27 research outputs found
Experimental study on the role of the target electron temperature as a key parameter linking recycling to plasma performance in JET-ILW*
No full textChanges in global and edge plasma parameters (H (98(y,2)), dimensionless collisionality nu *, core density peaking, separatrix density n (e,sep)) with variations in the D-2 fueling rate and divertor configuration are unified into a single trend when mapped to ⟨T (e,ot)⟩, the spatially averaged spectroscopically derived outer target electron temperature. Dedicated JET with the ITER-like wall (JET-ILW) experiments in combination with an extended JET-ILW database of unseeded low-triangularity H-mode plasmas spanning a wide range of D-2 fueling rates, I (p), B (t) and heating power have demonstrated the importance of ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ as a key physics parameter linking the recycling particle source and detachment with plasma performance. The remarkably robust H (98(y,2)) trend with ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ is connected to a strong inverse correlation between ⟨T (e,ot)⟩, n (e,sep) and nu *, thus directly linking changes in the divertor recycling moderated by ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ with the previously established relationship between nu *, core density peaking and core pressure resulting in a degradation in core plasma performance with decreasing ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ (increasing nu *). A strong inverse correlation between the separatrix to pedestal density ratio, n (e,sep)/n (e,ped), and ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ is also established, with the rise in n (e,sep)/n (e,ped) saturating at ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ > 10 eV. A strong reduction in H (98(y,2)) is observed as ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ is driven from 30 to 10 eV via additional D-2 gas fueling, while the divertor remains attached. Consequently, the pronounced performance degradation in attached divertor conditions has implications for impurity seeding radiative divertor scenarios, in which H (98(y,2)) is already low (similar to 0.7) before impurities are injected into the plasma since moderate gas fueling rates are required to promote high divertor neutral pressure. A favorable pedestal pressure, p (e,ped), dependence on I (p) has also been observed, with an overall increase in p (e,ped) at I (p) = 3.4 MA as ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ is driven down from attached to high-recycling divertor conditions. In contrast, p (e,ped) is reduced with decreasing ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ in the lower I (p) branches. Further work is needed to (i) clarify the potential role of edge opacity on the observed favorable pedestal pressure I (p) scaling; as well as to (ii) project the global and edge plasma performance trends with ⟨T (e,ot)⟩ to reactor-scale devices to improve predictive capability of the coupling between recycling and confined plasma fueling in what are foreseen to be more opaque edge plasma conditions
Fast-ion orbit sensitivity of neutron and gamma-ray diagnostics for one-step fusion reactions
No full textFast ions in the MeV-range can be diagnosed by neutron emission spectroscopy (NES) and gamma-ray spectroscopy (GRS). In this work, we present orbit weight functions for one-step fusion reactions, using NES and GRS diagnostics on perpendicular and oblique lines-of-sight (LOS) at Joint European Torus (JET) as examples. The orbit weight functions allow us to express the sensitivities of the diagnostics in terms of fast-ion (FI) orbits and can be used to swiftly reproduce synthetic signals that have been computed by established codes. For diagnostically relevant neutron energies for the D(D, n)He-3 reaction, the orbit sensitivities of the NES diagnostics follow a predictable pattern. As the neutron energy of interest increases, the pattern shifts upwards in FI energy. For the GRS diagnostic and the T(p,gamma)He-4 reaction, the orbit sensitivity is shown to be qualitatively different for red-shifted, blue-shifted and nominal gamma birth energies. Finally, we demonstrate how orbit weight functions can be used to decompose diagnostic signals into the contributions from different orbit types. For a TRANSP simulation of the JET discharge (a three-ion ICRF scenario) considered in this work, the NES signals for both the perpendicular and oblique LOS are shown to originate mostly from co-passing orbits. In addition, a significant fraction of the NES signal for the oblique LOS is shown to originate from stagnation orbits
Recent progress in L-H transition studies at JET: Tritium, Helium, Hydrogen and Deuterium
No full textWe present an overview of results from a series of L-II transition experiments undertaken at JET since the installation of the ITER-like-wall (JET-ILW), with beryllium wall tiles and a tungsten divertor. Tritium, helium and deuterium plasmas have been investigated. Initial results in tritium show ohmic L-H transitions at low density and the power threshold for the L-H transition (P-LH) is lower in tritium plasmas than in deuterium ones at low densities, while we still lack contrasted data to provide a scaling at high densities. In helium plasmas there is a notable shift of the density at which the power threshold is minimum ((n) over bar (e,min)) to higher values relative to deuterium and hydrogen references. Above (n) over bar (e,min) (He) the L-H power threshold at high densities is similar for D and He plasmas. Transport modelling in slab geometry shows that in helium neoclassical transport competes with interchange-driven transport, unlike in hydrogen isotopes. Measurements of the radial electric field in deuterium plasmas show that E-r shear is not a good indicator of proximity to the L-H transition. Transport analysis of ion heat flux in deuterium plasmas show a non-linearity as density is decreased below (n) over bar (e,min). Lastly, a regression of the JET-ILW deuterium data is compared to the 2008 ITPA scaling law
Testing a prediction model for the H-mode density pedestal against JET-ILW pedestals
No full textThe neutral ionisation model proposed by Groebner et al (2002 Phys. Plasmas 9 2134) to determine the plasma density profile in the H-mode pedestal, is extended to include charge exchange processes in the pedestal stimulated by the ideas of Mahdavi et al (2003 Phys. Plasmas 10 3984). The model is then tested against JET H-mode pedestal data, both in a 'standalone' version using experimental temperature profiles and also by incorporating it in the Europed version of EPED. The model is able to predict the density pedestal over a wide range of conditions with good accuracy. It is also able to predict the experimentally observed isotope effect on the density pedestal that eludes simpler neutral ionization models
Shattered pellet injection experiments at JET in support of the ITER disruption mitigation system design
No full textA series of experiments have been executed at JET to assess the efficacy of the newly installed shattered pellet injection (SPI) system in mitigating the effects of disruptions. Issues, important for the ITER disruption mitigation system, such as thermal load mitigation, avoidance of runaway electron (RE) formation, radiation asymmetries during thermal quench mitigation, electromagnetic load control and RE energy dissipation have been addressed over a large parameter range. The efficiency of the mitigation has been examined for the various SPI injection strategies. The paper summarises the results from these JET SPI experiments and discusses their implications for the ITER disruption mitigation scheme
Robust impurity detection and tracking for tokamaks
No full textA robust impurity detection and tracking code, able to generate large sets of dust tracks from tokamak camera footage, is presented. This machine learning-based code is tested with cameras from the Joint European Torus, Doublet-III-D, and Magnum-PSI and is able to generate dust tracks with a 65-100% classification accuracy. Moreover, the number dust particles detected from a single camera shot can be up to the order of 1000. Several areas of improvement for the code are highlighted, such as generating more significant training data sets and accounting for selection biases. Although the code is tested with dust in single two-dimensional camera views, it could easily be applied to multiple-camera stereoscopic reconstruction or nondust impurities
Demonstration of Safe Termination of Megaampere Relativistic Electron Beams in Tokamaks
No full textFor the first time it is experimentally demonstrated on the JET tokamak that a combination of a low impurity concentration bulk plasma and large magnetohydrodynamic instabilities is able to suppress relativistic electron beams without measurable heat loads onto the plasma facing components. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the instability and modeling of the postinstability plasma confirm the prompt loss of runaways and the absence of regeneration during the final current collapse. These surprising findings motivate a new approach to dissipate runaway electrons generated during tokamak plasma disruptions
Spectroscopic camera analysis of the roles of molecularly assisted reaction chains during detachment in JET L-mode plasmas
No full textThe roles of the molecularly assisted ionization (MAI), recombination (MAR) and dissociation (MAD) reaction chains with respect to the purely atomic ionization and recombination processes were studied experimentally during detachment in low-confinement mode (L-mode) plasmas in JET with the help of experimentally inferred divertor plasma and neutral conditions, extracted previously from filtered camera observations of deuterium Balmer emission, and the reaction coefficients provided by the ADAS, AMJUEL and H2VIBR atomic and molecular databases. The direct contribution of MAI and MAR in the outer divertor particle balance was found to be inferior to the electron-atom ionization (EAI) and electron-ion recombination (EIR). Near the outer strike point, a strong atom source due to the D+2-driven MAD was, however, observed to correlate with the onset of detachment at outer strike point temperatures of Te,osp = 0.9-2.0 eV via increased plasma-neutral interactions before the increasing dominance of EIR at Te,osp < 0.9 eV, followed by increasing degree of detachment. The analysis was supported by predictions from EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations which were in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations
