orbit with increasing energy and an additional runaway spatial diffusion coefficient which simulates an unspecified source of anomalous transport. Diffusion coefficients in the range D 102–104 cm s−1 are found under various discharge conditions indicatinga significant non-collisional runaway transport near the outside of the discharge, particularly in the presence of MHD instability.

This paper describes two experiments on edge plasma transport in the Caltech Research Tokamak ( B T = 4 kG , R = 45 cm , a = 15 cm , T( edge ) ≅25 eV , n( edge )~2 × 10 12 cm −3 ). The first aims to understand the mechanism of edge plasma cross-field transport by attempting to measure with Langmuir probes the local E and n and their correlation in order to compute the fluctuation-induced particle flux Λ rad = c · 〈 E pol · n 〉/B T . The second experiment aims at demonstrating control of the plasma-limiter interaction through use of a local divertor coil mounted inside the limiter itself.

A linear photodiode array is used to image visible-light emission from the edge plasma of the Caltech Tokamak. The patterns of light fluctuation show small-scale broadband structure similar to that previously measured for plasma edge density turbulence. A high correlation is found between these light fluctuations and the fluctuations measured by a nearby Langmuir probe.

In the last two experimental campaigns, the low aspect ratio NSTX has explored physics issues critical to both toroidal confinement physics and ITER. Experiments have made extensive use of lithium coatings for wall conditioning, correction of non-axisymmetric field errors and control of n = 1 resistive wall modes (RWMs) to produce high-performance neutral-beam heated discharges extending to 1.7 s in duration with non-inductive current fractions up to 0.7. The RWM control coils have been used to trigger repetitive ELMs with high reliability, and they have also contributed to an improved understanding of both neoclassical tearing mode and RWM stabilization physics, including the interplay between rotation and kinetic effects on stability. High harmonic fast wave (HHFW) heating has produced plasmas with central electron temperatures exceeding 6 keV. The HHFW heating was used to show that there was a 20–40% higher power threshold for the L–H transition for helium than for deuterium plasmas. A new diagnostic showed a depletion of the fast-ion density profile over a broad spatial region as a result of toroidicity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) and energetic-particle modes (EPMs) bursts. In addition, it was observed that other modes (e.g. global Alfvén eigenmodes) can trigger TAE and EPM bursts, suggesting that fast ions are redistributed by high-frequency AEs. The momentum pinch velocity determined by a perturbative technique decreased as the collisionality was reduced, although the pinch to diffusion ratio, V pinch/χϕ, remained approximately constant. The mechanisms of deuterium retention by graphite and lithium-coated graphite plasma-facing components have been investigated. To reduce divertor heat flux, a novel divertor configuration, the ‘snowflake’ divertor, was tested in NSTX and many beneficial aspects were found. A reduction in the required central solenoid flux has been realized in NSTX when discharges initiated by coaxial helicity injection were ramped in current using induction. The resulting plasmas have characteristics needed to meet the objectives of the non-inductive start-up and ramp-up program of NSTX.