Improving activation cross section data with TALYS

Needs for accurate (n,x) activation cross sections for fusion technology have been considered with reference to the current status of the TENDL library. The current work is focused on improving activation cross section data for nuclear reactions relevant mainly for fusion and astrophysical needs. The fits have been performed with the TALYS-1.8 code by means of nuclear model parameter variation, mostly for the optical model and level densities, followed by comparison to recent experimental data taken from EXFOR and other evaluated nuclear databases. The updated cross section data are going to be adopted into the new version of TENDL. The improvements have been performed both for differential as well as integral data sets

Improving activation cross section data with TALYS

Needs for accurate (n,x) activation cross sections for fusion technology have been considered with reference to the current status of the TENDL library. The current work is focused on improving activation cross section data for nuclear reactions relevant mainly for fusion and astrophysical needs. The fits have been performed with the TALYS-1.8 code by means of nuclear model parameter variation, mostly for the optical model and level densities, followed by comparison to recent experimental data taken from EXFOR and other evaluated nuclear databases. The updated cross section data are going to be adopted into the new version of TENDL. The improvements have been performed both for differential as well as integral data sets

Improving activation cross section data with TALYS

Needs for accurate (n,x) activation cross sections for fusion technology have been considered with reference to the current status of the TENDL library. The current work is focused on improving activation cross section data for nuclear reactions relevant mainly for fusion and astrophysical needs. The fits have been performed with the TALYS-1.8 code by means of nuclear model parameter variation, mostly for the optical model and level densities, followed by comparison to recent experimental data taken from EXFOR and other evaluated nuclear databases. The updated cross section data are going to be adopted into the new version of TENDL. The improvements have been performed both for differential as well as integral data sets

First mirror test in JET for ITER : Complete overview after three ILW campaigns

The First Mirror Test for ITER has been carried out in JET with mirrors exposed during: (i) the third ILW campaign (ILW-3, 2015-2016, 23.33 h plasma) and (ii) all three campaigns, i.e. ILW-1 to ILW-3: 2011-2016, 63,52 h in total. All mirrors from main chamber wall show no significant changes of the total reflectivity from the initial value and the diffuse reflectivity does not exceed 3% in the spectral range above 500 nm. The modified layer on surface has very small amount of impurities such as D, Be, C, N, O and Ni. All mirrors from the divertor (inner, outer, base under the bulk W tile) lost reflectivity by 20-80% due to the beryllium-rich deposition also containing D, C, N, O, Ni and W. In the inner divertor N reaches 5 x 10(17) cm(-2), W is up to 4.3 x 10(17) cm(-2), while the content of Ni is the greatest in the outer divertor: 3.8 x 10(17) cm(-2). Oxygen-18 used as the tracer in experiments at the end of ILW-3 has been detected at the level of 1.1 x 10(16) cm(-2). The thickness of deposited layer is in the range of 90 nm to 900 nm. The layer growth rate in the base (2.7 pm s(-1)) and inner divertor is proportional to the exposure time when a single campaign and all three are compared. In a few cases, on mirrors located at the cassette mouth, flaking of deposits and erosion occurred.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2019.02.009</p

Identification of BeO and BeOxDy in melted zones of the JET Be limiter tiles : Raman study using comparison with laboratory samples

Beryllium oxide (BeO) and deuteroxide (BeOxDy) have been found on the melted zone of a beryllium tile extracted from the upper dump plate of JET-ILW (2011-2012 campaign). Results have been obtained using Raman microscopy, which is sensitive to both the chemical bond and crystal structure, with a micrometric lateral resolution. BeO is found with a wurtzite crystal structure. BeOxDy is found as three different types which are not the beta-phase but behaves as molecular species like Be(OD)(2), O(Be-D)(2) and DBeOD. The presence of a small amount of trapped D2O is also suspected. Our results therefore strongly suggest that D trapping occurs after melting through the formation of deuteroxides. The temperature increase favors the formation of crystal BeO which favors deuterium trapping through OD bonding.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2018.11.008</p

Detection of Causal Relations in Time Series Affected by Noise in Tokamaks Using Geodesic Distance on Gaussian Manifolds

Modern experiments in Magnetic Confinement Nuclear Fusion can produce Gigabytes of data, mainly in form of time series. The acquired signals, composing massive databases, are typically affected by significant levels of noise. The interpretation of the time series can therefore become quite involved, particularly when tenuous causal relations have to be investigated. In the last years, synchronization experiments, to control potentially dangerous instabilities, have become a subject of intensive research. Their interpretation requires quite delicate causality analysis. In this paper, the approach of Information Geometry is applied to the problem of assessing the effectiveness of synchronization experiments on JET (Joint European Torus). In particular, the use of the Geodesic Distance on Gaussian Manifolds is shown to improve the results of advanced techniques such as Recurrent Plots and Complex Networks, when the noise level is not negligible. In cases affected by particularly high levels of noise, compromising the traditional treatments, the use of the Geodesic Distance on Gaussian Manifolds allows deriving quite encouraging results. In addition to consolidating conclusions previously quite uncertain, it has been demonstrated that the proposed approach permit to successfully analyze signals of discharges which were otherwise unusable, therefore salvaging the interpretation of those experiments.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/e19100569</p

Heat flux analysis of Type-I ELM impact on a sloped, protruding surface in the JET bulk tungsten divertor

Tungsten (W) melting due to transient power loads, for example those delivered by edge localised modes (ELMs), is a major concern for next step fusion devices. A series of experiments has been performed on JET to investigate the dynamics of Type-I ELM-induced transient melting. Following initial exposures in 2013 of a W-lamella with sharp leading edge in the bulk W outer divertor, new experiments have been performed in 2016-2017 on a protruding W-lamella with a 15 degrees slope, allowing direct and spatially resolved (0.85 mm/pixel) observation of the top surface using the IR thermography system viewing from the top of the poloidal cross-section. Thermal and IR analysis have already been conducted assuming the geometrical projection of the parallel heat flux on the W-lamellas, thus ignoring the gyro-radius orbit of plasma particles. Although it is well justified during L-mode or inter-ELM period, the hypothesis becomes questionable during ELM when the ion Larmor radius is larger. The goal of this paper is to extend the previous analysis based on the forward approach to the H-mode discharges and investigate in particular the gyro-radius effect during the Type-I ELMs, those used to achieve transient melting on the slope of the protruding W-lamella. Surface temperatures measured by the IR camera are compared with reconstructed synthetic data from 3D thermal modelling using heat loads derived from optical projection of the parallel heat flux (ignoring the gyro-radius orbit), 2D gyro-radius orbit and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations describing the influence of finite Larmor-radius effects and electrical potential on the deposited power flux. Results show that the ELM power deposition behaves differently than the optical projection of the parallel heat flux, contrary to the L-mode observations, and may thus be due to the much larger gyro-orbits of the energetic ELM ions in comparison to L-mode or inter-ELM conditions.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2018.10.009</p