Fast-ion redistribution and loss due to edge perturbations in the ASDEX Upgrade, DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks

The impact of edge localized modes (ELMs) and externally applied resonant and non-resonant magnetic perturbations (MPs) on fast-ion confinement/transport have been investigated in the ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks. Two phases with respect to the ELM cycle can be clearly distinguished in ELM-induced fast-ion losses. Inter-ELM losses are characterized by a coherent modulation of the plasma density around the separatrix while intra-ELM losses appear as well-defined bursts. In high collisionality plasmas with mitigated ELMs, externally applied MPs have little effect on kinetic profiles, including fast-ions, while a strong impact on kinetic profiles is observed in low-collisionality, low q(95) plasmas with resonant and non-resonant MPs. In low-collisionality H-mode plasmas, the large fast-ion filaments observed during ELMs are replaced by a loss of fast-ions with a broad-band frequency and an amplitude of up to an order of magnitude higher than the neutral beam injection prompt loss signal without MPs. A clear synergy in the overall fast-ion transport is observed between MPs and neoclassical tearing modes. Measured fast-ion losses are typically on banana orbits that explore the entire pedestal/scrape-off layer. The fast-ion response to externally applied MPs presented here may be of general interest for the community to better understand the MP field penetration and overall plasma response.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RYC-2011-09152, ENE2012-31087Marie Curie FP7 Integration PCIG11-GA-2012-321455US Department of Energy DE-FC02-04ER54698, SC-G903402, DEFG02- 04ER54761, DE-AC02-09CH11466, DE-FG02- 08ER54984NRF Korea 2009-008201

Modelling of 3D fields due to ferritic inserts and test blanket modules in toroidal geometry at ITER

Computations in toroidal geometry are systematically performed for the plasma response to 3D magnetic perturbations produced by ferritic inserts (FIs) and test blanket modules (TBMs) for four ITER plasma scenarios: the 15 MA baseline, the 12.5 MA hybrid, the 9 MA steady state, and the 7.5 MA half-field helium plasma. Due to the broad toroidal spectrum of the FI and TBM fields, the plasma response for all the n = 1-6 field components are computed and compared. The plasma response is found to be weak for the high-n (n > 4) components. The response is not globally sensitive to the toroidal plasma flow speed, as long as the latter is not reduced by an order of magnitude. This is essentially due to the strong screening effect occurring at a finite flow, as predicted for ITER plasmas. The ITER error field correction coils (EFCC) are used to compensate the n = 1 field errors produced by FIs and TBMs for the baseline scenario for the purpose of avoiding mode locking. It is found that the middle row of the EFCC, with a suitable toroidal phase for the coil current, can provide the best correction of these field errors, according to various optimisation criteria. On the other hand, even without correction, it is predicted that these n = 1 field errors will not cause substantial flow damping for the 15 MA baseline scenario

ASCOT simulations of 14 MeV neutron rates in W7-X

| openaire: EC/H2020/633053/EU//EUROfusionNeutron production rates in fusion devices are determined not only by the kinetic profiles but also the fast ion slowing-down distributions. In this work, we investigate the effect of magnetic configuration on neutron production rates in future deuterium plasmas in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. The neutral beam injection, beam and triton slowing-down distributions, and the fusion reactivity are simulated with the ASCOT suite of codes. The results indicate that the magnetic configuration has only a small effect on the production of 2.45 MeV neutrons from thermonuclear and beam-target fusion. The 14.1 MeV neutron production rates were found to be between 1.49x10(12) and 1.67x10(12) s(-1), which is estimated to be sufficient for a time-resolved detection using a scintillating fiber detector, although only in high-performance discharges.Peer reviewe

Parametric study of fast-ion-driven modes in Wendelstein 7-X

In the 2018 experimental campaign, fast ions in the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X will be generated by neutral beam injection. Later operation phases will also include ion cyclotron resonance heating. The fast ions may excite instabilities in the plasma which can lead to enhanced fast-ion transport and can, in severe cases, cause damage to plasma-facing components. We present a numerical study of fast-ion-driven Alfvén eigenmodes in a Wendelstein 7-X high-mirror equilibrium. Realistic fast-ion parameters are obtained using the ASCOT code. To model the instabilities, we use the CKA-EUTERPE code package. This model is perturbative, since a fixed mode structure - computed by the ideal-MHD code CKA - is used throughout the calculation. The non-linear gyro-kinetic code EUTERPE computes the power transfer from the fast particles to the mode which defines the growth rate of the instability. We show that having a fast-ion collision operator present in the simulations is required to accurately predict the non-linear saturation level of the mode. The scaling of the saturated amplitude with respect to fast-ion drag and the pitch-angle collision frequency is investigated and found to vary for different Alfvén eigenmodes. Furthermore, we study the impact of several other actuators that might be of experimental relevance for finding operation windows that show Alfvén-eigenmode activity. Examples are the effects of a radial electric field and the composition of the background plasma (hydrogen versus helium). While growth rates are found to be reduced in helium plasmas, including a radial electric field, typically present in Wendelstein 7-X, seems to have little influence on the modes.Peer reviewe

Effect of the European design of TBMs on ITER wall loads due to fast ions in the baseline (15 MA), hybrid (12.5 MA), steady-state (9 MA) and half-field (7.5 MA) scenarios

We assess the effect of the European design of the pebble-bed helium-cooled test blanket modules (TBM) on fast ion power loads on ITER material surfaces. For this purpose, the effect of not only the TBMs but also the ferritic inserts (FI), used for mitigating the toroidal field ripple, were included in unprecedented detail in the reconstruction of the 3-dimensional magnetic field. This is important because, due to their low collisionality, fast ions follow the magnetic geometry much more faithfully than the thermal plasma. The Monte Carlo orbit-following code ASCOT was used to simulate all the foreseen operating scenarios of ITER: the baseline 15 MA standard H-mode operation, the 12.5 MA hybrid scenario, the 9 MA advanced scenario, and the half-field scenario with helium plasma that will be ITER\u27s initial operating scenario. The effect of TBMs was assessed by carrying out the simulations in pairs: one including only the effect of ferritic inserts, and the other including also the perturbation due to TBMs. Both thermonuclear fusion alphas and NBI ions from ITER heating beams were addressed. The TBMs are found to increase the power loads, but the absolute values remain small. Neither do they produce any additional hot spots

Effect of plasma response on the fast ion losses due to ELM control coils in ITER

Mitigating edge localized modes (ELMs) with resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) can increase energetic particle losses and resulting wall loads, which have previously been studied in the vacuum approximation. This paper presents recent results of fusion alpha and NBI ion losses in the ITER baseline scenario modelled with the Monte Carlo orbit following code ASCOT in a realistic magnetic field including the effect of the plasma response. The response was found to reduce alpha particle losses but increase NBI losses, with up to 4.2% of the injected power being lost. Additionally, some of the load in the divertor was found to be shifted away from the target plates toward the divertor dome