74 research outputs found

    Overview of JET results for optimising ITER operation

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    The JET 2019–2020 scientific and technological programme exploited the results of years of concerted scientific and engineering work, including the ITER-like wall (ILW: Be wall and W divertor) installed in 2010, improved diagnostic capabilities now fully available, a major neutral beam injection upgrade providing record power in 2019–2020, and tested the technical and procedural preparation for safe operation with tritium. Research along three complementary axes yielded a wealth of new results. Firstly, the JET plasma programme delivered scenarios suitable for high fusion power and alpha particle (α) physics in the coming D–T campaign (DTE2), with record sustained neutron rates, as well as plasmas for clarifying the impact of isotope mass on plasma core, edge and plasma-wall interactions, and for ITER pre-fusion power operation. The efficacy of the newly installed shattered pellet injector for mitigating disruption forces and runaway electrons was demonstrated. Secondly, research on the consequences of long-term exposure to JET-ILW plasma was completed, with emphasis on wall damage and fuel retention, and with analyses of wall materials and dust particles that will help validate assumptions and codes for design and operation of ITER and DEMO. Thirdly, the nuclear technology programme aiming to deliver maximum technological return from operations in D, T and D–T benefited from the highest D–D neutron yield in years, securing results for validating radiation transport and activation codes, and nuclear data for ITER

    Neutral pathways and heat flux widths in vertical- and horizontal-target EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations of JET

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    This paper further analyses the EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations presented by Chankin et al (2017 Nucl. Mater. Energy 12 273), of L-mode JET plasmas in vertical-vertical (VV) and Vertical-horizontal (VH) divertor configurations. As expected, the simulated outer divertor ionisation source peaks near the separatrix in VV and radially further out in VH. We identify the reflections of recycled neutrals from lower divertor tiles as the primary mechanism by which ionisation is concentrated on the outer divertor separatrix in the VV configuration. These lower tile reflection pathways (of neutrals from the outer divertor, and to an even greater extent from the inner divertor) dominate the outer divertor separatrix ionisation. In contrast, the lower-tile-reflection pathways are much weaker in the VH simulation and its outer divertor ionisation is dominated by neutrals which do not reflect from any surfaces. Interestingly, these differences in neutral pathways give rise to strong differences in the heat flux density width λq at the outer divertor entrance: λq = 3.2 mm in VH compared to λq = 11.8 mm in VV. In VH, a narrow channel exists in the near scrape-off-layer (SOL) where the convected heat flux, driven by strong Er × B flow and thermoelectric current, dominates over the conducted heat flux. The width of this channel sets λq and is determined by the radial distance between the separatrix and the ionisation peak in the outer divertor

    Investigation into the formation of the scrape-off layer density shoulder in JET ITER-like wall L-mode and H-mode plasmas

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    The low temperature boundary layer plasma (Scrape-Off-Layer or SOL) between the hot core and the surrounding vessel determines the level of power-loading, erosion and implantation of material surfaces, and thus the viability of tokamak-based fusion as an energy source. This study explores mechanisms affecting the formation of flattened density profiles, so-called ‘density shoulders’, in the low-field side (LFS) SOL, which modify ion and neutral fluxes to surfaces – and subsequent erosion. There is evidence against local enhancement of ionization inducing shoulder formation. We find that increases in SOL parallel resistivity, Λdiv (=[L||νei Ωi ]/cs Ωe), postulated to lead to shoulder growth through changes in SOL turbulence characteristics, correlates with increases in upstream SOL shoulder amplitude, As only under a subset of conditions (D2-fuelled L-mode density scans with outer strike point on the horizontal target). Λdiv fails to correlate with As for cases of N2 seeding or during sweeping of the strike point across the horizontal target. The limited correlation of Λdiv with As was also found for H-mode discharges. Thus, while Λdiv above a threshold of ~1 may be necessary for shoulder formation and/or growth, another shoulder mechanism is required. More significantly we find that in contrast to parallel resistivity, outer divertor recycling as quantified by the total outer divertor Balmer Dα emission, I-Dα, does scale with shoulder amplitude where Λdiv does and even where Λdiv fails. Divertor recycling could lead to SOL density shoulder formation through: a) reducing the parallel to the field flow (loss) of ions out of the SOL to the divertor; and b) changes in radial electric fields which lead to ExB poloidal flows as well as potentially affecting the SOL turbulence birth characteristics. Thus changes in divertor recycling may be the sole process in bringing about SOL density shoulders or in tandem with parallel resistivity

    Observations and modelling of ion cyclotron emission observed in JET plasmas using a sub-harmonic arc detection system during ion cyclotron resonance heating

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    Overview of the JET results in support to ITER

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    Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores are elevated in antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinaemia

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    Hyperprolactinaemia in antipsychotic treated patients with schizophrenia is a consequence of D2 receptor (DRD2) blockade. Alcohol use disorder is commonly comorbid with schizophrenia and low availability of striatal DRD2 may predispose individuals to alcohol use. In this pilot study we investigated whether hyperprolactinaemia secondary to pharmacological DRD2 blockade was associated with alcohol use disorder in 219 (178 males and 41 females) patients with schizophrenia. Serum prolactin determinations were made in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and maintained on antipsychotic agents. Clinical assessment included demographics, family history and administration of the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Higher AUDIT scores were associated with prolactin-raising antipsychotic medication (n¼106) compared with prolactin sparing medication (n¼113). Risperidone (n¼63) treated patients had higher AUDIT scores and prolactin levels than those on other atypical antipsychotics (n¼113). Across the entire sample, patients with a prolactin greater than 800 mIU/L had higher AUDIT scores and were more likely to exceed the cut-off score for harmful and hazardous alcohol use. These differences were not explained by potential confounds related to clinical features and demographics, comorbidity or medication side-effects. These data suggest that by lowering dosage, or switching to another antipsychotic agent, the risk for alcohol use disorder in those with schizophrenia may be reduced. This hypothesis requires testing using a prospective methodology

    Leadership in Public Health Study Programs: Results from Lithuanian Public Health Students Survey

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    The aim of the study was to evaluate the attitudes of public health undergraduate students regarding the need of leadership training. Metho?- dology. The cross sectional survey was carried out in the year 2011. The questionnaires has been distributed to all public health undergraduate students (3rd and 4th year) from Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vilnius University and Klaipeda University (N=187). Response rate was 93%. The anonymous questionnaires included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Results: The findings suggested that undergradu?- ate public health students were interested to study leadership. More than a half (53.4%) of students responded that they do not have leadership course in their study programmes. More over, 54.9% of them expressed the will to have it. Majority (86.6%) of students were convinced that public health leadership skills are necessary for modern public health specialists; 63.8% considered that leadership training is the same importance as development of competences in public health area. Conclusions: The undergraduate public health students agreed that leadership skills are necessary in public health practice. Majority of students has expressed the will to have leadership training in their public health studies.No Full Tex

    Modelling of JET hybrid plasmas with emphasis on performance of combined ICRF and NBI heating

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    During the 2015-2016 JET campaigns, many efforts have been devoted to the exploration of high-performance plasma scenarios envisaged for DT operation in JET. In this paper, we review various key recent hybrid discharges and model the combined ICRF+NBI heating. These deuterium discharges with deuterium beams had the ICRF antenna frequency tuned to match the cyclotron frequency of minority H at the centre of the tokamak coinciding with the second harmonic cyclotron resonance of D. The modelling takes into account the synergy between ICRF and NBI heating through the second harmonic cyclotron resonance of D beam ions, allowing us to assess its impact on the neutron rate R NT. For discharges carried out with a fixed ICRF antenna frequency and changing toroidal magnetic field to vary the resonance position, we evaluate the influence of the resonance position on the heating performance and central impurity control. The H concentration is varied between discharges in order to test its role in the heating performance. It is found that discharges with a resonance beyond ∼0.15 m from the magnetic axis R 0 suffer from MHD activity and impurity accumulation in these plasma conditions. According to our modelling, the ICRF enhancement of R NT increases with the ICRF power absorbed by deuterons as the H concentration decreases. We find that in the recent hybrid discharges, this ICRF enhancement varies due to a variation of H concentration and is in the range of 10%-25%. The modelling of a recent record high-performance hybrid discharge shows that ICRF fusion yield enhancement of ∼30% and ∼15% respectively can be achieved in the ramp-up phase and during the main heating phase. We extrapolate the results to DT and find that the best performing hybrid discharges correspond to an equivalent fusion power of ∼7.0 MW in DT. Finally, an optimization analysis of the bulk ion heating for the DT scenario reveals around 15%-20% larger bulk ion heating for the 3He minority scenario as compared to the H minority scenario
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