Effect of Fluctuations on Lower Hybrid Power Deposition and Hard X-Ray Detection

The hard X-ray intensity radial profiles from lower hybrid current drive experiments are interpreted as being correlated with fluctuations in the bulk plasma. This view seems to be dictated by comparing the hard X-ray data for various n║ with the Monte Carlo solutions of the lower hybrid wave energy deposition on plasma electrons. Information on internal magnetic fluctuations may, under certain conditions, be unfolded from a n║ scan of the hard X-ray profiles

Effect of Magnetic and Density Fluctuations on the Propagation of Lower Hybrid Waves in Tokamaks

Lower hybrid waves have been used extensively for plasma heating, current drive, and ramp-up as well as sawteeth stabilization, The wave kinetic equation for lower hybrid wave propagation is extended to include the effects of both magnetic and density fluctuations. This integral equation is then solved by Monte Carlo procedures for a toroidal plasma. It is shown that even for magnetic/density fluctuation levels on the order of 10-4, there are significant magnetic fluctuation effects on the wave power deposition into the plasma. This effect is quite pronounced if the magnetic fluctuation spectrum is peaked within the plasma. For Alcator-C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson and the Alcator Group, Proceedings of the IEEE 13th Symposium on Fusion Engineering (IEEE, New York, 1990), Cat. No. 89CH 2820-9, p. 13] parameters, it seems possible to be able to infer information on internal magnetic fluctuations from hard x-ray data-especially since the effects of fluctuations on electron power density can explain the hard x-ray data from the JT-60 tokamak [H. Kishimoto and JT-60 Team, in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1989), Vol. I, p. 67]

Perpendicular momentum injection by lower hybrid wave in a tokamak

The injection of lower hybrid waves for current drive into a tokamak affects the profile of intrinsic rotation. In this article, the momentum deposition by the lower hybrid wave on the electrons is studied. Due to the increase in the poloidal momentum of the wave as it propagates into the tokamak, the parallel momentum of the wave increases considerably. The change of the perpendicular momentum of the wave is such that the toroidal angular momentum of the wave is conserved. If the perpendicular momentum transfer via electron Landau damping is ignored, the transfer of the toroidal angular momentum to the plasma will be larger than the injected toroidal angular momentum. A proper quasilinear treatment proves that both perpendicular and parallel momentum are transferred to the electrons. The toroidal angular momentum of the electrons is then transferred to the ions via different mechanisms for the parallel and perpendicular momentum. The perpendicular momentum is transferred to ions through an outward radial electron pinch, while the parallel momentum is transferred through collisions.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

Validation of full-wave simulations for mode conversion of waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies with phase contrast imaging in Alcator C-Mod

Mode conversion of fast waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) is known to result in current drive and flow drive under optimised conditions, which may be utilized to control plasma profiles and improve fusion plasma performance. To describe these processes accurately in a realistic toroidal geometry, numerical simulations are essential. Quantitative comparison of these simulations and the actual experimental measurements is important to validate their predictions and to evaluate their limitations. The phase contrast imaging (PCI) diagnostic has been used to directly detect the ICRF waves in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The measurements have been compared with full-wave simulations through a synthetic diagnostic technique. Recently, the frequency response of the PCI detector array on Alcator C-Mod was recalibrated, which greatly improved the comparison between the measurements and the simulations. In this study, mode converted waves for D-{superscript 3]He and D-H plasmas with various ion species compositions were re-analyzed with the new calibration. For the minority heating cases, self-consistent electric fields and a minority ion distribution function were simulated by iterating a full-wave code and a Fokker-Planck code. The simulated mode converted wave intensity was in quite reasonable agreement with the measurements close to the antenna, but discrepancies remain for comparison at larger distances.United States. Department of Energy (Grant DE-FG02- 94ER54235

High density LHRF experiments in Alcator C-Mod and implications for reactor scale devices

Parametric decay instabilities (PDI) appear to be an ubiquitous feature of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments at high density. In density ramp experiments in Alcator C-Mod and other machines the onset of PDI activity has been well correlated with a decrease in current drive efficiency and production of fast electron bremsstrahlung. However whether PDI is the primary cause of the 'density limit', and if so by exactly what mechanism (beyond the obvious one of pump depletion) has not been clearly established. In order to further understand the connection, the frequency spectrum of PDI activity occurring during Alcator C-Mod LHCD experiments has been explored in detail by means of a number of RF probes distributed around the periphery of the C-Mod tokamak including a probe imbedded in the inner wall. The results show that (i) the excited spectra consists mainly of a few discrete ion cyclotron (IC) quasi-modes, which have higher growth than the ion sound branch; (ii) PDI activity can begin either at the inner or outer wall, depending on magnetic configuration; (iii) the frequencies of the IC quasi-modes correspond to the magnetic field strength close to the low-field side (LFS) or high-field side separatrix; and (iv) although PDI activity may initiate near the inner separatrix, the loss in fast electron bremsstrahlung is best correlated with the appearance of IC quasi-modes characteristic of the magnetic field strength near the LFS separatrix. These data, supported by growth rate calculations, point to the importance of the LFS scrape-off layer (SOL) density in determining PDI onset and degradation in current drive efficiency. By minimizing the SOL density it is possible to extend the core density regime over which PDI can be avoided, thus potentially maximizing the effectiveness of LHCD at high density. Increased current drive efficiency at high density has been achieved in FTU and EAST through lithium coating and special fuelling methods, and in recent C-Mod experiments by operating at higher plasma current. Another approach would be to locate the launcher in the inner wall with double null operation. This would reduce the SOL density by an order of magnitude or more and greatly mitigate the effects of PDI as well as other parasitic losses.United States. Department of Energy (DE-FC02-99ER54512

Investigation of lower hybrid physics through power modulation experiments on Alcator C-Mod

Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) is an attractive tool for off-axis current profile control in magnetically confined tokamak plasmas and burning plasmas (ITER), because of its high current drive efficiency. The LHCD system on Alcator C-Mod operates at 4.6 GHz, with ~ 1 MW of coupled power, and can produce a wide range of launched parallel refractive index (n[subscript ∣∣]) spectra. A 32 chord, perpendicularly viewing hard x-ray camera has been used to measure the spatial and energy distribution of fast electrons generated by lower hybrid (LH) waves. Square-wave modulation of LH power on a time scale much faster than the current relaxation time does not significantly alter the poloidal magnetic field inside the plasma and thus allows for realistic modeling and consistent plasma conditions for different n[subscript ∣∣] spectra. Inverted hard x-ray profiles show clear changes in LH-driven fast electron location with differing n[subscript ∣∣]. Boxcar binning of hard x-rays during LH power modulation allows for ~ 1 ms time resolution which is sufficient to resolve the build-up, steady-state, and slowing-down phases of fast electrons. Ray-tracing/Fokker-Planck modeling in combination with a synthetic hard x-raydiagnostic shows quantitative agreement with the x-ray data for high n[subscript ∣∣] cases. The time histories of hollow x-ray profiles have been used to measure off-axis fast electron transport in the outer half of the plasma, which is found to be small on a slowing down time scale.United States. Dept. of Energy (Award DE-FC02-99ER54512)United States. Dept. of Energy (Award DE-AC02-76CH03073

Characterization of onset of parametric decay instability of lower hybrid waves

The goal of the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) program on Alcator C-Mod is to develop and optimize ITER-relevant steady-state plasmas by controlling the current density profile. Using a 4×16 waveguide array, over 1 MW of LH power at 4.6 GHz has been successfully coupled to the plasmas. However, current drive efficiency precipitously drops as the line averaged density (n̄ e ) increases above 10[superscript 20]m[superscript −3]. Previous numerical work shows that the observed loss of current drive efficiency in high density plasmas stems from the interactions of LH waves with edge/scrape-off layer (SOL) plasmas [Wallace et al., Physics of Plasmas 19, 062505 (2012)]. Recent observations of parametric decay instability (PDI) suggest that non-linear effects should be also taken into account to fully characterize the parasitic loss mechanisms [Baek et al., Plasma Phys. Control Fusion 55, 052001 (2013)]. In particular, magnetic configuration dependent ion cyclotron PDIs are observed using the probes near n̄[subscript e]≈1.2×10[superscript 20]m[superscript −3] . In upper single null plasmas, ion cyclotron PDI is excited near the low field side separatrix with no apparent indications of pump depletion. The observed ion cyclotron PDI becomes weaker in inner wall limited plasmas, which exhibit enhanced current drive effects. In lower single null plasmas, the dominant ion cyclotron PDI is excited near the high field side (HFS) separatrix. In this case, the onset of PDI is correlated with the decrease in pump power, indicating that pump wave power propagates to the HFS and is absorbed locally near the HFS separatrix. Comparing the observed spectra with the homogeneous growth rate calculation indicates that the observed ion cyclotron instability is excited near the plasma periphery. The incident pump power density is high enough to overcome the collisional homogeneous threshold. For C-Mod plasma parameters, the growth rate of ion sound quasi-modes is found to be typically smaller by an order of magnitude than that of ion cyclotron quasi-modes. When considering the convective threshold near the plasma edge, convective growth due to parallel coupling rather than perpendicular coupling is likely to be responsible for the observed strength of the sidebands. To demonstrate the improved LHCD efficiency in high density plasmas, an additional launcher has been designed. In conjunction with the existing launcher, this new launcher will allow access to an ITER-like high single pass absorption regime, replicating the JLH (r) expected in ITER. The predictions from the time domain discharge scenarios, in which the two launchers are used, will be also presented.United States. Dept. of Energy (Award No. DE-FC02-99ER54512)United States. Dept. of Energy (Award No. DE-AC02-76CH03073

High field side launch of RF waves: A new approach to reactor actuators

Launching radio frequency (RF) waves from the high field side (HFS) of a tokamak offers significant advantages over low field side (LFS) launch with respect to both wave physics and plasma material interactions (PMI). For lower hybrid (LH) waves, the higher magnetic field opens the window between wave accessibility (n∥≡ck∥/ω>1−ω2pi/ω2+ω2pe/ω2ce−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−√+ωpe/∣∣ωce∣∣) and the condition for strong electron Landau damping (n∥∼30/Te−−−−−√ with Te in keV), allowing LH waves from the HFS to penetrate into the core of a burning plasma, while waves launched from the LFS are restricted to the periphery of the plasma. The lower n∥ of waves absorbed at higher Te yields a higher current drive efficiency as well. In the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF), HFS launch allows for direct access to the mode conversion layer where mode converted waves absorb strongly on thermal electrons and ions, thus avoiding the generation of energetic minority ion tails. The absence of turbulent heat and particle fluxes on the HFS, particularly in double null configuration, makes it the ideal location to minimize PMI damage to the antenna structure. The quiescent SOL also eliminates the need to couple LH waves across a long distance to the separatrix, as the antenna can be located close to plasma without risking damage to the structure. Improved impurity screening on the HFS will help eliminate the long-standing issues of high Z impurity accumulation with ICRF. Looking toward a fusion reactor, the HFS is the only possible location for a plasma-facing RF antenna that will survive long-term. By integrating the antenna into the blanket module it is possible to improve the tritium breeding ratio compared with an antenna occupying an equatorial port plug. Blanket modules will require remote handling of numerous cooling pipes and electrical connections, and the addition of transmission lines will not substantially increase the level of complexity. The obvious engineering challenges associated with locating antenna structures on the HFS can be overcome if HFS antennas are incorporated in the overall experimental design from the start. The Advanced Divertor and radio frequency eXperiment(ADX) will include LH and ICRF antennas located on the HFS. Compact antenna designs based on proven technologies (e.g. multi-junction and “4-way splitter” antennas) fit within the available space on the HFS of ADX. Field aligned ICRF antennas are also located on the HFS. The ADX vacuum vessel design includes dedicated space for transmission lines, pressure windows, and vacuum feedthrus for accessing the HFS wall

Investigation of the Thomson scattering-ECE discrepancy in ICRF heated plasmas at Alcator C-Mod

This paper reports on new experiments at Alcator C-Mod that were performed in order to investigate the long-standing, unresolved discrepancy between Thomson scattering (TS) and electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements of electron temperature in high temperature tokamak plasmas. Ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) heating is used to produce high temperature conditions where the type of TS-ECE discrepancy observed in the past at JET and TFTR should become observable. At Alcator C-Mod, plasmas with Te(0) up to 8 keV are obtained using ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH), ICRF mode conversion heating and a combination of the two heating methods in order to explore the hypothesis that the presence of ICRH-generated fast ions may be related to the discrepancy. In all high temperature cases, the TS and ECE measurements of electron temperature agree to within experimental uncertainties. We find no evidence for the type of discrepancy reported at JET and TFTR. These results show that the TS-ECE discrepancy does not depend on high temperatures alone and also that the presence of ICRH-generated fast ions is insufficient to cause the TS-ECE discrepancy.United States. Dept. of Energy (DE-FC02-99ER54512

ARC: A compact, high-field, fusion nuclear science facility and demonstration power plant with demountable magnets

The affordable, robust, compact (ARC) reactor is the product of a conceptual design study aimed at reducing the size, cost, and complexity of a combined fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) and demonstration fusion Pilot power plant. ARC is a ∼200–250 MWe tokamak reactor with a major radius of 3.3 m, a minor radius of 1.1 m, and an on-axis magnetic field of 9.2 T. ARC has rare earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) superconducting toroidal field coils, which have joints to enable disassembly. This allows the vacuum vessel to be replaced quickly, mitigating first wall survivability concerns, and permits a single device to test many vacuum vessel designs and divertor materials. The design point has a plasma fusion gain of Q[subscript p] ≈ 13.6, yet is fully non-inductive, with a modest bootstrap fraction of only ∼63%. Thus ARC offers a high power gain with relatively large external control of the current profile. This highly attractive combination is enabled by the ∼23 T peak field on coil achievable with newly available REBCO superconductor technology. External current drive is provided by two innovative inboard RF launchers using 25 MW of lower hybrid and 13.6 MW of ion cyclotron fast wave power. The resulting efficient current drive provides a robust, steady state core plasma far from disruptive limits. ARC uses an all-liquid blanket, consisting of low pressure, slowly flowing fluorine lithium beryllium (FLiBe) molten salt. The liquid blanket is low-risk technology and provides effective neutron moderation and shielding, excellent heat removal, and a tritium breeding ratio ≥ 1.1. The large temperature range over which FLiBe is liquid permits an output blanket temperature of 900 K, single phase fluid cooling, and a high efficiency helium Brayton cycle, which allows for net electricity generation when operating ARC as a Pilot power plant.United States. Department of Energy (Grant DE-FG02-94ER54235)United States. Department of Energy (Grant DE-SC008435)United States. Department of Energy. Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (Grant DE-FC02-93ER54186)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 1122374