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Isotope effect allows fusion devices to perform better when heavier hydrogen isotopes are used as fuel, but the reason for this improvement is not yet understood. We present the first direct evidence of the isotope effect on particle confinement in the FT-2 tokamak and investigate it via gyrokinetic simulations. Experimental measurements for comparable hydrogen and deuterium discharges show that the particle confinement time increases by 40% for the heavier isotope species. The isotope effect on particle flux is reproduced in global and local gyrokinetic simulations. Global ELMFIRE simulations demonstrate a systemic reduction in particle fluxes across the radial range, showing a ratio of fluxes at the edge and at . Local GENE simulations agree qualitatively with the result. Besides the fluctuation level, smaller scales and a favorable shift in the cross-phase between the turbulent fluctuations are found to contribute to the isotope effect in the simulations.

Fine scale turbulence is considered nowadays as a possible candidate for the explanation of anomalous ion and electron energy transport in magnetized fusion plasmas. The unique correlative upper hybrid resonance backscattering (UHR BS) technique is applied at the FT-2 tokamak for investigation of density fluctuations excited in this turbulence. The measurements are carried out in Ohmic discharge at several values of plasma current and density and during current ramp up experiment. The moveable focusing antennas set have been used in experiments allowing probing out of equatorial plane. The radial wave number spectra of the small-scale component of tokamak turbulence are determined from the correlation data with high spatial resolution. Two small-scale modes possessing substantially different phase velocities are observed in plasma under conditions when the threshold for the electron temperature gradient mode excitation is overcome. The possibility of plasma poloidal velocity profile determination using the UHR BS signal is demonstrated.

Studies of processes in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of the tokamak show a direct influence of periphery effects on confinement parameters of the plasma core. This paper illustrates experimentally observed transport barrier formation initialized by the low hybrid (LH) heating of the hydrogen plasma. The experimental data near last close flax surface (LCFS) and in SOL were obtained by means of an enhanced movable multielectrode Langmuir probe and spatially resolved spectroscopic technique retooled with additional helium puffing. The edge diagnostics show a strong change of a radial electric field and plasma parameters near LCFS. The alteration at the plasma edge is generated by high LH ion heating. It was found that the L-H transition is accompanied by a noticeable reconstruction of the poloidal and radial plasma parameters profiles in the SOL and in the limiter shadow region.

The poloidal dependence of the drift-wave turbulence characteristics is investigated at the FT-2 tokamak by radial correlation Doppler reflectometry (RCDR) technique and using the full distribution function global gyrokinetic modelling by ELMFIRE code. The poloidal variation of the turbulence radial correlation length from 0.2–0.55 cm is demonstrated both by measurement and computation. The turbulence correlation length rapidly decreases from the top of the poloidal cross-section to the high field side and then steadily grows in the poloidal direction. A well-pronounced excess of the turbulence radial correlation length in deuterium over its value in hydrogen discharges is demonstrated.

Quantitative reproduction of selected micro-, meso- and macro-scale transport phenomena as measured in the FT-2 tokamak is reached by Elmfire global full-f nonlinear gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation predictions. A detailed agreement with mean equilibrium flows, oscillating fine-scale zonal flows and turbulence radial correlation length observed by a set of sophisticated microwave backscattering techniques, as well as a good fit of the thermal diffusivity data in the central and gradient region of discharge are demonstrated. Both the shift and the broadening of the power spectrum of synthetic and experimental Doppler reflectometry diagnostics have been found to overlap perfectly at various radial positions, indicating similar rotation and spreading of the selected density fluctuations. At the same time similar radial electric field dynamics, spatial structure and outward geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) propagation have been observed by comparisons of the probability distribution function, the dominant frequency, the coherence and the cross-phase of the simulated and experimentally measured radial electric field fluctuations, identifying the turbulent driven GAM as a key contributor to the observed strong temporal variation of the radial electric field affected by impurity ions.

The energy confinement degradation was found in the FT-1 Tokamak in ECRH experiments. The time evolution of Te profile during the ECRH pulse was measured by the laser scattering, and the local energy balance was analysed by a numerical code. The peripherical absorption of microwave power and the fast development of some additional energy loss mechanism due to the action of microwaves on the plasma are supposed to be the reasons for confinement degradation.

A comparative investigation of the isotope effect in multi-scale anomalous transport phenomena is performed both experimentally by highly localized turbulence diagnostics in comparable hydrogen and deuterium FT-2 tokamak discharges and theoretically with the help of global gyrokinetic modeling. Substantial excess of the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) amplitude, radial wavelength and correlation length in a wide spatial region of deuterium discharge resulting in stronger modulation of drift-wave turbulence level is demonstrated by both approaches. A larger turbulence radial correlation length is found at LFS in D-discharge in experiment and a stronger modulation of gyrokinetic particles and energy fluxes is shown there by the gyrokinetic code. The gyrokinetic modeling demonstrated comparable levels of drift wave density and electric field fluctuations in hydrogen and deuterium discharges. Nevertheless, the mean value of the ion energy and particle anomalous flux provided by modeling shows the systematic isotope effect at all radii.