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The multi-machine International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) Global H-mode Confinement Database has been upgraded with new data from JET with the ITER-like wall and ASDEX Upgrade with the full tungsten wall. This paper describes the new database and presents results of regression analysis to estimate the global energy confinement scaling in H-mode plasmas using a standard power law. Various subsets of the database are considered, focusing on type of wall and divertor materials, confinement regime (all H-modes, ELMy H or ELM-free) and ITER-like constraints. Apart from ordinary least squares (OLS), two other, robust regression techniques are applied, which take into account uncertainty on all variables. Regression on data from individual devices shows that, generally, the confinement dependence on density and the power degradation are weakest in the fully metallic devices. Using the multi-machine scalings, predictions are made of the confinement time in a standard ELMy H-mode scenario in ITER. The uncertainty on the scaling parameters is discussed with a view to practically useful error bars on the parameters and predictions. One of the derived scalings for ELMy H-modes on an ITER-like subset is studied in particular and compared to the IPB98(y, 2) confinement scaling in engineering and dimensionless form. Transformation of this new scaling from engineering variables to dimensionless quantities is shown to result in large error bars on the dimensionless scaling. Regression analysis in the space of dimensionless variables is therefore proposed as an alternative, yielding acceptable estimates for the dimensionless scaling. The new scaling, which is dimensionally correct within the uncertainties, suggests that some dependencies of confinement in the multi-machine database can be reconciled with parameter scans in individual devices. This includes vanishingly small dependence of confinement on line-averaged density and normalized plasma pressure (β), as well as a noticeable, positive dependence on effective atomic mass and plasma triangularity. Extrapolation of this scaling to ITER yields a somewhat lower confinement time compared to the IPB98(y, 2) prediction, possibly related to the considerably weaker dependence on major radius in the new scaling (slightly above linear). Further studies are needed to compare more flexible regression models with the power law used here. In addition, data from more devices concerning possible 'hidden variables' could help to determine their influence on confinement, while adding data in sparsely populated areas of the parameter space may contribute to further disentangling some of the global confinement dependencies in tokamak plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two important topics for tokamak edge-localized modes (ELM) control, based on non-axisymmetric (3D) magnetic perturbations, are studied in NSTX and combined envisioning ELM control in the future NSTX-U operation: experimental observations of the edge harmonic oscillation (EHO) in NSTX (with lower frequency than EHOs in DIII-D and elsewhere), and theoretical study of its external drive using the high-harmonic fast wave (HHFW) antenna as a 3D field coil. EHOs were observed particularly clearly in NSTX ELM-free operation with very low n core modes. A number of diagnostics have confirmed n = 4–6 edge-localized and coherent oscillations in the 2–8 kHz frequency range. These oscillations seem to have a favoured operational window in rotational shear, similar to EHOs in DIII-D quiescent H modes. However, in NSTX, they are not observed to provide significant particle or impurity transport, possibly due to their weak amplitudes, of a few mm displacements, as measured by reflectometry. The external drive of these modes has been proposed in NSTX, by utilizing audio-frequency currents in the HHFW antenna straps. Analysis shows that the HHFW straps can be optimized to maximize n = 4–6 while minimizing n = 1–3. Also, ideal perturbed equilibrium code calculations show that the optimized configuration with only 1 kAt current can produce comparable or larger displacements than the observed internal modes. Thus it may be possible to use externally driven EHOs to relax the edge pressure gradient and control ELMs in NSTX-U and future devices. Fine and external control over the edge pressure gradient would be a very valuable tool for tokamak control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the trajectories of neutral beam injected energetic ions in spherical tokamaks. Effect of a large poloidal magnetic field in the outboard region; Numerical solutions to the equations for particle motion; Possibility of additional orbit types in spherical tokamaks.

Shows that radial localization of optically thin electron cyclotron emission from superthermal electrons can be imposed by observation of emission upshifted from the thermal cyclotron resonance in the horizontal midplane of a tokamak. Superthermal electron density profile; Moments of the electron energy distribution as a function of radius.