Double Transport Barrier Experiments on Alcator C-Mod

Double Transport Barrier Experiments on Alcator C-Mod
Author: Stephen J. Wukitch
Publisher:
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2002
Genre:
ISBN:

Double transport barrier modes (simultaneous core and edge transport barrier) have been observed with off-axis ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I.H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511(1994)]. An internal transport barrier (ITB) is routinely produced in enhanced D[alpha] H-mode (EDA) discharges where the minority ion cyclotron resonance layer is at r/a (0.5) during the current flat top phase of the discharge. The density profile becomes peaked without the presence of a particle source in the plasma core and continues to peak until the increased core impurity radiation arrests the improved energy confinement, ultimately leading to a barrier collapse. With the addition of moderate (0.6 MW) central ICRF heating, the double barrier mode was maintained for as long as the ICRF power was applied and modeling shows that the internal thermal barrier was maintained throughout the discharge. The presence of sawteeth throughout most of the ITB discharge allows sawtooth induced heat pulse analysis to be performed. This analysis indicates that there is an abrupt radial discontinuity in the heat pulse time to peak profile when an ITB is present. Furthermore, this discontinuity appears to move into the core plasma from the edge region in about 0.2 sec, several confinement times. The deduced thermal diffusivity, Xhp indicates a barrier exists in the electron thermal transport, the barrier is limited to a narrow radial region, and the transport is unaffected outside this narrow radial extent.

Confinement and Transport Research in Alcator C-Mod

Confinement and Transport Research in Alcator C-Mod
Author: Martin Greenwald
Publisher:
Total Pages: 174
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:

(cont.) This link unified L-mode and H-mode and established a strong connection between local and global transport. Further work on the role of critical gradient lengths and marginal stability lent quantitative support to the ITG theories for ion transport and have helped elucidate nonlinear saturation mechanisms for the turbulence. Local transport studies demonstrated connections between transport channels, with energy, particle and momentum transport varying across regimes in similar ways. Experiments carried out in collaboration with the DIII-D, ASDEX-U and JET groups confirmed the dimensionless scaling approach over the widest available range in machine sizes. These studies suggest that plasma physics is the dominant influence on transport in the core and pedestal for standard L- and H-mode discharges. Dimensionless scaling experiments have shown a strong improvement in confinement with the normalized gyro-size (1/p*). Confinement was found to be Bohm-like in L-mode and gyro-Bohm-like in H-mode. These experiments also showed a strong degradation in confinement with collisionality. Other articles in this issue discuss impurity transport, momentum transport, H-mode pedestal and threshold physics and internal transport barrier regimes.

Fusion Physics

Fusion Physics
Author: MITSURU KIKUCHI
Publisher: International Atomic Energy
Total Pages: 1158
Release: 2002-01-01
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN:

Humans do not live by bread alone. Physically we are puny creatures with limited prowess, but with unlimited dreams. We see a mountain and want to move it to carve out a path for ourselves. We see a river and want to tame it so that it irrigates our fields. We see a star and want to fly to its planets to secure a future for our progeny. For all this, we need a genie who will do our bidding at a flip of our fingers. Energy is such a genie. Modern humans need energy and lots of it to live a life of comfort. In fact, the quality of life in different regions of the world can be directly correlated with the per capita use of energy [1.1–1.5]. In this regard, the human development index (HDI) of various countries based on various reports by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) [1.6] (Fig. 1.1), which is a parameter measuring the quality of life in a given part of the world, is directly determined by the amount of per capita electricity consumption. Most of the developing world (~5 billion people) is crawling up the UN curve of HDI versus per capita electricity consumption, from abysmally low values of today towards the average of the whole world and eventually towards the average of the developed world. This translates into a massive energy hunger for the globe as a whole. It has been estimated that by the year 2050, the global electricity demand will go up by a factor of up to 3 in a high growth scenario [1.7–1.9]. The requirements beyond 2050 go up even higher.

Edge Plasma Phenomena in the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak Measured by High Resolution X-ray Imaging Diagnostics

Edge Plasma Phenomena in the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak Measured by High Resolution X-ray Imaging Diagnostics
Author: Thomas Sunn Pedersen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2000
Genre:
ISBN:

(cont.) A second array views the top of the plasma. The x-ray emissivity measured with this array also shows a distinct and narrow pedestal in H-mode. However, it is located significantly closer to the separatrix and is often narrower. Both of these differences increase with the safety factor at the edge, q95. Thus, there is a significant poloidal asymmetry in the impurity density in the H-mode edge region, which increases with q95. Therefore, the impurity transport in the H-mode edge is highly two-dimensional. The strong poloidal asymmetries measured show some quantitative agreement with theories developed to explain poloidal impurity asymmetries. However, none of the theories are strictly applicable to the Alcator C-Mod edge, and they all significantly underestimate the actual asymmetries that we observe.