On the mechanisms governing gas penetration into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection

A new 1D radial fluid code, IMAGINE, is used to simulate the penetration of gas into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection (MGI). The main result is that the gas is in general strongly braked as it reaches the plasma, due to mechanisms related to charge exchange and (to a smaller extent) recombination. As a result, only a fraction of the gas penetrates into the plasma. Also, a shock wave is created in the gas which propagates away from the plasma, braking and compressing the incoming gas. Simulation results are quantitatively consistent, at least in terms of orders of magnitude, with experimental data for a D 2 MGI into a JET Ohmic plasma. Simulations of MGI into the background plasma surrounding a runaway electron beam show that if the background electron density is too high, the gas may not penetrate, suggesting a possible explanation for the recent results of Reux et al in JET (2015 Nucl. Fusion 55 093013)

COREDIV and SOLPS Numerical Simulations of the Nitrogen Seeded JET ILW L-mode Discharges

In this paper we present the comparison of simulations with the numerical codes COREDIV and SOLPS5.0 for JET L-mode discharges with ITER like wall (ILW). The simulations have been performed for L-mode shots with and without nitrogen seeding (#82291 - 9) which are characterised by relatively low auxiliary heating power (PNBI = 1.1 MW) and low electron density (ne = 2.35 × 1019 m–3). Comparisons are made to the experimental measurements (e.g. radiation levels, plasma profiles) and the differences between the results from the two codes (e.g. temperature and density profiles at the outer divertor plate) are shown and discussed

An FPGA-based bolometer for the MAST-U Super-X divertor

A new resistive bolometer system has been developed for MAST-Upgrade. It will measure radiated power in the new Super-X divertor, with millisecond time resolution, along 16 vertical and 16 horizontal lines of sight. The system uses a Xilinx Zynq-7000 series Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) in the D-TACQ ACQ2106 carrier to perform real time data acquisition and signal processing. The FPGA enables AC-synchronous detection using high performance digital filtering to achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio and will be able to output processed data in real time with millisecond latency. The system has been installed on 8 previously unused channels of the JET vertical bolometer system. Initial results suggest good agreement with data from existing vertical channels but with higher bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio

Sparse representation of signals: From astrophysics to real-time data analysis for fusion plasmas and system optimization analysis for ITER and TCV

Efficient, real-time and automated data analysis is one of the key elements for achieving scientific success in complex engineering and physical systems, two examples of which include the JET and ITER tokamaks. One problem which is common to these fields is the determination of the pulsation modes from an irregularly sampled time series. To this end, there are a wealth of signal processing techniques that are being applied to post-pulse and real-time data analysis in such complex systems. Here, we wish to present a review of the applications of a method based on the sparse representation of signals, using examples of the synergies that can be exploited when combining ideas and methods from very different fields, such as astronomy, astrophysics and thermonuclear fusion plasmas. Examples of this work in astronomy and astrophysics are the analysis of pulsation modes in various classes of stars and the orbit determination software of the Pioneer spacecraft. Two examples of this work in thermonuclear fusion plasmas include the detection of magneto-hydrodynamic instabilities, which is now performed routinely in JET in real-time on a sub-millisecond time scale, and the studies leading to the optimization of the magnetic diagnostic system in ITER and TCV. These questions have been solved by formulating them as inverse problems, despite the fact that these applicative frameworks are extremely different from the classical use of sparse representations, from both the theoretical and computational point of view. The requirements, prospects and ideas for the signal processing and real-time data analysis applications of this method to the routine operation of ITER will also be discussed. Finally, a very recent development has been the attempt to apply this method to the deconvolution of the measurement of electric potential performed during a ground-based survey of a proto-Villanovian necropolis in central Italy

Sawtooth pacing with on-axis ICRH modulation in JET-ILW

A novel technique for sawteeth control in tokamak plasmas using ion-cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) has been developed in the JET-ILW tokamak. Unlike previous ICRH methods, that explored the destabilization of the internal kink mode when the radio-frequency (RF) wave absorption was placed near the q = 1 surface, the technique presented here consists of stabilizing the sawteeth as fast as possible by applying the ICRH power centrally and subsequently induce a sawtooth crash by switching it off at the appropriate instant. The validation of this method in JET-ILW L-mode discharges, including preliminary tests in H-mode plasmas, is presented