Orbit Topology and Confinement of Energetic Ions in the CHS-qa Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator

The orbit topology and confinement of neutral beam-injected energetic ions are investigated for the current target configuration of the CHS-qa quasi-axisymmetric stellarator. It was shown that tangentially co-injected neutral beam (NB) heating is efficient even at a low magnetic field strength Bt of 0.5 T, whereas the heating efficiency of the counter-injected NB becomes significantly lower as Bt decreases because of the increase of first orbit loss. The energy loss rate increases as the beam injection angle becomes perpendicular, suggesting that the residual non-axisymmetric ripple in the peripheral domain plays a role in enhancing the transport of trapped ions. An interesting observation involves the appearance of the island structure in both the gyro motion following orbit and the guiding center collisionless orbit of counter-moving transit beam ions. It appears under a particular, narrow range of parameters, i.e., energy, pitch angle v///v, normalized minor radius r/a at the launching point and Bt

Orbit-following simulations of fast-ion transport and losses due to the Alfvén eigenmode burst in the Large Helical Device

ORCID　 0000-0002-5364-805XOrbit-following simulations of fast-ion transport and losses with time-dependent electromagnetic perturbations are performed to clarify the roles of Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) and the low-frequency magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mode observed in the kinetic-MHD hybrid simulation of AE bursts in the Large Helical Device. Fast-ion pressure profile flattening in the kinetic-MHD hybrid simulation can be reproduced by an orbit-following simulation with only the primary single AE of the time-dependent amplitude following the kinetic-MHD hybrid simulation result, while orbit-following simulations with constant AE amplitude of average level during AE burst cannot reproduce the fast-ion pressure profile flattening observed. The effects of other modes are negligible on the fast-ion pressure profile flattening. The fast-ion losses in kinetic-MHD hybrid simulation can be reproduced by an orbit-following simulation with time-dependent amplitude when the low-frequency MHD mode is considered in addition to multiple AEs. This indicates the synergetic effect of multiple AEs and the low-frequency MHD mode on fast-ion losses.journal articl

Global linear gyrokinetic simulation of energetic particle-driven instabilities in the LHD stellarator

Energetic particles are inherent to toroidal fusion systems and can drive instabilities in the Alfvén frequency range, leading to decreased heating efficiency, high heat fluxes on plasma-facing components, and decreased ignition margin. The applicability of global gyrokinetic simulation methods to macroscopic instabilities has now been demonstrated and it is natural to extend these methods to 3D configurations such as stellarators, tokamaks with 3D coils and reversed field pinch helical states. This has been achieved by coupling the GTC global gyrokinetic PIC model to the VMEC equilibrium model, including 3D effects in the field solvers and particle push. This paper demonstrates the application of this new capability to the linearized analysis of Alfvénic instabilities in the LHD stellarator. For normal shear iota profiles, toroidal Alfvén instabilities in the n  =  1 and 2 toroidal mode families are unstable with frequencies in the 75 to 110 kHz range. Also, an LHD case with non-monotonic shear is considered, indicating reductions in growth rate for the same energetic particle drive. Since 3D magnetic fields will be present to some extent in all fusion devices, the extension of gyrokinetic models to 3D configurations is an important step for the simulation of future fusion systems

Analysis of the MHD stability and energetic particles effects on EIC events in LHD plasma using a Landau-closure model

The aim of this study is to perform a theoretical analysis of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability and energetic particle effects on a LHD equilibria, calculated during a discharge where energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange mode (EIC) events were triggered. We use the reduced MHD equations to describe the linear evolution of the poloidal flux and the toroidal component of the vorticity in a full 3D system, coupled with equations of density and parallel velocity moments for the energetic particles species, including the effect of the acoustic modes, multiple energetic particles (EP) species, helical couplings and helically trapped EP. We add the Landau damping and resonant destabilization effects using a closure relation. The simulations suggest that the helically trapped EP driven by the perpendicular neutral beam injector (NBI) further destabilizes the 1/1 MHD-like mode located at the plasma periphery (r/a  =  0.88). If the β of the EP driven by the perpendicular NBI is larger than 0.0025 a 1/1 EIC with a frequency around 3 kHz is destabilized. If the effect of the passing EP driven by the tangential NBI is included on the model, any enhancement of the injection intensity of the tangential NBI below β = 0.025 leads to a decrease of the instability growth rate. The simulations indicate that the perpendicular NBI EP is the main driver of the EIC events, as it was observed in the experiment. If the effect of the helical couplings are added in the model, an 11/13 EIC is destabilized with a frequency around 9 kHz, inward shifted (r/a  =  0.81) compared to the 1/1 EIC. Thus, one possible explanation for the EIC frequency chirping down from 9 to 3 kHz is a transition between the 11/13 to the 1/1 EIC due to a weakening of the destabilizing effect of the high n modes, caused by a decrease of the EP drive due to a loss of helically trapped EP or a change in the EP distribution function after the EIC burst. The experimental data during the EIC bursting phase shows a complex mode structure and an inward shift of the instability, although no direct evidence of the proposed transition has been observed yet

Magnetic configuration effects on TAE-induced losses and a comparison with the orbit-following model in the Large Helical Device

Fast-ion losses from Large Helical Device (LHD) plasmas due to toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) were measured by a scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) to understand the loss processes. TAE-induced losses measured by the SLIP appeared in energy E ranges of around 50–180 keV with pitch angles χ between 35°–45°, and increased with the increase in TAE amplitudes. Position shifts of the magnetic axis due to a finite plasma pressure led not only to an increase in TAE-induced losses but also to a stronger scaling of fast-ion losses on TAE amplitudes. Characteristics of the observed fast-ion losses were compared with a numerical simulation based on orbit-following models in which the TAE fluctuations are taken into account. The calculation indicated that the number of lost fast ions reaching the SLIP increased with the increase in the TAE amplitude at the TAE gap. Moreover, the calculated dependence of fast-ion loss fluxes on the fluctuation amplitude became stronger in the case of large magnetic axis shifts, compared with the case of smaller shifts, as was observed in the experiments. The simulation results agreed qualitatively with the experimental observations in the LHD

Effect of the tangential NBI current drive on the stability of pressure and energetic particle driven MHD modes in LHD plasma

The aim of the present study is to analyze the stability of the pressure gradient driven modes (PM) and Alfvén eigenmodes (AE) in the large helical device (LHD) plasma if the rotational transform profile is modified by the current drive of the tangential neutral beam injectors (NBI). This study forms a basic search for optimized operation scenarios with reduced mode activity. The analysis is performed using the code FAR3d which solves the reduced MHD equations describing the linear evolution of the poloidal flux and the toroidal component of the vorticity in a full 3D system, coupled with equations for density and parallel velocity moments of the energetic particle (EP) species, including the effect of the acoustic modes. The Landau damping and resonant destabilization effects are added via the closure relation. On-axis and off-axis NBI current drive modifies the rotational transform which becomes strongly distorted as the intensity of the neutral beam current drive (NBCD) increases, leading to wider continuum gaps and modifying the magnetic shear. The simulations with on-axis NBI injection show that a counter (ctr-) NBCD in inward shifted and default configurations leads to a lower growth rate of the PM, although strong n  =  1 and 2 AEs can be destabilized. For the outward shifted configurations, a co-NBCD improves the AEs stability but the PM are further destabilized if the co-NBCD intensity is 30 kA T−1. If the NBI injection is off-axis, the plasma stability is not significantly improved due to the further destabilization of the AE and energetic particle modes (EPM) in the middle and outer plasma region.This work is supported in part by NIFS under contract NIFS07KLPH004

大型ヘリカル装置におけるAEバーストと高速イオン損失のハイブリッドシミュレーション, 大型ヘリカル装置におけるAEバーストと高速イオン損失のハイブリッドシミュレーション

Comprehensive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) hybrid simulations with neutral beam injection and collisions were conducted to investigate the Alfvén eigenmode (AE) bursts and the fast-ion losses in the large helical device (LHD) for the realistic conditions close to the experiments. It is found in the simulation of the slowing-down time scale that the AE bursts take place repetitively accompanied by fast-ion redistribution and losses leading to lower saturation levels of stored fast-ion energy than those in a classical calculation where the MHD perturbations are neglected. The fast-ion loss rate caused by the AE burst has the quadratic dependence on AE amplitude, which was observed in the LHD experiment. The majority of the lost fast ions are counter-passing particles whose velocity and pitch-angle are close to those of the beam injection. The second component of the lost fast ions is transit particles whose velocity is close to thermal velocity. The loss of the counter-passing particles occurs mainly during the AE bursts, while the transit particles are lost both during the AE bursts and the quiescent periods with larger loss rate than that in the classical calculation. The initial location of the lost counter-injected particles spreads from the plasma edge to the plasma center, while only the particles initially located in the peripheral region are lost for the co-injected beam

Hybrid simulation of NBI fast-ion losses due to the Alfvén eigenmode bursts in the Large Helical Device and the comparison with the fast-ion loss detector measurements

The multiphase simulations are conducted with the kinetic-magnetohydrodynamics hybrid code MEGA to investigate the spatial and the velocity distributions of lost fast ions due to the Alfvén eigenmode (AE) bursts in the Large Helical Device plasmas. It is found that fast ions are lost along the divertor region with helical symmetry both before and during the AE burst except for the promptly lost particles. On the other hand, several peaks are present in the spatial distribution of lost fast ions along the divertor region. These peaks along the divertor region can be attributed to the deviation of the fast-ion orbits from the magnetic surfaces due to the grad-B and the curvature drifts. For comparison with the velocity distribution of lost fast ions measured by the fast-ion loss detector (FILD), the ‘numerical FILD’ which solves the Newton–Lorentz equation is constructed in the MEGA code. The velocity distribution of lost fast ions detected by the numerical FILD during AE burst is in good qualitative agreement with the experimental FILD measurements. During the AE burst, fast ions with high energy (100–180 keV) are detected by the numerical FILD, while co-going fast ions lost to the divertor region are the particles with energy lower than 50 keV

Comprehensive magnetohydrodynamic hybrid simulations of fast ion driven instabilities in a Large Helical Device experiment

Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) destabilized by the neutral beam injection (NBI) in a Large Helical Device experiment are investigated using multi-phase magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) hybrid simulation, which is a combination of classical and MHD hybrid simulations for fast ions. The fast ion distribution is simulated with NBI, collisions, and losses in the equilibrium magnetic field in the classical simulation, while the MHD hybrid simulation takes account of the interaction between fast ions and an MHD fluid, in addition to the classical dynamics. It is found in the multi-phase hybrid simulation that the stored fast ion energy is saturated due to the interaction with AEs at a lower level than that of the classical simulation. Two groups of AEs with frequencies close to those observed in the experiment are destabilized alternately at each hybrid simulation. Firstly destabilized are two toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes whose frequency is close to the local minimum of the upper Alfvén continuous spectrum. Secondly destabilized is a global Alfvén eigenmode whose frequency is located well inside the Alfvén continuous spectrum gap. In addition, two AEs whose frequencies are close to that of the ellipticity-induced Alfvén eigenmode are observed with a lower amplitude. When the hybrid simulation is run continuously, the interchange mode grows more slowly than the AEs, but becomes dominant in the long time scale. The interchange mode oscillates with a constant amplitude and a frequency of ∼1 kHz. The interchange mode reduces the stored fast ion energy to a lower level than that of the AEs

MHD stability of JT-60SA operation scenarios driven by passing energetic particles for a hot Maxwellian model

We analyze the effects of the passing energetic particles on the resistive ballooning modes (RBM) and the energetic particle driven modes in JT-60SA plasma, which leads to the prediction of the stability in N-NBI heated plasma. The analysis is performed using the code FAR3d that solves the reduced MHD equations describing the linear evolution of the poloidal flux and the toroidal component of the vorticity in a full 3D system, coupled with equations of density and parallel velocity moments for the energetic particle (EP) species assuming an averaged Maxwellian EP distribution fitted to the slowing down distribution, including the effect of the acoustic modes. The simulations show the possible destabilization of a $3/2-4/2$ TAE with a frequency (f) of 115 kHz, a $6/4-7/4$ TAE with f = 98 kHz and a 6/4 or 7/4 BAE with f = 57 kHz in the ITER-like inductive scenario. If the energetic particle β increases, beta induced Alfven Eigenmodes (BAE), toroidal AEs (TAE) and elliptical AEs (EAE) are destabilized between the inner-middle plasma region, leading to the overlapping of AE of different toroidal families. If these instabilities coexist in the non-linear saturation phase the EP transport could be enhanced leading to a lower heating efficiency. For a hypothetical configuration based on the ITER-like inductive scenario but an center peaked EP profile, the EP β threshold increases and several BAEs are destabilized in the inner plasma region, indicating an improved AE stability with respect to the off-axis peaked EP profile. In addition, the analysis of a hypothetical JT-60SA scenario with a resonant q = 1 in the inner plasma region shows the destabilization of fishbones-like instabilities by the off-axis peaked EP profile. Also, the EPs have a stabilizing effect on the RBM, stronger as the population of EP with low energies (below 250 keV) increases at the plasma pedestal