Favourable effect of methane discharges observed in LHD pellet shots

The improvement in the particle confinement of pellet shots on the Large Helical Device (LHD) was found after methane (CH4) mixed hydrogen gas-puff discharges. Only four discharges introducing ∼20 Pa m 3 of CH4 caused the reduction in the radiation loss and the level of metal impurities, together with the enhanced recycling, which is expected as the real time carbonization effect. The decay rate of the electron density was mitigated in the pellet shot after CH4 discharges. Transport analysis shows 60% reduction in the particle transport coefficient at half the averaged minor radius.