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The possibility of the anomalous electromagnetic emission in the ECRH experiments at both half the gyrotron frequency and the 3/2 harmonic of it associated with excitation of low-threshold two-upper hybrid-plasmon parametric decay instability is predicted. The experimental conditions when this emission can be detected are analyzed. A measurable level of the corresponding radiance temperature is demonstrated. The general consideration is accompanied by the numerical analysis performed under the experimental conditions typical of the off-axis X2-mode ECRH experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of strong anomalous absorption (up to three-quarters of the pump power) of microwaves in electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) experiments in toroidal devices is predicted. It originates from the low-power-threshold two-plasmon parametric decay instability, for which the only effective saturation mechanism is provided by the pump wave depletion. This makes the power deposition profile different from that predicted by the linear theory and provides an alternative interpretation for its evident broadening observed on ECRH in toroidal devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two versions of the X-mode Doppler reflectometry (DR) synthetic diagnostics are developed within the framework of the ELMFIRE global gyrokinetic modeling of the FT-2 tokamak ohmic discharge. In the ‘fast’ version the DR signal is computed in the linear theory approximation using the reciprocity theorem, utilizing the probing wave field pattern provided by computation and taking into account the 2D plasma inhomogeneity effects; whereas the alternative ‘slow’ version DR synthetic diagnostic is based on the full-wave code IPF-FD3D describing the probing and scattered wave propagation in turbulent plasma. The DR signal frequency spectra and the dependence of their frequency shift, width and shape on the probing antenna position are computed and shown to be similar to those measured in the high-field side probing DR experiment at the FT-2 tokamak. The geodesic acoustic mode characteristics provided by the measurements and by the synthetic DR are close within a 12% accuracy. However, a substantial difference was found in the decay of the DR signal cross-correlation functions with growing frequency shift in the probing wave channels. The quick decrease in the radial correlation DR coherence observed in the experiment and full-wave synthetic diagnostic, compared to the fast synthetic DR, is attributed to the nonlinear effect of the probing wave phase modulation by the turbulence in the former two cases. The variation in the DR signal at a growing incidence angle in the experiment is also shown to be slower than predicted by both of the synthetic diagnostics, presumably due to underestimation of the probing wave phase modulation and consequent nonlinear saturation of the DR signal at lower incidence angles in modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay of flows and turbulence in Ohmic FT-2 tokamak plasmas is analysed via gyrokinetic simulations with the flux-driven ELMFIRE code. The simulation predictions agree qualitatively with analytical estimates for the scaling of the neoclassical radial electric field as a function of collisionality for ad hoc parameters. For the experimental parameters, the global full-f modeling agrees well with the analytical estimates in a neoclassical setting, while including kinetic electrons and impurities has a small impact. Allowing turbulence to develop modifies the flow profile through relaxation of profiles caused by turbulent transport, non-adiabatic response of passing electrons around rational surfaces, and turbulent flow drive. Geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) is the main zonal flow component in the simulations, and its frequency and amplitude agree with theoretical predictions and experimental measurements. In the simulations, the non-linear energy transfer from the turbulence to the flows through the Reynolds force is balanced by the collisional flow dissipation. Temporal relationship between the oscillating flow, Reynolds force, and turbulent particle flux is consistent with the fundamental physics picture of GAM modulating turbulent transport on the time scale of the mode. Experimental evidence also suggests anti-correlation of GAM amplitude and turbulent fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the experiments on tangential fuel pellet injection in the TUMAN-3M tokamak an initiation of LH-transition or, in several scenarios—temporal (1–2 ms) confinement improvement with the following backwards transition was observed. To understand the possibility of the transitions, a model calculating the evolution of density and ion temperature profiles under the effect of source profile perturbation and plasma cooling created by pellet evaporation was developed. In the model, a diffusion coefficient depending on radial electric field shear value was used. Turbulence parameters are defined using a gyrokinetic simulation of the experiments with ELMFIRE code. Modeling results are in good agreement with experiments. Using the data obtained from the modeling, non-linear particle flux dependency on density gradient was analyzed; the existence of two stabile solutions for two confinement modes dependent on particle flux value was proved, in agreement with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear stage of the low-threshold decay of a beam of the extraordinary waves which occurs in the vicinity of a local maximum of the hollow density profile and leads to the excitation of localized electron Bernstein (EB) wave and heavily damped ion Bernstein wave is analyzed. The transition of primary parametric decay instability to the saturation regime due to the presumably most important nonlinear mechanisms such as the pump wave depletion and the secondary decay of primary EB wave are considered in the case of a shallow potential well, in which only the fundamental-mode EB wave can be trapped. In this case characterized by the highest instability saturation level the problem is analyzed both analytically and numerically. The anomalous absorption of the pump power is estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First experiments on non-inductive current drive (CD) in the spherical tokamak using lower hybrid (LH) waves at 2.45 GHz are described. The basic characteristics of the new experimental approach utilizing poloidal LH wave slowing-down scheme obtained by modeling are presented at the beginning of the paper. The experimental results for a poloidal slowing-down scheme are described. The CD efficiency comparable or even higher than theoretically predicted is demonstrated in the experiment using a 10 waveguide grill with 120° phase shift between neighboring waveguides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the fusion related activities of the Plasma Physics Division at the Ioffe Institute. The first experiments on lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) in a spherical tokamak performed at the Globus-M tokamak (R = 0.36 m, a = 0.24 m, Bt = 0.4 T, Ip = 200 kA) with a novel poloidally oriented grill resulted in an RF driven current of up to 30 kA at (100 kW, 2.5 GHz), exceeding the modelling predictions. At the FT-2 tokamak (R = 0.56 m, a = 0.08 m, Bt = 3 T, Ip = 30 kA) experiments with a traditional toroidally oriented grill revealed no strong dependence of the LHCD density limit on the H/D ratio in spite of LH resonance densities differing by a factor of 3. Microwave Doppler reflectometry (DR) at the Globus-M, and DR and heavy ion beam probe measurements at the tokamak TUMAN-3M (R = 0.53 m, a = 0.24 m, Bt = 1.0 T, Ip = 190 kA) demonstrated geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) suppression at the L to H transition. Observations at FT-2 using Doppler Enhanced Scattering showed that the GAM amplitude is anti-correlated both spatially and temporally to the drift turbulence level and electron thermal diffusivity. For the first time turbulence amplitude modulation at the GAM frequency was found both experimentally and in global gyrokinetic modelling. A model of the L–H transition is proposed based on this effect. The loss mechanisms of energetic ions' (EI) were investigated in the neutral beam injection (NBI) experiments on Globus-M and TUMAN-3M. Empirical scaling of the 2.45 MeV DD neutron rate for the two devices shows a strong dependence on toroidal field and plasma current justifying the Bt and Ip increase by a factor of 2.5 for the proposed upgrade of Globus-M. Bursts of ∼1 MHz Alfvenic type oscillations correlating with sawtooth crashes were observed in ohmic TUMAN-3M discharges. The possibility of low threshold parametric excitation of Bernstein and upper hybrid waves trapped in drift-wave eddies resulting in anomalous absorption in electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) experiments in toroidal plasmas was identified theoretically. A novel method of radial correlation Doppler reflectometry is shown to be capable of measuring the turbulence wave-number spectrum in realistic 2D geometry. On the progress in design and fabrication of three diagnostics for ITER developed in the Ioffe institute is reported: neutral particle analysis, divertor Thomson scattering and gamma spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first experiments on noninductive current drive (CD) using lower hybrid waves in a spherical tokamak are described. Waves at 2.45 GHz were launched by a 10 waveguide grill with 120° phase shift between neighbouring waveguides. The experimental results for a novel poloidal slowing-down scheme are described. The CD efficiency is found to be somewhat larger than that predicted theoretically whilst at the same time being somewhat less than that for standard tokamak lower hybrid CD. Geodesic acoustic modes (GAM) have been discovered in Globus-M. GAMs are localized 2–3 cm inside the separatrix. The GAM frequency agrees with theory. The mode structures of plasma density and magnetic field oscillation at the GAM frequency have been studied. Fast particle confinement during neutral beam injection has been investigated and numerically simulated. Alfvén instabilities excited by fast particles were detected by a toroidal Mirnov probe array. Their excitation conditions are discussed and the dynamics of fast ion losses induced by Alfvén eigenmodes is presented. Preliminary experiments on the isotopic effect influence on global confinement in the ohmic heating (OH) regime are described. Scrape-off layer (SOL) parameters were measured and compared with results from self-consistent integrated transport modelling. Results showed that SOL width scales inversely proportional to plasma current. The behaviour of an a priori damaged tungsten divertor plate mock-up exposed to plasma flows was investigated. Preliminary conclusions are that the initial damage gives rise to a loose layer formation with low thermal conductivity right beneath the surface. Finally, engineering design issues of the next step—Globus-M2 (1 T, 500 kA) and the status of component manufacture are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current drive by lower hybrid waves (LHCD) is the most effective method to sustain the plasma current, but it is feasible only at the plasma density not exceeding some density limit nDL. In the present work the main attention is paid to the investigation of this effect on the FT-2 (R = 0.55 m, a = 0.08 m, BT ⩽ 3 T, Ipl = 19–40 kA, f0 = 920 MHz) tokamak. The dependence of LHCD efficiency on isotopic plasma content (hydrogen/deuterium) is studied. Characteristic features of such an experiment are a strong influence of the isotope plasma composition on the LH resonance density nLH. For hydrogen plasma nLH ≈ 3.5 × 1019 m−3, while for deuterium plasma nLH ≈ 2 × 1020 m−3. The suppression of the LHCD and beginning of the interaction of LH waves with ions are determined by the hydrogen/deuterium plasma density rise. In the hot hydrogen plasma (Te(r = 0 cm) ≈ 700 eV) the density limit nDL of LHCD is approximately equal to the resonance value nLH ≈ nLC, where nLC is the point of linear conversion. In the hot deuterium plasma one could expect an increase of nDL because of a much higher value of nLH ⩾ nLC ≈ 1020 m−3. However it appeared that the observed density limit for LHCD generation nDL ≈ (3.5–4) × 1019 m−3 is not determined by nLH. The role of parametric instabilities in CD switch-off is considered in both cases. The cooling of the plasma column and density rise could lead to a reduction of the threshold for the parametric decay of f0 and result in early suppression of LHCD. In both cases the LHCD was inversely proportional to the density, which corresponds to the theoretical predictions. In order to analyse the experimentally observed LHCD efficiency the GRILL3D and FRTC codes have been used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two analytical models for the ordinary mode propagating through a turbulent inhomogeneous edge plasma layer are developed based on the eikonal perturbation method and weak turbulence theory approach. Simple analytical expression for a diffusion-like angular beam width variation is obtained by both methods in the case of long scale density perturbations. The predictions for the spatial beam width are benchmarked against timeaveraged results coming from the 2D Maxwell's equations solver for different turbulence k-spectra and plasma conditions. The strong (more than twofold) increase of the microwave beam angular and spatial width after crossing the turbulent edge is predicted at realistic parameters for ECRH experiments at ITER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]