Mixing of multiple hydrogen plasma beams in a strong magnetic field by E x B drift-induced rotation

Mixing of up to three similar to 1 cm diameter plasma beams of pure hydrogen as well as mixtures of hydrogen and argon in magnetic fields of <1.6 T are studied. An external ring electrode is used to create a radial electric field that induces E x B rotation of the individual beams around a common axis. Rotation profiles with maximum speeds up to 10 km s(-1) are measured from the hydrogen atomic line shapes and confirm rotation around the ring axis. Mixing to a total beam diameter of similar to 2.5-3 cm is observed in density profiles measured with Thomson scattering near a target at 0.5 m downstream. Currents of up to 60 A were received by the ring, involving an addition power input of up to 5.4 kW to the plasma

Power exhaust in the snowflake divertor for L- and H-mode TCV tokamak plasmas

The snowflake (SF) divertor is a plasma configuration that may enable tokamak operation at high performance and lower peak heat loads on the plasma-facing components than a standard single-null divertor. This paper reports on the results of experiments performed on the TCV tokamak in both the low- and high-confinement regimes, wherein the divertor configuration was continuously varied between a standard single-null and a 'SF-plus', which features auxiliary strike points (SPs) in the private flux region of the primary separatrix. The measured edge properties show that, in L-mode, the fraction of the exhaust power reaching the additional SPs is small. During edge-localized modes, up to similar to 20% of the exhausted energy is redistributed to the additional SPs even at an x-point separation of 0.6 times the plasma minor radius, thereby reducing the peak heat flux to the inner primary SP by a factor of 2-3. The observed behaviour is qualitatively consistent with a proposed model for enhanced cross-field transport through the SF's relatively large region of low poloidal field by instability-driven convection

Development of a real-time algorithm for detection of the divertor detachment radiation front using multi-spectral imaging

In this paper we present a novel algorithm to extract the optical plasma boundary and radiation front for detached divertor plasmas. We show that reliable detection of the divertor leg and radiation front is possible using lightweight image processing tools. Using a non-tomographic approach, the detected divertor leg and radiation front can be mapped to the poloidal plane. This approach is fast and accurate enough for real-time control purposes, allowing in particular real-time plasma shape and detachment control, and post-shot detachment physics and dynamics analysis

Power distribution in the snowflake divertor in TCV

TCV experiments demonstrate the basic power exhaust properties of the snowflake (SF) plus and SF minus divertor configurations by measuring the heat fluxes at each of their four divertor legs. The measurements indicate an enhanced transport into the private flux region and a reduction of peak heat fluxes compared to a similar single null configuration. There are indications that this enhanced transport cannot be explained by the modified field line geometry alone and likely requires an additional or enhanced cross-field transport channel. The measurements, however, do not show a broadening of the scrape-off layer (SOL) and, hence, no increased cross-field transport in the common flux region. The observations are consistent with the spatial limitation of several characteristic SF properties, such as a low poloidal magnetic field in the divertor region and a long connection length to the inner part of the SOL closest to the separatrix. Although this limitation is typical in a medium sized tokamak like TCV, it does not apply to significantly larger devices where the SF properties are enhanced across the entire expected extent of the SOL

Materials research under ITER-like divertor conditions at FOM Rijnhuizen

At FOM Rijnhuizen, linear plasma generators are used to investigate plasma-material interactions under high-density

The science program of the TCV tokamak: Exploring fusion reactor and power plant concepts

TCV is acquiring a new 1 MW neutral beam and 2 MW additional third-harmonic electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) to expand its operational range. Its existing shaping and ECRH launching versatility was amply exploited in an eclectic 2013 campaign. A new sub-ms real-time equilibrium reconstruction code was used in ECRH control of NTMs and in a prototype shape controller. The detection of visible light from the plasma boundary was also successfully used in a position-control algorithm. A new bang-bang controller improved stability against vertical displacements. The RAPTOR real-time transport simulator was employed to control the current density profile using electron cyclotron current drive. Shot-by-shot internal inductance optimization was demonstrated by iterative learning control of the current reference trace. Systematic studies of suprathermal electrons and ions in the presence of ECRH were performed. The L-H threshold power was measured to be ∼50-75% higher in both H and He than D, to increase with the length of the outer separatrix, and to be independent of the current ramp rate. Core turbulence was found to decrease from positive to negative edge triangularity deep into the core. The geodesic acoustic mode was studied with multiple diagnostics, and its axisymmetry was confirmed by a full toroidal mapping of its magnetic component. A new theory predicting a toroidal rotation component at the plasma edge, driven by inhomogeneous transport and geodesic curvature, was tested successfully. A new high-confinement mode (IN-mode) was found with an edge barrier in density but not in temperature. The edge gradients were found to govern the scaling of confinement with current, power, density and triangularity. The dynamical interplay of confinement and magnetohydrodynamic modes leading to the density limit in TCV was documented. The heat flux profile decay lengths and heat load profile on the wall were documented in limited plasmas. In the snowflake (SF) divertor configuration the heat flux profiles were documented on all four strike points. SF simulations with the EMC3-EIRENE code, including the physics of the secondary separatrix, underestimate the flux to the secondary strike points, possibly resulting from steady-state E × B drifts. With neon injection, radiation in a SF was 15% higher than in a conventional divertor. The novel triple-null and X-divertor configurations were also achieved in TCV