Blob distortion by radio-frequency induced sheared flow

Blob transport properties in the plasma edge in the presence and absence of radio-frequency (RF) convective cells are compared. For the first time, the interactions between RF convective cells and intermittent plasma blobs in the scrape-off layer (SOL) are observed with gas puff imaging in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. It is found that the RF convective cells induce a sheared flow in the far SOL, which is able to stretch, distort and even split the blobs poloidally. The observed phenomena indicate that an externally generated sheared flow in the SOL can be considered as a method to modify blob transport in a favorable way

Accelerated Bayesian inference of plasma profiles with self-consistent MHD equilibria at W7-X via neural networks

High-$\langle \beta \rangle$ operations require a fast and robust inference of plasma parameters with a self-consistent MHD equilibrium. Precalculated MHD equilibria are usually employed at W7-X due to the high computational cost. To address this, we couple a physics-regularized NN model that approximates the ideal-MHD equilibrium with the Bayesian modeling framework Minerva. We show the fast and robust inference of plasma profiles (electron temperature and density) with a self-consistent MHD equilibrium approximated by the NN model. We investigate the robustness of the inference across diverse synthetic W7-X plasma scenarios. The inferred plasma parameters and their uncertainties are compatible with the parameters inferred using the VMEC, and the inference time is reduced by more than two orders of magnitude. This work suggests that MHD self-consistent inferences of plasma parameters can be performed between shots.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Quantification of systematic errors in the electron density and temperature measured with Thomson scattering at W7-X

The electron density and temperature profiles measured with Thomson scattering at the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X show features which seem to be unphysical, but so far could not be associated with any source of error considered in the data processing. A detailed Bayesian analysis reveals that errors in the spectral calibration cannot explain the features observed in the profiles. Rather, it seems that small fluctuations in the laser position are sufficient to affect the profile substantially. The impact of these fluctuations depends on the laser position itself, which, in turn, provides a method to find the optimum laser alignment in the future

Advanced electron cyclotron heating and current drive experiments on the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X

During the first operational phase (OP 1.1) of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) was the exclusive heating method and provided plasma start-up, wall conditioning, heating and current drive. Six gyrotrons were commissioned for OP1.1 and used in parallel for plasma operation with a power of up to 4.3 MW. During standard X2-heating the spatially localized power deposition with high power density allowed controlling the radial profiles of the electron temperature and the rotational transform. Even though W7-X was not fully equipped with first wall tiles and operated with a graphite limiter instead of a divertor, electron densities of n e > 3·1019 m-3 could be achieved at electron temperatures of several keV and ion temperatures above 2 keV. These plasma parameters allowed the first demonstration of a multipath O2-heating scenario, which is envisaged for safe operation near the X-cutoff-density of 1.2·1020 m-3 after full commissioning of the ECRH system in the next operation phase OP1.2

First experiments on plasma production using field-aligned ICRF fast wave antennas in the large helical device

The results of the first experimental series to produce a plasma using the ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) in the large helical device (LHD) within the minority scenario developed at Uragan-2M (U-2M) are presented. The motivation of this study is to provide plasma creation in conditions when an electron cyclotron resonance heating start-up is not possible, and in this way widen the operational frame of helical machines. The major constraint of the experiments is the low RF power to reduce the possibility of arcing. No dangerous voltage increase at the radio-frequency (RF) system elements and no arcing has been detected. As a result, a low plasma density is obtained and the antenna-plasma coupling is not optimal. However, such plasmas are sufficient to be used as targets for further neutral beam injection (NBI) heating. This will open possibilities to explore new regimes of operation at LHD and Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. The successful RF plasma production in LHD in this experimental series stimulates the planning of further studies of ICRF plasma production aimed at increasing plasma density and temperature within the ICRF minority scenario as well as investigating the plasma prolongation by NBI heating

Ion temperature clamping in Wendelstein 7-X electron cyclotron heated plasmas

The neoclassical transport optimization of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has not resulted in the predicted high energy confinement of gas fueled electron-cyclotron-resonance-heated (ECRH) plasmas as modelled in (Turkin et al 2011 Phys. Plasmas 18 022505) due to high levels of turbulent heat transport observed in the experiments. The electron-turbulent-heat transport appears non-stiff and is of the electron temperature gradient (ETG)/ion temperature gradient (ITG) type (Weir et al 2021 Nucl. Fusion 61 056001). As a result, the electron temperature Te can be varied freely from 1 keV–10 keV within the range of PECRH = 1–7 MW, with electron density ne values from 0.1–1.5 × 1020 m−3. By contrast, in combination with the broad electron-to-ion energy-exchange heating profile in ECRH plasmas, ion-turbulent-heat transport leads to clamping of the central ion temperature at Ti ∼ 1.5 keV ± 0.2 keV. In a dedicated ECRH power scan at a constant density of 〈ne〉 = 7 × 1019 m−3, an apparent \u27negative ion temperature profile stiffness\u27 was found in the central plasma for (r/a < 0.5), in which the normalized gradient ∇Ti/Ti decreases with increasing ion heat flux. The experiment was conducted in helium, which has a higher radiative density limit compared to hydrogen, allowing a broader power scan. This \u27negative stiffness\u27 is due to a strong exacerbation of turbulent transport with an increasing ratio of Te/Ti in this electron-heated plasma. This finding is consistent with electrostatic microinstabilities, such as ITG-driven turbulence. Theoretical calculations made by both linear and nonlinear gyro-kinetic simulations performed by the GENE code in the W7-X three-dimensional geometry show a strong enhancement of turbulence with an increasing ratio of Te/Ti. The exacerbation of turbulence with increasing Te/Ti is also found in tokamaks and inherently enhances ion heat transport in electron-heated plasmas. This finding strongly affects the prospects of future high-performance gas-fueled ECRH scenarios in W7-X and imposes a requirement for turbulence-suppression techniques

Demonstration of reduced neoclassical energy transport in Wendelstein 7-X

Research on magnetic confinement of high-temperature plasmas has the ultimate goal of harnessing nuclear fusion for the production of electricity. Although the tokamak1 is the leading toroidal magnetic-confinement concept, it is not without shortcomings and the fusion community has therefore also pursued alternative concepts such as the stellarator. Unlike axisymmetric tokamaks, stellarators possess a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field geometry. The availability of this additional dimension opens up an extensive configuration space for computational optimization of both the field geometry itself and the current-carrying coils that produce it. Such an optimization was undertaken in designing Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X)2, a large helical-axis advanced stellarator (HELIAS), which began operation in 2015 at Greifswald, Germany. A major drawback of 3D magnetic field geometry, however, is that it introduces a strong temperature dependence into the stellarator’s non-turbulent ‘neoclassical’ energy transport. Indeed, such energy losses will become prohibitive in high-temperature reactor plasmas unless a strong reduction of the geometrical factor associated with this transport can be achieved; such a reduction was therefore a principal goal of the design of W7-X. In spite of the modest heating power currently available, W7-X has already been able to achieve high-temperature plasma conditions during its 2017 and 2018 experimental campaigns, producing record values of the fusion triple product for such stellarator plasmas3,4. The triple product of plasma density, ion temperature and energy confinement time is used in fusion research as a figure of merit, as it must attain a certain threshold value before net-energy-producing operation of a reactor becomes possible1,5. Here we demonstrate that such record values provide evidence for reduced neoclassical energy transport in W7-X, as the plasma profiles that produced these results could not have been obtained in stellarators lacking a comparably high level of neoclassical optimization

Impact of Magnetic Field Configuration on Heat Transport in Stellarators and Heliotrons

We assess the magnetic field configuration in modern fusion devices by comparing experiments with the same heating power, between a stellarator and a heliotron. The key role of turbulence is evident in the optimized stellarator, while neoclassical processes largely determine the transport in the heliotron device. Gyrokinetic simulations elucidate the underlying mechanisms promoting stronger ion scale turbulence in the stellarator. Similar plasma performances in these experiments suggests that neoclassical and turbulent transport should both be optimized in next step reactor designs

Dynamik- und Strukturanalyse kohärenter turbulenter Strukturen am Rand toroidal eingeschlossener Plasmen

Die sichere und finanzierbare Deckung des steigenden Energiebedarfs ist eine der größten Herausforderungen unseres Jahrhunderts. Kernfusionskraftwerke nach dem Prinzip des magnetischen Einschlusses können möglicherweise einen entscheidenden Beitrag leisten. Derzeit verhindern Energieverluste des Fusionsplasmas durch Turbulenz einen effizienten Betrieb und erhöhen die Erosion der Innenwand des Fusionsreaktors. Nahe der Wand, in der sogenannten Abschälschicht, wird der Transport dominiert von Blobs oder Filamenten: lokalisierte Strukturen erhöhten Drucks, die Energie und Teilchen in Richtung der Wand transportieren. Der Transport hängt unter anderem ab von der Größe, Geschwindigkeit und Entstehungsrate der Blobs. Für einfache Geometrien des einschließenden Magnetfelds sagt ein analytisches Modell die Größe und Geschwindigkeit der Blobs voraus, nicht aber die Entstehungsrate. Experimentelle Beobachtungen deuten auf eine Beteiligung der Randschichtturbulenz in der Nähe der letzten geschlossenen Flussfläche (dem Beginn der Abschälschicht) bei der Blobentstehung hin, was sich in der Entstehungsrate widerspiegeln sollte. Diese Arbeit beantwortet vorrangig zwei Fragen: Beschreiben die einfachen Modelle die Blobeigenschaften auch in Magnetfeldgeometrien tatsächlicher Fusionsexperimente und welchen Einfluss hat die Randschichtturbulenz auf diese Eigenschaften? Mit einer Hochgeschwindigkeitskamera wurden Größe, Geschwindigkeit und Entstehungsrate der Blobs im Stellarator TJ-K und dem Tokamak ASDEX Upgrade untersucht. Während eine grundsätzliche Übereinstimmung mit den Vorhersagen besteht, konnte zum ersten Mal gezeigt werden, dass die Randschichtturbulenz die untersuchten Eigenschaften beeinflusst. Die Messungen beinhalten den ersten systematischen Vergleich der Strukturgrößen inner- und außerhalb der letzten geschlossenen Flussfläche. Darüber hinaus wird mit Sondenmessungen die dreidimensionale Struktur der Blobs in einem Stellarator vermessen und gezeigt, dass die Blobs mehr als 50 % des lokalen und mehr als 20 % des totalen Transports in der Abschälschicht ausmachen. Messungen eines Stroms entlang der Filamente bestätigen, dass das analytischen Modell die relevanten physikalischen Prozesse behinhaltet. In ASDEX Upgrade werden Blobeigenschaften bestimmt und in zwei Einschlussregimen, der sogenannten L- und H-Mode, verglichen. Wie schon in TJ-K zeigt sich eine weitgehende Übereinstimmung mit den analytischen Vorhersagen. Größenmessungen deuten einen Einfluss der hohen Ionentemperatur auf die Blobdynamik hin. Außerdem wird eine überraschend geringe Variation der Blobeigenschaften zwischen L- und H-Mode beobachtet.The safe and reliable satisfaction of the world’s increasing energy demand at affordable costs is one of the major challenges of our century. Nuclear fusion power plants following the magnetic confinement approach may play an essential role in solving this issue. The energy loss of the fusion plasma due to plasma turbulence reduces the efficiency and poses a threat to the first wall of a fusion reactor. Close to the wall, in the scrape-off layer, this transport is dominated by blobs or filaments: Localized structures of increased pressure, which transport energy and particles towards the wall by propagating radially outwards. Their contribution to the transport depends on their size, propagation velocity and generation rate. An analytical model for the evolution of blobs predicts their velocity and size, but not the generation rate. Experiments indicate that edge turbulence in the vicinity of the last closed flux surface (the boundary between the confined plasma and the scrape-off layer) is involved in the blob generation process and should influence the generation rate. The present thesis aims at answering two main questions: How well do the blob properties predicted from the simple model compare to experimental observations in more complex magnetic field configurations of actual fusion experiments and does the edge turbulence influence the blob properties during the generation process. A fast camera was used to measure blob properties in two devices, TJ-K and ASDEX Upgrade. In TJ-K, blob sizes and velocities were determined together with the generation rate. An overall agreement with the predictions from the simple model is found. For the first time a clear influence of the edge dynamics on the analyzed blob properties is demonstrated. These measurements include the first systematic comparison of the structure-size scaling inside and outside of the last closed flux surface. Furthermore, measurements with a multi-probe array are used to reconstruct the blob shape in a stellarator and to show that the blobs account for more than 50 % of the local and more than 20 % of the total scrape-of layer transport. Measurements of a current along the filaments directly show that the simple model contains the relevant physical processes. In the ASDEX Upgrade, blob properties are compared for two confinement regimes, the so-called L- and H-mode. As in TJ-K, the blob properties can to a good extent be understood from available blob models. Size measurements indicate an influence of the finite ion temperature on the blob properties. Furthermore, a surprisingly low difference in the blob dynamics is observed between L- and H-mode