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The SPARC tokamak will be equipped with a hard X-ray (HXR) monitor system capable of measuring the bremsstrahlung emission from runaway electrons with photon energies in excess of about 100 keV. This diagnostic will detect the formation of runaway electron beams during plasma start-up and inform the plasma control system to terminate the discharge early to protect the machine. In this work, we present a 0D estimate of the HXR emission in SPARC during plasma start-up. Then we discuss the characterization of a prototype of the HXR monitor. The detector mounts a 1 × 1-in.2 LaBr3 inorganic scintillator coupled with a photomultiplier tube and has been tested with γ-ray sources to find its dynamic range. Finally, two possible modes of operation for spectroscopic and current mode measurements on SPARC are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission lines which appear in the spectral ranges of ground state transitions from n = 2 levels in He- and H-like argon ions are discussed. X-ray transitions from elements commonly found in tokamaks (tungsten, molybdenum, iron and sulphur) which radiate in the wavelength range from 3700–4000 mĹ are identified by comparison with atomic structure calculations. Individual lines from tungsten charge states in the vicinity of Zn-like W44+ are documented, along with B-like Mo37+. The behaviour of line ratios as a function of electron temperature is examined, in support of the identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimized operation of fusion devices demands detailed understanding of plasma transport, a problem that must be addressed with advances in both measurement and data analysis techniques. In this work, we adopt Bayesian inference methods to determine experimental particle transport, leveraging opportunities from high-resolution He-like ion spectra in a tokamak plasma. The Bayesian spectral fitting code is used to analyze resonance (w), forbidden (z), intercombination (x, y), and satellite (k, j) lines of He-like Ca following laser blow-off injections on Alcator C-Mod. This offers powerful transport constraints since these lines depend differently on electron temperature and density, but also differ in their relation to Li-like, He-like, and H-like ion densities, often the dominant Ca charge states over most of the C-Mod plasma radius. Using synthetic diagnostics based on the AURORA package, we demonstrate improved effectiveness of impurity transport inferences when spectroscopic data from a progressively larger number of lines are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A profile for the critical gradient scale length (Lc) has been measured in L-mode discharges at the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, where electrons were heated by an ion cyclotron range of frequency through minority heating with the intention of simultaneously varying the heat flux and changing the local gradient. The electron temperature gradient scale length (LTe−1 = |∇Te|/Te) profile was measured via the BT-jog technique [Houshmandyar et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 87, 11E101 (2016)] and it was compared with electron heat flux from power balance (TRANSP) analysis. The Te profiles were found to be very stiff and already above the critical values, however, the stiffness was found to be reduced near the q = 3/2 surface. The measured Lc profile is in agreement with electron temperature gradient (ETG) models which predict the dependence of Lc−1 on local Zeff, Te/Ti, and the ratio of the magnetic shear to the safety factor. The results from linear Gene gyrokinetic simulations suggest ETG to be the dominant mode of turbulence in the electron scale (k⊥ρs > 1), and ion temperature gradient/trapped electron mode modes in the ion scale (k⊥ρs < 1). The measured Lc profile is in agreement with the profile of ETG critical gradients deduced from Gene simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic torque, which can be generated by turbulent stresses, can induce toroidal rotation in a tokamak plasma at rest without direct momentum injection. Reversals in intrinsic torque have been inferred from the observation of toroidal velocity changes in recent lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments. This work focuses on understanding the cause of LHCD-induced intrinsic torque reversal using gyrokinetic simulations and theoretical analyses. A new mechanism for the intrinsic torque reversal linked to magnetic shear (ŝ) effects on the turbulence spectrum is identified. This reversal is a consequence of the ballooning structure at weak ŝ. Based on realistic profiles from the Alcator C-Mod LHCD experiments, simulations demonstrate that the intrinsic torque reverses for weakŝdischarges and that the value of ŝcrit is consistent with the experimental results ŝcritexp≈0.2~0.3 [Rice et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 125003 (2013)]. The consideration of this intrinsic torque feature in our work is important for the understanding of rotation profile generation at weak ŝ and its consequent impact on macro-instability stabilization and micro-turbulence reduction, which is crucial for ITER. It is also relevant to internal transport barrier formation at negative or weakly positive ŝ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibration is a crucial procedure in electron temperature (Te) inference from a typical electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic on tokamaks. Although the calibration provides an important multiplying factor for an individual ECE channel, the parameter ΔTe/Te is independent of any calibration. Since an ECE channel measures the cyclotron emission for a particular flux surface, a non-perturbing change in toroidal magnetic field changes the view of that channel. Hence the calibration-free parameter is a measure of Te gradient. BT-jog technique is presented here which employs the parameter and the raw ECE signals for direct measurement of electron temperature gradient scale length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I-mode is a high-performance tokamak regime characterized by the formation of a temperature pedestal and enhanced energy confinement, without an accompanying density pedestal or drop in particle and impurity transport. I-mode operation appears to have naturally occurring suppression of large Edge-Localized Modes (ELMs) in addition to its highly favorable scalings of pedestal structure and overall performance. Extensive study of the ELMy H-mode has led to the development of the EPED model, which utilizes calculations of coupled peeling-ballooning MHD modes and kinetic-ballooning mode (KBM) stability limits to predict the pedestal structure preceding an ELM crash. We apply similar tools to the structure and ELM stability of I-mode pedestals. Analysis of I-mode discharges prepared with high-resolution pedestal data from the most recent C-Mod campaign reveals favorable pedestal scalings for extrapolation to large machines-pedestal temperature scales strongly with power per particle Pnet/e, and likewise pedestal pressure scales as the net heating power (consistent with weak degradation of confinement with heating power). Matched discharges in current, field, and shaping demonstrate the decoupling of energy and particle transport in I-mode, increasing fueling to span nearly a factor of two in density while maintaining matched temperature pedestals with consistent levels of Pnet/-e. This is consistent with targets for increased performance in I-mode, elevating pedestal βp and global performance with matched increases in density and heating power. MHD calculations using the ELITE code indicate that I-mode pedestals are strongly stable to edge peeling-ballooning instabilities. Likewise, numerical modeling of the KBM turbulence onset, as well as scalings of the pedestal width with poloidal beta, indicates that I-mode pedestals are not limited by KBM turbulence-both features identified with the trigger for large ELMs, consistent with the observed suppression of large ELMs in I-mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray imaging crystal spectrometers with high spectral and spatial resolution are currently being used on magnetically confined fusion devices to infer the time history profiles of ion and electron temperatures as well as plasma flow velocities. The absolute measurement of flow velocities is important for optimizing various discharge scenarios and evaluating the radial electric field in tokamak and stellarator plasmas. Recent studies indicate that the crystal temperature must be kept constant to within a fraction of a degree to avoid changes of the interplanar 2d-spacing by thermal expansion that cause changes in the Bragg angle, which could be misinterpreted as Doppler shifts. For the instrumental parameters of the x-ray crystal spectrometer on Alcator C-Mod, where those thermal effects were investigated, a change of the crystal temperature by 1 °C causes a change of the lattice spacing of the order of Δd = 1 × 10−5 Å introducing a fictitious velocity drift of the order of ∼3 km s−1. This effect must be considered for x-ray imaging crystals spectrometers installed on LHD, KSTAR, EAST, J-TEXT, NSTX and, in the future, W7-X and ITER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of lower hybrid (LH) current drive in tokamak plasmas can induce both co- and countercurrent directed changes in toroidal rotation, depending on the core q profile. For discharges with q0<1, rotation increments in the countercurrent direction are observed. If the LH-driven current is sufficient to suppress sawteeth and increase q0 above unity, the core toroidal rotation change is in the cocurrent direction. This change in sign of the rotation increment is consistent with a change in sign of the residual stress (the divergence of which constitutes an intrinsic torque that drives the flow) through its dependence on magnetic shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of lower hybrid range of frequencies (LHRF) waves can induce both co- and counter-current directed changes in toroidal rotation in Alcator C-Mod plasmas, depending on the target plasma current, electron density, confinement regime and magnetic shear. For ohmic L-mode discharges with good core LH wave absorption, and significant current drive at a fixed LH power near 0.8MW, the interior (r/a < 0.5) rotation increments (on a time scale of order the current relaxation time) in the counter-current direction if ne(1020 m-3) > q95/11.5, and in the co-current direction if ne(1020 m-3) < q95/11.5. All discharges with co-current rotation changes have q0 > 1, indicating a good correlation with driven current fraction, unifying the results observed on various tokamaks. For high density (ne ≥ 1.2 × 1020 m-3) L-mode target discharges, where core LH wave absorption is low, the rotation change is in the co-current direction, but evolves on a shorter momentum transport time scale, and is seen across the entire spatial profile. For H-mode target plasmas, both co- and counter-current direction increments have been observed with LHRF. The H-mode co-rotation is correlated with the pedestal temperature gradient, which itself is enhanced by the LH waves absorbed in the plasma periphery. The H-mode counter-rotation increment, a flattening of the peaked velocity profile in the core, is consistent with a reduction in the momentum pinch correlated with a steepening of the core density profile. Most of these rotation changes must be due to indirect transport effects of LH waves on various parameters, which modify the momentum flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-channel transport experiments have been conducted in auxiliary heated (Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies) L-mode plasmas at Alcator C-Mod [Marmar and Alcator C-Mod Group, Fusion Sci. Technol. 51(3), 3261 (2007)]. These plasmas provide good diagnostic coverage for measurements of kinetic profiles, impurity transport, and turbulence (electron temperature and density fluctuations). In the experiments, a steady sawtoothing L-mode plasma with 1.2 MW of on-axis RF heating is established and density is scanned by 20%. Measured rotation profiles change from peaked to hollow in shape as density is increased, but electron density and impurity profiles remain peaked. Ion or electron heat fluxes from the two plasmas are the same. The experimental results are compared directly to nonlinear gyrokinetic theory using synthetic diagnostics and the code GYRO [Candy and Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)]. We find good agreement with experimental ion heat flux, impurity particle transport, and trends in the fluctuation level ratio (Te/Te)/(ñe/ne), but underprediction of electron heat flux. We find that changes in momentum transport (rotation profiles changing from peaked to hollow) do not correlate with changes in particle transport, and also do not correlate with changes in linear mode dominance, e.g., Ion Temperature Gradient versus Trapped Electron Mode. The new C-Mod results suggest that the drives for momentum transport differ from drives for heat and particle transport. The experimental results are inconsistent with present quasilinear models, and the strong sensitivity of core rotation to density remains unexplained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical mechanisms that cause tokamak plasmas to rotate toroidally without external momentum input are of considerable interest to the plasma physics community. This paper documents a substantial change in both the magnitude of the core-rotation frequency, -1 < ω(r/a = 0) < +10 kHz, and the sign of rotation shear at mid-radius, u' = -R² dω/dr/νth,i, which varies in the range -0.6 < u' < +0.8 in response to very small changes in the electron density. In 0.8 MA, 5.4 T Alcator C-Mod L-mode plasmas using 1.2MW of on-axis ion-cyclotron resonance heating, plasmas with line-averaged densities in the range 1.0 < ne < 1.2 × 1020 m-3 exhibit a transition from a peaked intrinsic rotation profile to one that is hollow. Gradient scale lengths of the temperature and density profiles, the drive for plasma turbulence thought to play a role in intrinsic rotation, are indistinguishable within experimental uncertainties between the plasmas, and linear stability analysis using GYRO shows the plasmas to be in the ion temperature gradient-dominated turbulence regime. The impact of changes in the rotation profile in response to minor changes under target plasma conditions is discussed in relation to established analysis techniques and cross-machine rotation scaling studies, with comparisons made with existing ASDEX-Upgrade work on intrinsic rotation shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A database of toroidal momentum transport on five tokamaks, Alcator C-Mod, DIII-D, JET, NSTX and JT-60U, has been constructed under a wide range of conditions in order to understand the characteristics of toroidal momentum transport coefficients, namely the toroidal momentum diffusivity (χɸ) and the pinch velocity (Vpinch). Through an inter-machine comparison, the similarities and differences in the properties of χɸ and Vpinch among the machines have been clarified. Parametric dependences of these momentum transport coefficients have been investigated over a wide range of plasma parameters taking advantage of the different operation regimes in machines. The approach offers insights into the parametric dependences as follows. The toroidal momentum diffusivity (χɸ) generally increases with increasing heat diffusivity (χi). The correlation is observed over a wide range of χɸ, covering roughly two orders of magnitude, and within each of the machines over the whole radius. Through the inter-machine comparison, it is found that χɸ becomes larger in the outer region of the plasma. Also observed is a general trend for Vpinch in tokamaks; the inward pinch velocity (-Vpinch) increases with increasing χɸ. The results that are commonly observed in machines will support a toroidal rotation prediction in future devices. On the other hand, differences among machines have been observed. The toroidal momentum diffusivity, χɸ, is larger than or equal to χi in JET and JT-60U; on the other hand, χɸ is smaller than or equal to χi in NSTX, DIII-D and Alcator C-Mod. In DIII-D, the ratio -RVpinch/χɸ at r/a = 0.5-0.6 is about 2, which is small compared with that in other tokamaks (-RVpinch/χɸ ≈ 5). Based on these different observations, parametric dependences of χɸ/χi, RVpinch/χɸ and χɸ have been investigated in H-mode plasmas. Across the dataset from all machines, the ratio χɸ/χi tends to be larger in low . νe* at fixed Te/Ti and ρpol*. An increase in χɸ is observed with decreasing ne and/or increasing Te. The pinch number (-RVpinch/χɸ) is observed to increase with increasing R/Lne at both q95 = 5.5-7.2 and q95 = 3.7-4.5. Here νe*, ρpol*, Te, Ti, R/Lne and q95 are, respectively, the normalized effective electron collision frequency, the normalized ion poloidal Larmor radius, the electron and ion temperatures, the inverse ratio of density scale length, Lne, to the major radius, R, and the safety factor at the 95% flux surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research describes advancements in the spectral analysis and error propagation techniques associated with x-ray imaging crystal spectroscopy (XICS) that have enabled this diagnostic to be used to accurately constrain particle, momentum, and heat transport studies in a tokamak for the first time. Doppler tomography techniques have been extended to include propagation of statistical uncertainty due to photon noise, the effect of non-uniform instrumental broadening as well as flux surface variations in impurity density. These methods have been deployed as a suite of modeling and analysis tools, written in interactive data language (IDL) and designed for general use on tokamaks. Its application to the Alcator C-Mod XICS is discussed, along with novel spectral and spatial calibration techniques. Example ion temperature and radial electric field profiles from recent I-mode plasmas are shown, and the impact of poloidally asymmetric impurity density and natural line broadening is discussed in the context of the planned ITER x-ray crystal spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tokamaks, turbulent particle and toroidal momentum transport are both characterized by the presence of off-diagonal contributions which play an essential role in establishing the profile shapes of the density and the toroidal rotation under most conditions. In this paper similarities and differences between the two turbulent transport channels are pointed out and, thereby, interesting physical aspects which connect the two channels are identified. The main contributions to off-diagonal particle and toroidal momentum transport are reviewed by means of a rather simplified description, which aims at providing, when possible, a direct connection between theoretical, modelling and experimental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical modeling of current profile modification by lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) using a fullwave/Fokker-Planck simulation code is presented. A MHD stable LHCD discharge on Alcator C-Mod was analyzed, and the current profile from full wave simulations was found to show better agreement with the experiment than a ray-tracing code. Comparison of full wave and ray-tracing simulation shows that, although ray-tracing can reproduce the stochastic wave spectrum broadening, the full wave calculation predicts even wider spectrum broadening, and the wave spectrum fills all of the kinematically allowed domain. This is the first demonstration of LHCD current profile modeling using a full wave simulation code in a multi-pass absorption regime, showing the clear impact of full wave effects on the LHCD driven current profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new laser blow-off system for use in impurity transport studies on Alcator C-Mod was developed and installed for the 2009 run campaign. Its design included capabilities for multiple impurity injections during a single plasma pulse and remote manipulation of the ablated spot size. The system uses a 0.68 J, Nd:YAG laser operating at up to 10 Hz coupled with the fast beam steering via a 2D piezoelectric mirror mount able to move spot locations in the 100 ms between laser pulses and a remote controllable optical train that allow ablated spot sizes to vary from ∼0.5 to 7 mm. The ability to ablate a wide range in target Z along with Alcator C-Mod's extensive diagnostic capabilities (soft x-ray, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), charge exchange spectroscopy, etc.) allows for detailed studies of the impurity transport dependencies and mechanisms. This system has demonstrated the achievement of all its design goals including the ability for non-perturbative operation allowing for insight into underlying impurity transport processes. A detailed overview of the laser blow-off system and initial results of operation are presented. This includes an investigation into the characterization of impurity confinement in the I-mode confinement regime recently investigated on C-Mod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy is used on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak to study the physics of impurity transport and provide feedback on impurity levels to assist experimental operations. Sputtering from C-Mod's all metal (Mo+W) plasma facing components and ion cyclotron range of frequency antenna and vessel structures (sources for Ti, Fe, Cu, and Ni), the use of boronization for plasma surface conditioning and Ar, Ne, or N2 gas seeding combine to provide a wealth of spectroscopic data from low-Z to high-Z. Recently, a laser blow-off impurity injector has been added, employing CaF2 to study core and edge impurity transport. One of the primary tools used to monitor the impurities is a 2.2 m Rowland circle spectrometer utilizing a Reticon array fiber coupled to a microchannel plate. With a 600 lines/mm grating the 80<λ<1050 Å range can be scanned, although only 40-100 Å can be observed for a single discharge. Recently, a flat-field grating spectrometer was installed which utilizes a varied line spacing grating to image the spectrum to a soft x-ray sensitive Princeton Instruments charge-coupled device camera. Using a 2400 lines/mm grating, the 10<λ<70 Å range can be scanned with 5-6 nm observed for a single discharge. A variety of results from recent experiments are shown that highlight the capability to track a wide range of impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new spatially resolving x-ray crystal spectrometer capable of measuring continuous spatial profiles of high resolution spectra (λ/dλ>6000) of He-like and H-like Ar Kα lines with good spatial (∼1 cm) and temporal (∼10 ms) resolutions has been installed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Two spherically bent crystals image the spectra onto four two-dimensional Pilatus II pixel detectors. Tomographic inversion enables inference of local line emissivity, ion temperature (Ti), and toroidal plasma rotation velocity (v[lowercase_phi_synonym]) from the line Doppler widths and shifts. The data analysis techniques, Ti and v[lowercase_phi_synonym] profiles, analysis of fusion-neutron background, and predictions of performance on other tokamaks, including ITER, will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper reports on studies of the edge transport barrier and transition threshold of the high confinement (H) mode of operation on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)], over a wide range of toroidal field (2.6–7.86 T) and plasma current (0.4–1.7 MA). The H-mode power threshold and edge temperature at the transition increase with field. Barrier widths, pressure limits, and confinement are nearly independent of field at constant current, but the operational space at high B shifts toward higher temperature and lower density and collisionality. Experiments with reversed field and current show that scrape-off-layer flows in the high-field side depend primarily on configuration. In configurations with the B×∇B drift away from the active X-point, these flows lead to more countercurrent core rotation, which apparently contributes to higher H-mode thresholds. In the unfavorable case, edge temperature thresholds are higher, and slow evolution of profiles indicates a reduction in thermal transport prior to the transition in particle confinement. Pedestal temperatures in this case are also higher than in the favorable configuration. Both high-field and reversed-field results suggest that parameters at the L-H transition are influencing the evolution and parameters of the H-mode pedestal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high resolution (λ/Δλ∼2000) soft x-ray spectrometer has been installed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The system was designed to measure emission line spectra from heliumlike neon (1s12p1→1s2) in a narrow spectral band centered on λ=13.5 Å (920 eV). The instrument is mounted with a poloidal view 20 cm below the midplane (r/a∼0.85). In addition to the neon emission lines, strong fluorine, xenon, iron, and manganese lines have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of high-resolution x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer is being developed to measure ion and electron temperature profiles in tokamak plasmas. The instrument is particularly valuable for diagnosing plasmas with purely ohmic heating and rf heating, since it does not require the injection of a neutral beam—although it can also be used for the diagnosis of neutral-beam heated plasmas. The spectrometer consists of a spherically bent quartz crystal and a two-dimensional position-sensitive detector. It records spectra of helium-like argon (or krypton) from multiple sightlines through the plasma and projects a de-magnified image of a large plasma cross section onto the detector. The spatial resolution in the plasma is solely determined by the height of the crystal, its radius of curvature, and the Bragg angle. This new x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer may also be of interest for the diagnosis of ion temperature profiles in future large tokamaks, the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research tokamak and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, where the application of the presently used charge-exchange spectroscopy will be difficult, if the neutral beams do not penetrate to the plasma center. The article presents the results from proof-of-principle experiments performed with a prototype instrument at Alcator C-Mod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mode conversion (MC) of long wavelength fast electromagnetic magnetosonic waves (fast wave, or FW) into shorter wavelength electrostatic (ion-Bernstein, or IBW) or slow electromagnetic (ion cyclotron, or ICW) waves is of great interest in laboratory, magnetic fusion and space physics experiments. Such processes are particularly important in multi-ion species plasmas. In this paper we report recent results from high power ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating experiments in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Mode converted waves near the ³He-H hybrid layer have been detected by means of phase contrast imaging in H(³He,D) plasmas [E. Nelson-Melby et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 155004 (2003)]. The measured wave k spectrum and spatial location are in agreement with theoretical predictions [F. W. Perkins, Nucl. Fusion 17, 1197 (1977)], which showed that in a sheared magnetic field, mode-conversion of FW into ICW may dominate over IBW for appropriate ion species (i.e., D-T, or equivalently, H- ³He). Recent modeling with full wave codes, as well as solving the hot plasma dispersion equation in the presence of sheared magnetic fields, verifies the interpretation of such a mode conversion process. Thus, the geometry of the magnetic field, as well as the particular ion species mix, influences the physics of ICRF mode conversion. In this paper, we also report recent results on the study of mode conversion electron heating (MCEH) in D(H) plasmas [Y. Lin et al., Plasmas Phys. Controlled Fusion 45, 1013 (2003)]. By comparing the experimentally measured MCEH profile with modeling, the study shows that the MC ICW may make a significant contribution to the direct electron heating when the D-H hybrid layer is off axis on the high field side. Preliminary results of mode conversion poloidal plasma flow drive experiments in D(³He) are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of trapped electron mode (TEM) turbulence, within an internal particle transport barrier, are performed and compared with experimental data. The results provide a mechanism for transport barrier control with on-axis radio frequency heating, as demonstrated in Alcator C-Mod experiments [S. J. Wukitch et al., Phys. Plasmas 9, 2149 (2002)]. Off-axis heating produces an internal particle and energy transport barrier after the transition to enhanced D ahigh confinement mode. The barrier foot reaches the half-radius, with a peak density 2.5 times the edge density. While the density profile peaks, the temperature profile remains relatively unaffected. The peaking and concomitant impurity accumulation are controlled by applying modest central heating power late in the discharge. Gyrokinetic turbulence simulations of the barrier formation phase, using the GS2 code [W. Dorland et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5579 (2000)] show that toroidal ion temperature gradient driven modes are suppressed inside the barrier foot, but continue to dominate in the outer half-radius. As the density gradient steepens further, trapped electron modes are driven unstable. The onset of TEM turbulence produces an outflow that strongly increases with the density gradient, upon exceeding a new nonlinear critical density gradient, which significantly exceeds the linear critical density gradient. The TEM turbulent outflow ultimately balances the inward Ware pinch, leading to steady state. Moreover, the simulated turbulent particle diffusivity matches that inferred from particle balance using measured density profile data and the calculated Ware pinch. This turbulent diffusivity exhibits a strong unfavorable temperature dependence that allows control with central heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous high resolution measurements of the soft x-ray emission at the top and outboard edge of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] are presented. Impurity density profiles are derived from these measurements. The impurity density varies considerably on a flux surface in the high confinement mode (H-mode) pedestal region. The soft x-ray and impurity density pedestals are not on the same flux surface at the top and outboard edge. The pedestal widths are consistently larger at the outboard edge in the Enhanced D-alpha (EDA) H-mode, suggesting a ballooning-like character of the EDA quasi-coherent mode. The usual separation of time scales between radial and parallel impurity transport does not hold in the H-mode pedestal region of Alcator C-Mod. Thus, one should not necessarily expect that the impurity density be constant on a flux surface in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed lithium pellets have been injected into Alcator C tokamak plasmas in order to measure the internal magnetic field, and thus current density profiles. In the pellet ablation cloud, intense visible line radiation from the Li[sup +] ion (λ ≈ 5485 Å, ls2s ³S -- ls2p ³P) is polarized due to the Zeeman effect, and measurement of the polarization angle yields the direction of the total local magnetic field. A "snap shot" of the q profile is obtained as the pellet penetrates from the edge into the center of the discharge, in a time of about 300 µs. The spatial resolution of the measurement is about 1 cm. At a toroidal field of B[sub T] = 10 T, the emission in the unshifted π component of the Zeeman triplet is more than 80% polarized, and q profiles have been obtained. The pellets are perturbative (〉Δn[sub e]〈/〉n[sub e]〈 ≈ 1), but the total pellet penetration time is at least a factor of 1000 smaller than the classical skin time. It can thus be anticipated that the current density profile should not be perturbed significantly during the time of the measurement. With some relatively straightforward modifications and refinements, precision approaching 10% for the measurement of q profiles should be achievable. The technique appears viable, using Li, as long as the toroidal field is ...4 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New x-ray imaging crystal spectrometers, currently operating on Alcator C-Mod, NSTX, EAST, and KSTAR, record spectral lines of highly charged ions, such as Ar16+, from multiple sightlines to obtain profiles of ion temperature and of toroidal plasma rotation velocity from Doppler measurements. In the present work, we describe a new data analysis routine, which accounts for the specific geometry of the sightlines of a curved-crystal spectrometer and includes corrections for the Johann error to facilitate the tomographic inversion. Such corrections are important to distinguish velocity induced Doppler shifts from instrumental line shifts caused by the Johann error. The importance of this correction is demonstrated using data from Alcator C-Mod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a high throughput (f/3) visible (3500–7000 Å) Doppler spectrometer for toroidal rotation velocity measurements of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasma. The spectrometer has a temporal response of 1 ms and a rotation velocity sensitivity of ∼105 cm/s. This diagnostic will have a tangential view and map out the plasma rotation at several locations along the outer half of the minor radius (r/a>0.5). The plasma rotation will be determined from the Doppler shifted wavelengths of Dα and magnetic and electric dipole transitions of highly ionized impurities in the plasma. The fast time resolution and high spectral resolving power are possible due to a 6 in. diam circular transmission grating that is capable of λ/Δλ∼15 500 at 5769 Å in conjunction with a 50 μm slit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line ratios of certain transitions in H- and He-like Ar are quite sensitive to electron temperature. In particular, the 1s²-1s4p transition in Ar[sup 16+] (λ = 3.200 Å) lies very close to the 1s-3p transition in Ar[sup 17+] (∼ = 3.151 Å). The intensity ratio of these two lines is a sensitive function of electron temperature, through the changing ionization balance, at least over the range 1200 eV < T[sub e] < 2500 eV. This has been exploited with a compact, high-resolution x-ray spectrometer to obtain time histories of central electron temperature in Alcator C tokamak plasmas. Time resolution of 20 ms has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of novel high-resolution spectroscopic imaging diagnostics has facilitated the identification and localization of molybdenum impurities as the main species during the formation and lifetime of m = 1 impurity-induced snake-modes on Alcator C-Mod. Such measurements made it possible to infer, for the first time, the perturbed radiated power density profiles from which the impurity density can be deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical model is presented which shows generation of a co-current directional central toroidal rotation by a nondirectional on-axis ion cyclotron heating in the Low-mode plasmas of Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)]. It is shown that a net-inward nonambipolar transport of resonant ions can induce such a rotation. The net-inward transport is a result of the passing ion dominant transport process in Alcator C-Mod. The opposite horizontal orbit shift between co- and counter-passing ions makes the wave absorption asymmetric in k[sub ||]. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New observations of the formation and dynamics of long-lived impurity-induced helical "snake" modes in tokamak plasmas have recently been carried out on Alcator C-Mod. The snakes form as an asymmetry in the impurity ion density that undergoes a seamless transition from a small helically displaced density to a large crescent-shaped helical structure inside q<1, with a regularly sawtoothing core. The observations show that the conditions for the formation and persistence of a snake cannot be explained by plasma pressure alone. Instead, many features arise naturally from nonlinear interactions in a 3D MHD model that separately evolves the plasma density and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Enhanced confinement regimes with steep gradients of density profiles and the need to place rotation velocity profiles call for maximum spatial resolution in the tokamak plasma. It is proposed to achieve such a resolution by using X-ray spectroscopy with double reflections in single crystals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A long-standing enigma in plasma transport has been resolved by modeling of cold-pulse experiments conducted on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Controlled edge cooling of fusion plasmas triggers core electron heating on time scales faster than an energy confinement time, which has long been interpreted as strong evidence of nonlocal transport. This Letter shows that the steady-state profiles, the cold-pulse rise time, and disappearance at higher density as measured in these experiments are successfully captured by a recent local quasilinear turbulent transport model, demonstrating that the existence of nonlocal transport phenomena is not necessary for explaining the behavior and time scales of cold-pulse experiments in tokamak plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]