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Abstract NBI-assisted plasma heating with one or two injectors of fast neutral atoms was studied at the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak at the toroidal magnetic fields of 0.8–0.9 T and plasma currents of 0.35–0.4 MA. Measurements of the spatial temperature and electron density distributions, performed using the Thomson scattering diagnostics, showed a twofold increase in heating of plasma electrons during the injection of neutral particles with energies of up to 45 keV at the beam power of 0.75 MW, as compared to the ohmic heating regime. Switching on the second additional beam with the particle energy of up to 30 keV and power of up to 0.5 MW resulted in obtaining the hot ion mode in the range of mean plasma densities of (1.6–10) × 1019 m−3. According to the data of active spectroscopy and neutral particle analyzer diagnostics, in the hot zone, the ion temperature reached 4 keV at the plasma density of 8 × 1019 m−3, which is more than 2.5 times higher than the electron temperature.

The results of experiments on determining the polarization of two types of Alfven oscillations observed with magnetic probes in the TUMAN-3M tokamak are presented. The difference in the polarization of short and long bursts of Alfven oscillations, arising both in ohmic regime and during neutral beam injection, is found. The role of high-energy electrons in the excitation of Alfven oscillations is discussed.

In TUMAN-3M tokamak ohmic hydrogen and deuterium discharges oscillations with ion cyclotron (IC) frequency were detected. Fast magnetic probes poloidal array in TUMAN-3M is capable of detecting several harmonics of IC frequency of main plasma isotope. Fuel pellet injection significantly reduces IC oscillations intensity, though after complete pellet evaporation returns to initial level. IC oscillations localization and excitation conditions are of certain interest. Based on drift-cyclotron instability excitation theory and numerical modeling of scenarios with ohmic LH-transition and pellet-injection plasma parameters (density gradient primarily) effect on IC oscillations excitation was studied.

We discuss the possibility of determining the evolution of the isotopic composition of plasma by the frequency of Alfven oscillations in ohmic discharges in the compact TUMAN-3M tokamak with pulsed deuterium puffing into a hydrogen plasma and hydrogen puffing into a deuterium plasma. The isotopic ratios, i.e., relative concentrations of hydrogen nH/(nH + nD) and deuterium nD/(nH + nD) in the mixed hydrogen–deuterium plasma obtained by this method are in qualitative agreement with the results of spectroscopic measurements and neutral particle analysis data.

Radiation at the ion cyclotron resonance frequencies in both the ohmic mode and the injection heating mode—ion cyclotron emission (ICE)—is observed on the TUMAN-3M tokamak (minor radius a = 0.25 m, major radius R0 = 0.5 m, toroidal field BT = 1 T, plasma current Ip ≤ 180 kA, and average plasma electron density ne ≤ 5 × 1019 m–3). Usually, the ICE is associated with the presence of high-energy ions in the plasma. Such ions may be products of a thermonuclear reaction or arise as a result of additional plasma heating, e.g., by means of electromagnetic waves or by injection of beams of high-energy atoms (neutral beam injection, NBI). The properties of the ICE in the TUMAN-3M tokamak in the NBI-heating mode and their possible connection with the features of fast ion trajectories and their energy spectrum are considered.

Geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) observations in TUMAN-3M tokamak show that in ohmic discharges with low plasma density GAM have intermittent character; transition to high confinement regime (LH-transition) is usually preceded by a short (up to 5 ms) GAM burst series with distinctive frequency drop, or there exists long (up to 30 ms) GAM burst series evolution with several characteristic timescales and varying amplitude. To determinate the effect of GAM temporal parameters on the possibility of LH-transition initiation numerical modeling of plasma density profile evolution under the effect of GAM burst sequence with varying frequency and amplitude was carried out.

The work presents the results of the energy confinement study carried out on the compact spherical tokamak Globus-M2 with a toroidal magnetic field as high as 0.8 T. A reproducible and stable discharge was obtained with the average plasma density (5–10) × 1019 m−3. Despite the increase in the magnetic field, the neutral beam injection (NBI) led to clear and reproducible transition to the H-mode accompanied by a decrease in the turbulence level at the plasma edge. NBI allowed effectively heat the plasma: electron and ion temperatures in the plasma core exceeded 1 keV. Compared to the previous experiments carried out with a toroidal magnetic field as high as 0.4 T plasma total stored energy was increased by a factor of 4. The main reason or this phenomenon is a strong dependence of the energy confinement time on the toroidal magnetic field in the spherical tokamak. It was experimentally confirmed that such kind of dependence is valid for ST with magnetic field up to 0.8 T. It has also been shown that the enhancement of the energy confinement in Globus-M2 with collisionality decrease is associated with an improvement of both electron and ion thermal insulation.

The Alfven oscillations have been studied in ohmically heated deuterium discharges with LH-transition in the TUMAN-3M tokamak in order to clarify their location in a plasma column. The Alfven oscillation location was determined by comparison of the oscillation frequency measured with magnetic probes and that calculated from local density assuming the typical dispersion relation for Alfven waves f = (2π)−1k||v A , where v A is the Alfven velocity and k|| is the the parallel wave number in the direction of the magnetic field. It was found that they are localized in central part of plasma column inside r/a < 0.5 region. Candidate sets of mode numbers have been determined.

During modernization of the Globus-M tokamak, toroidal magnetic field and plasma current were increased, and a number of diagnostics were upgraded, which made it possible to study phenomena associated with the excitation of Alfvén waves in a spherical tokamak in a wider range of plasma parameters. In the experiments with neutral beam injection, the dependences of fast particle losses initiated by the toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAE) on their magnitude in the magnetic field range of 0.4 – 0.7 T and currents of 180 – 330 kA were acquired. Resulting dependences confirm previously obtained results and indicate a decrease in losses with increasing magnetic field and plasma current. At the same time, a number of new phenomena, that have never been observed on Globus-M were detected. In experiments with neutral beam injection at the current ramp up stage, Alfvén cascades (AC) in the frequency range of 100 – 300 kHz were observed for the first time. By means of the Doppler backscattering diagnostics (DBS), it was shown that ACs are localized closer to magnetic axis unlike TAE. Also, during low hybrid wave current drive (LHCD) experiments, global Alfvén eigenmodes (GAE) were detected at a frequency close to 1 MHz, apparently driven in the resonance with runaway electron beam. Detected global eigenmodes are also able to arise in ohmic discharges, however, their magnitude is lower.

Radial electric field shear is crucial for turbulence suppression and transition to the H-mode, although the high shear value alone may not be sufficient for the LH-transition initiation. Temporal and spatial parameters of shear perturbation, particle source and turbulence parameters are the main factors responsible for LH-transition initiation. Different plasma discharge scenarios in two Ioffe Institute conventional tokamaks are analyzed using the model of plasma density and ion temperature evolution to clear up the role of aforementioned factors.Radial electric field shear is crucial for turbulence suppression and transition to the H-mode, although the high shear value alone may not be sufficient for the LH-transition initiation. Temporal and spatial parameters of shear perturbation, particle source and turbulence parameters are the main factors responsible for LH-transition initiation. Different plasma discharge scenarios in two Ioffe Institute conventional tokamaks are analyzed using the model of plasma density and ion temperature evolution to clear up the role of aforementioned factors.

Study of behavior of accelerated electrons (AE) in the ohmically heated (OH) plasma and low-hybrid current drive (LHCD) in tokamak has the practical interest especially for estimations of AE radiation energy losses and solving of the non-inductive CD problem for the ITER. Studies based on measurements of non-thermal microwave radiation (MR) intensity and hard X-ray (HXR) spectra are conducted in the FT-2 tokamak having large local magnetic ripples under LHCD in the omically heated (OH) plasma with the fan instability excited. The paper presents experimental data first obtained in such conditions witnessing about some AE behavior features. Nature of MR abnormal intensity and short giant flashes together with the fast additional electron heating in the plasma core are discussed. The first high additional fast electron heating was registered together with the synchrotron radiation (SR) intensity increase. It was accompanied by short MR spikes observed in the narrow frequency range (53 ÷ 78) GHz. They arise owing to the AE transverse energy and pitch angle increase under each crossing the cyclotron auto-resonance region and SR maser gain. It is proposed the heating mechanism owing to absorption of SR and Bernstein waves arising at linear transformation the extraordinary component of intensive MR spikes in the black plasma layers. It was found that the non-thermal MR of abnormal intensity arising during OH in the frequency range (10 ÷ 40) GHz is due to the fan instability development and the substantial local magnetic ripples. MR is accompanied by short giant flashes having a narrow frequency spectrum. Together with the SR growth the less intensive MR flashes appear in the range (57 ÷ 75) GHz. In our case it becomes possible the maser amplification of both SR and collective radiation. Appearance of the giant flashes may be initiated under transition of the maser - amplifier into the self - excitation regime, when low-frequency quasi- coherent MR flashes are generated.

Results of observation of anomalously intense microwave radiation (MR) in the electron plasma frequency range of 10–20 GHz that is generated continuously during ohmic heating of moderately dense plasma in the FT-2 tokamak are presented. Its appearance is associated with development of the “fan” plasma instability, and the presence of a large number of the local ripples of the toroidal magnetic field. It was found that MR is accompanied by the short gigantic and less intense flashes in the range of magnetic broadening of the first harmonic of the electron gyrofrequency (57–75 GHz). As is known, the latter occurs upon maser amplification of the synchrotron radiation of accelerated electrons interacting with the harmonics of local magnetic ripples in an autoresonance cyclotron mode. In our conditions, due to the nonlinear transformation of plasma waves into electromagnetic ones under the buildup of the fan instability, collective radiation (CR) is generated. Therefore, an abnormally high MR-intensity is probably due to CR maser amplification, whereas gigantic flashes occur during the self-excitation of maser amplifier under suitable conditions.

Some factors limiting an increase in the plasma pressure at the periphery of the tokamak plasmas can arise when the improved confinement is achieved in the H-mode. It happens when the edge localized modes (ELMs) develop in tokamak plasmas, and the factors mentioned above manifested themselves in the form of quasi-periodic filamentary structures, or filaments. The formation of such structures results in the occurrence of the anomalous energy and particle flows onto the first wall and divertor plates of tokamaks. Studies of the filaments were previously performed at tokamaks with divertor configuration using various plasma diagnostic methods, including the Doppler backscattering method. The paper presents the first observations of the filaments at the TUMAN-3M, which is the tokamak with limiter configuration. The filaments were studied using the Doppler backscattering method. Plasma was probed by the double-frequency microwave radiation of the O-wave in the frequency range of 27–37 GHz. The data were obtained in the H-mode regime initiated by the pulsed gas injection, in which the ELM-like events are observed. The poloidal velocity of the filaments and their radial localization were determined, and the radial and poloidal sizes of the filaments were also estimated.

Horizontal displacement of plasma along the major radius has been found to significantly influence the fluxes of 2.45 MeV DD neutrons and high-energy charge-exchange atoms from neutral beam injection (NBI) heated plasma of the TUMAN-3M tokamak. An inward shift by ΔR = 1 cm causes 1.2-fold increase in the neutron flux and 1.9-fold increase in the charge-exchange atom flux. The observed increase in the neutron flux is attributed to joint action of several factors-in particular, improved high-energy ion capture and confinement and, probably, decreased impurity inflow from the walls, which leads to an increase in the density of target ions. A considerable increase in the flux of charge-exchange neutrals in inward-shifted plasma is due to the increased number of captured high-energy ions and, to some extent, the increased density of the neutral target. As a result of the increase in the content of high-energy ions, the central ion temperature Ti(0) increased from 250 to 350 eV. The dependence of the neutron rate on major radius R0 should be taken into account when designing compact tokamak-based neutron sources.

We have experimentally studied the influence of toroidal magnetic field (BT) and plasma current (Ip) on the capture and confinement of energetic ions (EIs) formed upon ionization of a neutral beam injected in a tokamak. Based on the results of measurements of the flux of 2.45-MeV fusion neutrons, it is concluded that the amount of EIs significantly grows with increasing BT from 0.7 to 1.0 T and Ip from 140 to 180 kA. In addition to the classical Coulomb slowing down, a supplementary channel of EI losses is found that accounts for a 15% decrease in their confinement time.

In experiments with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) on the FT-2 tokamak, lower hybrid (LH) waves have been successfully used for the first time to ensure effective additional heating of plasma electrons from 450 to 600 eV (I Pl = 32 kA, Δt RF = 14 ms, P RF = 100 kW, F = 920 MHz). Several factors influencing the efficiency of plasma heating have been discovered. In particular, significant growth of radiation losses in the LHCD regime has been found, which is probably related to an increase in the intensity of synchrotron radiation from accelerated electrons. The increase in this intensity in the 53–156 GHz frequency range was accompanied by short spikes of microwave radiation, which were observed only in a narrower frequency range (53–78 GHz) and apparently resulted from interaction of a runaway electron beam with significant local mirrors of toroidal magnetic field. A model of the additional heating of plasma electrons due to absorption of the microwave radiation generated by a beam of accelerated electrons is proposed.

The influence of toroidal magnetic field on the energy confinement time τE in the ohmic H-mode has been studied in the TUMAN-3M tokamak with low magnetic field. The experiments were performed at a toroidal magnetic field of BT = 0.68−1.0 T, which is about twice as large as that (0.25–0.5 T) studied in analogous experiments on the NSTX and MAST spherical tokamaks. The results are indicative of a strong dependence of the energy confinement time on toroidal magnetic field: τE ∝ BT0.75–0.8. This scaling is much stronger than that projected for the ITER (τE_IPB98 ∝ BT0.15), while being somewhat weaker than the scalings observed on the NSTX and MAST devices. The stronger (as compared to the ITER scaling) dependence of τE on BT observed in these experiments should be taken into account in designing thermonuclear facilities with small aspect ratios and toroidal magnetic fields—in particular, fusion neutron sources.

The behavior of a geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) in the TUMAN-3M tokamak has been experimentally studied using the heavy-ion beam probing technique. Oscillations of the electric potential under the action of a GAM localized at the plasma periphery have been detected. The GAM was observed in the regime of low confinement (L-mode) with low plasma density (∼0.8 × 1019 m−3) and disappeared upon the transition to a high confinement regime (H-mode). The possible role of GAM as a precursor of the improved confinement (LH-transition) is discussed.

Experimental results showing evidence for the development of filaments in plasma of the Globus-M spherical tokamak have been obtained by the method of Doppler reflectometry. The correlation between the reflectometric data and results of probe measurements at the periphery of discharge in the tokamak is found. Experimental data were used to determine the rotation velocities of filaments, the moments of their appearance at the transition to improved confinement, and regions of filament formation.

A regime with electron heat confinement improvement was recently found in the initial phase of discharges in the TUMAN-3M tokamak. An internal transport barrier (ITB) formation in this regime was confirmed by Thomson scattering measurements and by transport modelling. Two possible reasons for the ITB formation are discussed in the paper: by reduction of turbulent transport in the presence of low magnetic shear or by plasma sheared rotation. It is demonstrated that low magnetic shear formation is possible in the current ramp-up phase of the Ohmic discharge. The low magnetic shear does not seem to be the only reason for the transport reduction. Results of Doppler reflectometry measurements of poloidal rotation of density fluctuations are presented. It is found that core confinement improvement correlates with the appearance of sheared rotation of the density fluctuations and with a burst of the MHD activity. The ITB formation in the regime seems to be a result of a combined action of reduced magnetic shear and plasma sheared rotation.

Results are presented from experimental studies of runaway electrons in the ohmic heating regime in the Globus-M tokamak. The periodical hard X-ray bursts observed with the help of two hard X-ray spectrometers with high time resolution are attributed to MHD oscillations in the plasma core and at the periphery.

Diagnostics which is currently installed or under active development for a newly commissioned spherical tokamak (ST) Globus-M is described. Among the commonly implemented plasma diagnostics the pri...

The article reports the results of experimental campaigns on plasma ohmic heating performed during 1999-2000 on the spherical tokamak Globus-M. Later experimental results with the tokamak fed by thyristor rectifiers are presented in detail. The toroidal magnetic field and plasma pulse duration in these experiments were significantly increased. The method of stray magnetic field compensation is described. The technology of vacuum vessel conditioning, including boronization of the vessel performed at the end of the experiments, is briefly discussed. Specific features of neutral gas column breakdown in spherical tokamaks by applied inductive voltage are outlined. Also discussed is the influence of ECR preionization on the breakdown conditions. Experimental data on plasma column formation and current ramp-up in different regimes of operation with the magnetic flux of the central solenoid limited to ~100 mWb are presented. A significant reduction of the background density after boronization (below 2 × 1018m-3) allows the density to be completely controlled with external gas puffing and makes the influence of the wall negligible. The magnetic flux consumption efficiency is discussed. The results of magnetic equilibrium simulations are presented and compared with experiment. Ramp-up of the plasma current of 0.25 MA for a time interval of about 0.03 s with about 0.02 s flat-top at a toroidal field strength of 0.35 T allows the conclusion that the target design parameters of Globus-M could be achieved in a double swing regime.

Radial electric field and associated sheared plasma rotation is known to play crucial role in the turbulent transport suppression and improved confinement development. Toroidal and poloidal rotation velocity evolutions at the plasma edge were studied on the TUMAN-3M tokamak using four-tip movable Mach probe. Measurements were performed in two modes of plasma confinement: H-mode transition (featured by peripheral transport barrier formation), and transient internal transport barrier (ITB) formation; both in ohmic heating scenario. The measurements were performed in the vicinity of a last closed flux surface, both in scrape-off layer and core plasmas. In ohmic H-mode, virtually no perturbation of toroidal rotation velocity was observed, whereas poloidal rotation velocity profile underwent gradual evolution after the transition. Surprisingly, poloidal rotation changed not in tact with radial electric field, but followed density gradient built up at the edge transport barrier region. In transient ITB scenario, a noticeable perturbation of toroidal rotation velocity was observed just after the ITB decay, indicating, probably, the outflux of the toroidal momentum due to confinement degradation. The Mach probe data obtained in both the scenarios are compared to available data on plasma density and temperature profiles, radial electric field and rotation velocity of impurity ions.

In experiments on studying the ohmic H-mode in the TUMAN-3M tokamak, it is found that, in high-current (I p∼120–170 kA) discharges, a region with high electron-temperature and density gradients is formed in the plasma core. In this case, the energy confinement time τ E attains 9–18 ms, which is nearly twice as large as that predicted by the ELM-free ITER-93H scaling. This is evidence that the internal transport barrier in a plasma can exist without auxiliary heating. Calculations of the effective thermal diffusivity by the ASTRA transport code demonstrate a strong suppression of heat transport in the region where the temperature and density gradients are high.

Because of its high confinement properties, the H-mode provides good opportunities to achieve high beta values in a tokamak. In this paper the results of an experimental study of and limits in the H-mode, obtained in a circular cross section tokamak without auxiliary heating are presented. The experiments were performed in the TUMAN-3M tokamak. The device has the following parameters: (limiter configuration), . The stored energy was measured using diamagnetic loops and compared with W calculated from kinetic data obtained by Thomson scattering and microwave interferometry. Measurements of the stored energy and of the were performed in the ohmic H-mode before and after boronization and in the scenario with fast current ramp-down in ohmic H-mode. A maximum value of of 2.0% and of 2.0 were achieved. The limit achieved reveals itself as a `soft' (non-disruptive) limit. The stored energy slowly decays after the current ramp-down. No correlation was found between beta restriction and MHD phenomena. Internal transport barrier (ITB) formation was observed in ohmic H-mode. An enhancement factor of 2.0 over ITER93H(ELM-free) was found in the ohmic H-mode with ITB.

The focus of the TUMAN-3 and TUMAN-3M tokamaks programme is on issues of improved confinement. The transition from an ordinary ohmic regime into improved confinement mode has been found in circular limiter configuration in a vessel with all-metallic walls and limiters. The signatures of the H-mode in auxiliary heated tokamaks have been observed in this regime. The crucial role of the radial electric field was found in experiments with internal probe biasing. Other techniques were demonstrated to trigger H-mode: short increase of the working gas puffing rate, minor radius magnetic compression and pellet injection. The scaling of the energy confinement time in ohmic H-mode was obtained, which differs dramatically from the scaling for the ordinary ohmic regime. A strong dependence of on plasma current was found. The scaling for the ohmic H-mode is consistent with the scaling proposed for devices with powerful auxiliary heating (JET/DIII-D H-mode scaling). The result shows that H-mode physics is universal in tokamaks with different geometries and heating methods. In 1994 a new vacuum vessel was installed in the TUMAN-3 tokamak. The modified device, TUMAN-3M, is able to produce higher and , up to 2 T and 0.2 MA, respectively. During the first operational period a plasma current of 0.15 MA was achieved at T, which corresponded to . The impact of the quality of wall coating on confinement was asserted. The longest energy confinement time (30 ms) was observed under the conditions of best boronization.

Based on experimental observations using the TUMAN-3M and FT-2 tokamaks, and the results of gyrokinetic modeling of the interplay between turbulence and the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) in these installations, a simple model is proposed for the analysis of the conditions required for L–H transition triggering by a burst of radial electric field oscillations in a tokamak. In the framework of this model, one-dimensional density evolution is considered to be governed by an anomalous diffusion coefficient dependent on radial electric field shear. The radial electric field is taken as the sum of the oscillating term and the quasi-stationary one determined by density and ion temperature gradients through a neoclassical formula. If the oscillating field parameters (amplitude, frequency, etc) are properly adjusted, a transport barrier forms at the plasma periphery and sustains after the oscillations are switched off, manifesting a transition into the high confinement mode with a strong inhomogeneous radial electric field and suppressed transport at the plasma edge. The electric field oscillation parameters required for L–H transition triggering are compared with the GAM parameters observed at the TUMAN-3M (in the discharges with ohmic L–H transition) and FT-2 tokamaks (where no clear L–H transition was observed). It is concluded based on this comparison that the GAM may act as a trigger for the L–H transition, provided that certain conditions for GAM oscillation and tokamak discharge are met.

The authors report an investigation of the influence of radial current distribution on the Tuman-3 tokamak plasma parameters under the conditions of ohmic heating with a twofold current decrease for a period 4-6 times shorter than the magnetic field diffusion time-scale. A slight change in the parameters was observed in the current ramp-down phase. The characteristic relaxation time of the plasma parameters after the current drop was considerably larger than the energy confinement time and comparable with the field diffusion time-scale. The influence of the current ramp-down on the boundary plasma is also studied. Narrowing of the current density profile is accompanied by a 1.5-2-fold rise of the energy confinement time compared with its steady-state value.

The ‘‘TUMAN‐3’’ Tokamak programme concentrates on issues of improved confinement. In 1989 the transition from an ordinary Ohmic regime into an improved confinement mode was achieved. The signatures of the H‐mode in auxiliary heated tokamaks have been observed in this regime. The crucial role of the boundary radial electric field was found in the experiments with internal bias probe. Other techniques were demonstrated to disturb the boundary plasma which led to H‐mode triggering: short increase of working gas puffing, minor radius magnetic compression and pellet injection. The role scaling of the energy confinement time in the Ohmic H‐mode was obtained, which differs dramatically from the scaling for the ordinary Ohmic regime. There were found a strong dependence of τE on plasma current and a weak dependence on density. The maximum value of τE was 10 times longer than in the ordinary Ohmic region. The τE scaling for the Ohmic H‐mode is consistent with the scaling proposed for devices with powerful auxiliar...

The results of the experimental study of confinement mode bifurcation performed on the TUMAN-3M tokamak are reported. As a trigger of confinement mode switching, plasma current ramp-up/-down or magnetic compression/decompression is used. It is found that the possibility and direction of confinement mode switching are correlated not with plasma current profile perturbation (peaking or broadening) but with the sign of toroidal electric field perturbation. A model connecting confinement bifurcation and toroidal electric field perturbation through the perturbation of the radial electric field is used to describe the phenomena observed in all eight scenarios investigated. This model ascribes the radial electric field generation to the non-compensated Ware drift of banana electrons at the TUMAN-3M peripheral plasma, where . Measurements of turbulence level and poloidal plasma rotation using microwave reflectometry are used to validate the model.

This paper reports observations of the LH transition at very low density in the experiments on counter-current neutral beam injection (NBI) in the TUMAN-3M tokamak. The transition has been found at a target average density of as low as 0.5 × 1019 m−3, which is lower by a factor of 2.5 than the LH transition density boundary in ohmic and co-current NBI heated plasmas. Relatively low input power in counter-NBI experiments is noticed: P input = 130–270 kW. In contrast, in the case of co-NBI the LH transition is difficult at low density. No transition is possible at the above density with co-NBI P input up to 500 kW. A model that predicts the generation of a negative radial electric field E r , which is thought to help LH transition during counter-NBI, is suggested. The model conjectures the development of the E r and toroidal rotation V ϕ in the presence of large ion orbit losses in the counter-NBI scheme. Measurements of the plasma potential by the heavy ion beam probe technique and edge radial electric field by electrostatic probes indicating negative E r emergence in the counter-NBI scenario are presented. Doppler spectroscopy of B3+ impurity ions has shown an increase in the V ϕ of 16 ± 6 km s−1 after counter-NBI switch on. The measured V ϕ agrees with the above model estimations.

Radial electric field evolution has been studied on the TUAMN-3M tokamak in different modes of operation: ohmic and NBI heating, L- and H-modes, with and without strong MHD activity. Peripheral rad ...

MHD oscillations with m/n = 4/1 and 3/1 that arise at the periphery of the TUMAN-3M tokamak in the initial stage of a discharge are investigated. It is found that these oscillations lead to a significant modulation of the electron density n{sub e}, which is attributable to the accumulation of plasma within a magnetic island. Numerical simulations of the modulation structure made it possible to determine the radius of the resonant surface and the radial width of the island and to evaluate the characteristic density gradient in the island. The gradient was found to be ten times larger than that of the unperturbed profile of n{sub e}(r) near the resonant surface. This points to reduced plasma transport within the magnetic island.

The experiments on ICRF heating in the Tokamak 'TUMAN-3' were carried out with one all-metal antenna located on the low field side of the torus. The antenna excited the wide K/sub /// spectrum (0-0.15 cm-1). The scenarios of experiments covered both the cases with a small fraction of hydrogen in a deuterium plasma, like in the experiments at the PLT Tokamak (Hosea et al., Proc. 12th ECCFPP, Budapest, vol.2, p.120, 1985), and the cases with a large amount of hydrogen, which are thoroughly investigated in TFR (TFR Group, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Research, Vienna, IAEA, vol.2, p.17 1983).