Study of the conditions for spontaneous H-mode transitions in DIII-D

A series of scaling studies attempting to correlate the H(high)-mode power threshold (P{sub TH}) with global parameters have been conducted. Data from these discharges is also being used to look for dependence of P{sub TH} on local edge parameters and to test theories of the transition. Boronization and better operational techniques have resulted in lower power thresholds and weaker density scaling. Neon impurity injection experiments show that radiation also plays a role in determining P{sub TH}. A low density threshold for the L(low)-H(high) transition has been linked with the locked mode low density limit, and can be reduced with the use of an error field correcting coil. Highly developed edge diagnostics, with spatial resolution as low as 5 mm, are used to evaluate how the power threshold depends on local edge conditions. Preliminary analysis of local edge conditions for parameter scans of n{sub e}, B{sub T}, and I{sub p} in single-null discharges, and the X-point imbalance in double-null discharges-show that, just before the transition to H-mode, the edge temperatures near the separatrix are approximately constant at 100 < T{sub i} < 220 eV and 35 < T{sub e} < 130 eV, even though the threshold power varied from 1.5 to 14 MW. During a density scan, the edge ion collisionality, v{sub *i}, varied from 2 to 17, demonstrating that a transition condition as simple as v{sub *i} = constant is inconsistent with the data. The local edge parameters of n{sub e}, T{sub e}, and T{sub i} do not always follow the same global scaling as P{sub TH}. Therefore, theories of the L-H transition need not be constrained by these scalings

A model for microinstability destabilization and enhanced transport in the presence of shielded 3-D magnetic perturbations

A mechanism is presented that suggests shielded 3-D magnetic perturbations can destabilize microinstabilities and enhance the associated anomalous transport. Using local 3-D equilibrium theory, shaped tokamak equilibria with small 3-D deformations are constructed. In the vicinity of rational magnetic surfaces, the infinite-n ideal MHD ballooning stability boundary is strongly perturbed by the 3-D modulations of the local magnetic shear associated with the presence of nearresonant Pfirsch-Schluter currents. These currents are driven by 3-D components of the magnetic field spectrum even when there is no resonant radial component. The infinite-n ideal ballooning stability boundary is often used as a proxy for the onset of virulent kinetic ballooning modes (KBM) and associated stiff transport. These results suggest that the achievable pressure gradient may be lowered in the vicinity of low order rational surfaces when 3-D magnetic perturbations are applied. This mechanism may provide an explanation for the observed reduction in the peak pressure gradient at the top of the edge pedestal during experiments where edge localized modes have been completely suppressed by applied 3-D magnetic fields

Modeling electron temperature profiles in the pedestal with simple formulas for ETG transport

This paper reports on the refinement (building on Ref.~\cite{hatch_22}) and application of simple formulas for electron heat transport from electron temperature gradient (ETG) driven turbulence in the pedestal. The formulas are improved by (1) improving the parameterization for certain key parameters and (2) carefully accounting for the impact of geometry and shaping in the underlying gyrokinetic simulation database. Comparisons with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of ETG transport in the MAST pedestal demonstrate the model's applicability to spherical tokamaks in addition to standard aspect ratio tokamaks. We identify bounds for model applicability: the model is accurate in the steep gradient region, where the ETG turbulence is largely slab-like, but accuracy decreases as the temperature gradient becomes weaker in the pedestal top and the instabilities become increasingly toroidal in nature. We use the formula to model the electron temperature profile in the pedestal for four experimental scenarios while extensively varying input parameters to represent uncertainties. In all cases, the predicted electron temperature pedestal exhibits extreme sensitivity to separatrix temperature and density, which has implications for core-edge integration. The model reproduces the electron temperature profile for high $\eta_e = L_{ne}/L_{Te}$ scenarios but not for low $\eta_e$ scenarios in which microtearing modes have been identified. We develop a proof-of-concept model for MTM transport and explore the relative roles of ETG and MTM in setting the electron temperature profile. We propose that pedestal scenarios predicted for future devices should be tested for compatibility with ETG transport

Gyrokinetic analysis and simulation of pedestals, to identify the culprits for energy losses using fingerprints

Fusion performance in tokamaks hinges critically on the efficacy of the Edge Transport Barrier (ETB) at suppressing energy losses. The new concept of fingerprints is introduced to identify the instabilities that cause the transport losses in the ETB of many of today's experiments, from widely posited candidates. Analysis of the Gyrokinetic-Maxwell equations, and gyrokinetic simulations of experiments, find that each mode type produces characteristic ratios of transport in the various channels: density, heat and impurities. This, together with experimental observations of transport in some channel, or, of the relative size of the driving sources of channels, can identify or determine the dominant modes causing energy transport. In multiple ELMy H-mode cases that are examined, these fingerprints indicate that MHD-like modes are apparently not the dominant agent of energy transport; rather, this role is played by Micro-Tearing Modes (MTM) and Electron Temperature Gradient (ETG) modes, and in addition, possibly Ion Temperature Gradient (ITG)/Trapped Electron Modes (ITG/TEM) on JET. MHD-like modes may dominate the electron particle losses. Fluctuation frequency can also be an important means of identification, and is often closely related to the transport fingerprint. The analytical arguments unify and explain previously disparate experimental observations on multiple devices, including DIII-D, JET and ASDEX-U, and detailed simulations of two DIII-D ETBs also demonstrate and corroborate this

Study of H-Mode Threshold Conditions in DIII-D

Studies have been conducted in DIII-D to determine the dependence of the power threshold P{sub lh} for the transition to the H-mode regime and the threshold P{sub hl} for the transition from H-mode to L-mode as functions of external parameters. There is a value of the line-averaged density n{sub e} at which P{sub lh} has a minimum and P{sub lh} tends to increase for lower and higher values of n{sub e}. Experiments conducted to separate the effect of the neutral density n{sub 0} from the plasma density n{sub e} give evidence of a strong coupling between n{sub 0} and n{sub e}. The separate effect of neutrals on the transition has not been determined. Coordinated experiments with JET made in the ITER shape show that P{sub lh} increases approximately as S{sup 0.5} where S is the plasma surface area. For these discharges, the power threshold in DIII-D was high by normal standards, thus suggesting that effects other than plasma size may have affected the experiment. Studies of H-L transitions have been initiated and hysteresis of order 40% has been observed. Studies have also been done of the dependence of the L-H transition on local edge parameters. Characterization of the edge within a few ms prior to the transition shows that the range of edge temperatures at which the transition has been observed is more restrictive than the range of densities at which it occurs. These results suggest that some temperature function is important for controlling the transition

Comparison of Sawtooth Phenomenology on TFTR and DIII-D

An experiment to study sawtooth phenomena and to find the threshold for sawtooth stabilization with neutral beam injection heating, as was commonly observed on TFTR, has been done on DIII-D. In the experiments, with co-tangential neutral beam injection at powers of up to 13MW, the sawtooth period was observed to increase to of order 250 msec. Stabilization of the sawteeth for the length of the high power NBI (0.5-0.8 sec) was not observed. The sawtooth characteristics were studied with fast electron temperature (ECE) and soft x-ray diagnostics. Fast, 2 msec interval, measurements were made of the ion temperature evolution following the sawtooth to document the ion heat pulse characteristics. These data show that the ion heat pulse does not exhibit the very fast, ''ballistic'' behavior seen for the electrons. The current profile and other equilibrium profiles were measured on slower time scales. These results are compared to the data from similar studies carried out on TFTR