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In the original version of this Article, in the fifth paragraph of the section titled “Qneo for W7-X discharge 20180918.045,” errors appeared in reference to the configurations shown in the curves of Fig. 3a and associated Fig. 3b−e panels. In the sentence originally reading “This comparison is provided in Fig. 3a for the configurations (Fig. 3b) W7-X standard, (Fig. 3c) W7-X high-mirror, (Fig. 3d) LHD R0 = 3.6 m, and (Fig. 3e) LHD R0 = 3.75 m....,” the references to Fig. 3b−e should instead have referred to the lettered curves “b,c,d,e” shown in the graph of Fig. 3a. The text has now been amended to read: “This comparison is provided in Fig. 3a for the configurations (b) W7-X standard, (c) W7-X high-mirror, (d) LHD R0 = 3.6 m, and (e) LHD R0 = 3.75 m….” Additionally, a member of the W7-X Team was incorrectly listed as “M. Sanchez”; their name has been corrected to “E. Sánchez.” The original Article has been corrected online.

In the previous divertor campaign, the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) device injected 3.6 MW of neutral beam heating power allowing for the achievement of densities approaching 2 × 1020 m−3, and providing the first initial assessment of fast ion confinement in a drift optimized stellarator. The neutral beam injection (NBI) system on W7-X is comprised of two beam boxes with space for four radio frequency sources each. The 3.6 MW of heating reported in this work was achieved with two sources in the NI21 beam box. The effect of combined electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and NBI was explored through a series of discharges varying both NBI and ECRH power. Discharges without ECRH saw a linear increase in the line-integrated plasma density, and strong peaking of the core density, over the discharge duration. The presence of 1 MW of ECRH power was found to be sufficient to control a continuous density rise during NBI operation. Simulations of fast ion wall loads were found to be consistent with experimental infrared camera images during operation. In general, NBI discharges were free from the presence of fast ion induced Alfvénic activity, consistent with low beam betas. These experiments provide data for future scenario development and initial assessment of fast-ion confinement in W7-X, a key topic of the project.

During its second operational campaign (OP 1.2a) W7-X operated with an edge island divertor. Much higher densities (1020m−3) than in to the previous, limiter campaign were achieved. In order to asses this improved performance and the nature of transport with regard to the expected higher densities and other parameters such as the electron and ion temperature, the electric field and plasma flow, measurements at the plasma edge were conducted with reciprocating probe, mounted on a Manipulator. The probe contains a set of Langmuir pins, Mach probes, compensation coils and a set of 3D pick up coils for the measurement of the local magnetic field and fluctuations, and an ion sensitive probe. It has been observed, in addition to differences due to the magnetic configurations, that the magnetic topology is sensitive to the plasma conditions, especially to changes due to a evolving toroidal plasma current. Measurements from divertor cameras showed that an increasing toroidal current in the standard configuration broadened the heat flux and shifted the strike line considerably. These down-stream observation can be complemented with the measurements at the mid-plane with the manipulator mounted probes. During the experiments the edge island remnant was identified with the measured edge plasma profiles and compared with the predictions from the field line tracing code. Those electron densities and temperatures have been used as an input for understanding edge transport with the EMC3-EIRENE modeling. The results from EMC3-EIRENE also help improve the caculated density profiles, since the modelling provides a profile of the effective charge Zeff. Keywords: W7-X, Langmuir probes, Magnetic islands, Plasma edge transport

The optimized superconducting stellarator device Wendelstein 7-X (with major radius , minor radius , and plasma volume) restarted operation after the assembly of a graphite heat shield and 10 inertially cooled island divertor modules. This paper reports on the results from the first high-performance plasma operation. Glow discharge conditioning and ECRH conditioning discharges in helium turned out to be important for density and edge radiation control. Plasma densities of with central electron temperatures were routinely achieved with hydrogen gas fueling, frequently terminated by a radiative collapse. In a first stage, plasma densities up to were reached with hydrogen pellet injection and helium gas fueling. Here, the ions are indirectly heated, and at a central density of a temperature of with was transiently accomplished, which corresponds to with a peak diamagnetic energy of and volume-averaged normalized plasma pressure . The routine access to high plasma densities was opened with boronization of the first wall. After boronization, the oxygen impurity content was reduced by a factor of 10, the carbon impurity content by a factor of 5. The reduced (edge) plasma radiation level gives routinely access to higher densities without radiation collapse, e.g. well above line integrated density and central temperatures at moderate ECRH power. Both X2 and O2 mode ECRH schemes were successfully applied. Core turbulence was measured with a phase contrast imaging diagnostic and suppression of turbulence during pellet injection was observed.

Intrinsic, diffusion-driven toroidal (bootstrap) currents between −7 and 17 kA were measured in the optimised stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) for several magnetic configurations at line-integrated plasma densities between 2 × 1019 and 1.6 × 1020 m−2 and heating powers between 0.5 and 6 MW. The sign of the bootstrap current changes with field reversal, and its magnitude decreases with the mirror term and the rotational transform of the magnetic configuration as well as the line-integrated plasma density, and increases with the heating power. Both the absolute values and the dependencies agree with neoclassical calculations within their respective uncertainties, confirming the neoclassical optimisation of W7-X for small bootstrap currents.

During the interaction of the scrape off layer (SOL) plasma with the first wall the evolution of both wall and plasma are tightly coupled: The erosion of the first wall leads to an impurity concentration in the plasma which affects the particle and power balance in the plasma. In turn the impurities, when leaving the plasma via transport, can form deposits and mixed materials, far away from their initial source location. These deposits can be eroded, allowing the impurities to stepwise migrate through the fusion device until they end up at a location where the plasma at the wall is cold enough and no further erosion occurs. To describe these processes an integrated model of surface evolution and plasma transport of impurities is needed. The WallDYN code achieves this required coupling of processes by parameterising the output of surface evolution- and plasma impurity-migration-codes by analytical models. For a given fixed background plasma it evolves the surface composition, derives impurity flux into and from the plasma and can from this derive the impurity densities in the plasma. This paper will show the importance of including this recycling of impurities at the wall in impurity migration modelling: The 13CH 4 seeding experiment performed in the Wendelstein 7-X Stellerator is modelled using the recent extension of the WallDYN code to 3D plasma and wall geometries. A comparison with post mortem analysis of the 13C deposition shows both qualitative and quantitative agreement with the WallDYN calculations.

While the low frequency part of the response of the Rogowski coils mounted in the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X has been calculated, the high frequency part is planned to be calibrated by means of an actively applied current. In a staged approach different conductors have been designed to be mounted inside the plasma vessel and an AC current of 1 kA is foreseen to be driven through them at frequencies up to 1 kHz to simulate the plasma current.

In the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, up to 7MW of power are delivered to the plasma by an electron cyclotron resonance heating system consisting of ten 140 GHz gyrotrons [1]. Due to the flexible front steering mirror of each beam line, the power deposition can be varied over the whole plasma radius and is optionally combinable with additional current drive. This flexibility, together with small toroidal currents in the stellarator, makes W7-X a perfect testbed for electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) experiments, which have been successfully accomplished during the first two experimental campaigns OP1.1 and OP1.2a. Long discharges (lasting up to 30s) have been performed in OP1.2a, thus allowing the study of the current drive time evolution and the possibility to compensate the bootstrap current. ECCD efficiency has been studied using different power deposition profiles combined with a variation of the injection angles in relation to the magnetic field. During ECCD experiments, saw-tooth-like oscillations have been observed. Depending on the driven current density, ECCD can significantly modify the rotational transform (iota) profile, which can locally reach low order rational, thus triggering plasma instabilities. Different current density profiles have been tested, in order to try to understand the main trigger parameter for the instabilities. In particular, effects caused by current density gradient have been investigated producing both co- and counter-current drive at different radial positions: the total current drive is negligible, but a strong current gradient arises by driving currents in opposite directions. In this work an overview of ECCD operations in OP1.2a is given and first results, comparing different diagnostics, are presented. An initial 1-D model, coupled with the ray tracer TRAVIS, is developed, in order to have an estimation of current diffusion times and the radial position where a low order rational crosses the disturbed iota profile.

The control of rotational transform in Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is key to both the island divertor operation and safety of plasma facing components. The island divenor concept in W7-X relies on an edge flux surface with rotational transform of t = 1 resonating with an intrinsic n/m = 5/5 resonance to form a five lobed island chain. This island chain intersects with divertor plates to give rise to the island divertor. Changes in the relative position of the rational surface and the divertor plates can result in changes in divenor performance, thus the control of the rotational transform is essential to operation of the W7-X device. During the first divertor campaign electromagnetic loads resulted in elastic deformations of the shaped modular stellarator coils. Such deformations made these coils more planar, reducing the vacuum rotational transform, subsequently shifting the t = 1 resonance outward. Unintended plasma wall interactions provided the first clear evidence of this effect during plasma operation. Flux surface measurements were utilized to estimate the correct level of current in the planar coils for correction of t, and found to be around similar to-100 A. Scans the planar coil current for iota correction were performed during plasma operation. These measurements suggest planar coil currents between -250 and similar to 0 A would place the strike lines at the designed distance from the pumping gaps. Divertor Langmuir and upstream probe measurements confirm these estimates along with measurements of divertor neutral gas pressure.

The paper presents experimental observations and simulations for the effects of toroidal plasma current on divertor power depositions on W7-X. With increasing toroidal current accompanying changes in the island geometry result in a sweep of the strike line and a redistribution of the heat flux footprints. Good agreement between experiments, which partly used electron cyclotron current drive to generate an additional toroidal current contribution, and modelling using field line tracing in vacuum magnetic fields including an ad-hoc toroidal current on the magnetic axis is found for both standard and low-iota magnetic configurations.

openaire: EC/H2020/633053/EU//EUROfusion The neutral beam deposition model in the BEAMS3D code is validated against neutral beam attenuation data from Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X). A set of experimental discharges where the neutral beam injection system of W7-X was utilized were reconstructed. These discharges scanned the magnetic configurations and plasma densities of W7-X. The equilibrium reconstructions were performed using STELLOPT which calculates three-dimensional self-consistent ideal magnetohydrodynamic equilibria and kinetic profiles. These reconstructions leveraged new capabilities to incorporate electron cyclotron emission and X-ray imaging diagnostics in the STELLOPT code. The reconstructed equilibria and profiles served as inputs for BEAMS3D calculations of neutral beam deposition in W7-X. It is found that if reconstructed kinetic profiles are utilized, good agreement between measured and simulated beam attenuation is found. As deposition models provide initial conditions for fast-ion slowing down calculations, this work provides a first steptowards validating our ability to predict fast ion confinement in stellarators.

The soft x-ray tomography diagnostic in the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X consists of twenty pinhole cameras, up–down symmetrically arranged in a poloidal, triangular cross-section of the plasma vessel. The x-ray emissivity is measured with 16 bit amplitude resolution at 2 MHz sampling rate along 360 lines-of-sight by silicon photodiode arrays. In the recent operation campaign data acquisition (DAQ) has been working reliable for the conducted plasma pulse lengths

We present a detailed overview and first results of the new laser blow-off system on the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X. The system allows impurity transport studies by the repetitive and controlled injection of different tracer ions into the plasma edge. A Nd:YAG laser is used to ablate a thin metal film, coated on a glass plate, with a repetition rate of up to 20 Hz. A remote-controlled adjustable optical system allows the variation of the laser spot diameter and enables the spot positioning to non-ablated areas on the target between laser pulses. During first experiments, clear spectral lines from higher ionization stages of the tracer ions have been observed in the X-ray to the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The temporal behavior of the measured emission allows the estimate of transport properties, e.g., impurity transport times in the order of 100 ms. Although the strong injection of impurities is well detectable, the global plasma parameters are barely changed.

The paper reports on the optimization process of the soft X-ray pulse height analyzer installed on the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. It is a 3-channel system that records X-ray spectra in the range from 0.6 to 19.6 keV. X-ray spectra, with a temporal and spatial resolution of 100 ms and 2.5 cm (depending on selected slit sizes), respectively, are line integrated along a line-of-sight that crosses near to the plasma center. In the second W7-X operation phase with a carbon test divertor unit, light impurities, e.g., carbon and oxygen, were observed as well as mid- to high-Z elements, e.g., sulfur, chlorine, chromium, manganese, iron, and nickel. In addition, X-ray lines from several tracer elements have been observed after the laser blow-off injection of different impurities, e.g., silicon, titanium, and iron, and during discharges with prefill or a gas puff of neon or argon. These measurements were achieved by optimizing light absorber-foil selection, which defines the detected energy range, and remotely controlled pinhole size, which defines photon flux. The identification of X-ray lines was confirmed by other spectroscopic diagnostics, e.g., by the High-Efficiency XUV Overview Spectrometer, HEXOS, and high-resolution X-ray imaging spectrometer, HR-XIS.

The magnetic diagnostics foreseen for the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator are diamagnetic loops to measure the plasma energy, Rogowski coils to measure the toroidal plasma current, saddle coils to measure the Pfirsch–Schluter currents, segmented Rogowski coils (poloidal magnetic field probes) to add information on the distribution of the plasma current density, and Mirnov coils to observe magnetohydrodynamic modes. All these magnetic field sensors were designed as classical pick-up coils, after the time integration of induced signals for 1/2 hour had been successfully demonstrated. The long-pulse operation planned for W7-X causes nevertheless significant challenges to the design of these diagnostics, in particular for the components located inside the plasma vessel, which may be exposed to high levels of microwave (electron cyclotron resonance) stray radiation and thermal radiation. This article focuses on the tests and modelling performed during the development of the magnetic diagnostics and on the design solutions adopted to meet the conflicting requirements. All pick-up coils foreseen for the initial operation phase of W7-X and their signal cable sections inside the plasma vessel and the cryostat are now installed, and their electronics and data acquisition are under preparation.

The paper describes the conceptual design of the Multi-Foil System (MFS) for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) operated at IPP-Greifswald in Germany. The proposed diagnostic is based on the foil-absorption technique which is used for estimation of the intensity of X-ray radiation and electron temperature of plasma. The proposed diagnostic will be composed of up to eight detector arrays (with five Si detectors each) with beryllium filters of different thickness. The proposed detectors are silicon p-i-n diodes 380 μm thick, which assures good efficiency up to 20 keV. The main MFS vacuum chamber will be mounted on a suitable port of Wendelstein 7-X via a gate valve. At the chamber entrance are eight pinholes, covered by a beryllium foil of 10 μm thickness in order to protect the detectors from ECRH stray radiation. Additionally, inside the MFS vacuum chamber, eight beryllium filters of different thicknesses will be positioned to collect signals in eight energy ranges as defined by filters. The paper presents the preliminary design taking into account specific W7-X requirements.

Classical particle drifts are known to have substantial impacts on fluxes of particles and heat through the edge plasmas in both tokamaks and stellarators. Here we present results from the first dedicated investigation of drift effects in the W7-X stellarator. By comparing similar plasma discharges conducted with a forward- and reverse-directed magnetic field, the impacts of drifts could be isolated through the observation of up-down asymmetries in flux profiles on the divertor targets. In low-density plasmas, the radial locations of the strike lines (i.e. peaks in the target heat flux profiles) exhibited discrepancies of up to 3 cm that reversed upon magnetic field reversal. In addition, asymmetric heat loads were observed in regions of the target that are shadowed by other targets from parallel flux from the core plasma. A comparison of these asymmetric features with the footprints of key topological regions of the edge magnetic field on the divertor suggests that the main driver of the asymmetries at low density is poloidal E × B drift due to radial electric fields in the scrape-off layer and private flux region. In higher-density plasmas, upper and lower targets collected non-ambipolar currents with opposite signs that also inverted upon field reversal. Overall, in these experiments, almost all up-down asymmetry could be attributed to the field reversal and, therefore, field-dependent drifts.

Wendelstein 7-X, a superconducting optimized stellarator built in Greifswald/Germany, started its first plasmas with the last closed flux surface (LCFS) defined by 5 uncooled graphite limiters in December 2015. At the end of the 10 weeks long experimental campaign (OP1.1) more than 20 independent diagnostic systems were in operation, allowing detailed studies of many interesting plasma phenomena. For example, fast neutral gas manometers supported by video cameras (including one fast-frame camera with frame rates of tens of kHz) as well as visible cameras with different interference filters, with field of views covering all ten half-modules of the stellarator, discovered a MARFE-like radiation zone on the inboard side of machine module 4. This structure is presumably triggered by an inadvertent plasma-wall interaction in module 4 resulting in a high impurity influx that terminates some discharges by radiation cooling. The main plasma parameters achieved in OP1.1 exceeded predicted values in discharges of a length reaching 6 s. Although OP1.1 is characterized by short pulses, many of the diagnostics are already designed for quasi-steady state operation of 30 min discharges heated at 10 MW of ECRH. An overview of diagnostic performance for OP1.1 is given, including some highlights from the physics campaigns.

Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is a large optimized stellarator (B=2.5T, V=30m3) aiming at demonstrating the reactor relevance of the optimized stellarators. In 2015 W7-X will begin its first operation phase (OP1.1) with five inertially cooled inboard limiters made of graphite. Assuming the heat loads can be spread out evenly between the limiters, 1 second discharges at 2 MW of ECRH heating power could be run in OP1.1. The expected plasma parameters will be sufficient to demonstrate the readiness of the installed diagnostics and even to run a first physics program. The diagnostics available for this first operation phase, including some special limiter diagnostics, and their capabilities are being presented. A shorter version of this contribution is due to be published in PoS at: 1st EPS conference on Plasma Diagnostics

s Long pulse operation considerably increases the thermal load on in-vessel components. Diagnostic front-ends formerly employed at short pulse machines therefore have to be considerably re-designed for installation in the stellarator W7-X that is currently being built at Greifswald, Germany. The strategy applied to cope with the thermal load is threefold: to reduce the influx of heat on the component, to conduct the heat inside the component to suitable heat sinks and to choose suitable materials for sensitive components. The first is achieved by the shielding against microwave stray radiation, plasma radiation, thermal radiation and particle fluxes and by absorbing residual microwave stray radiation in the immediate vicinity of sensitive components. The second task, suitable heat conduction, enforces severe restrictions on the use of any thin parts like foils or meshes. Thirdly, in order for a component to survive the residual loads, materials must be chosen that absorb only a small fraction of the microwave stray radiation flux, conduct heat well enough, and survive high temperatures and large temperature gradients. Examples are provided from bolometry, magnetic diagnostics, soft X-ray diagnostics and Thomson scattering. Measurements of microwave stray radiation effects are presented, in particular the effectiveness of several shielding concepts.

Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is an experimental magnetic fusion device presently under construction in Greifswald, Germany, to study the stellarator concept at reactor relevant parameters and steady-state conditions. It is located nearly in the center of a 30 m × 30 m × 24 m hall. A large number of components need to be placed in close proximity of the torus to provide the system with the required means, e.g. cryogenic gases, cooling water, electricity, and to integrate it with the peripheral diagnostic and heating components. The arrangement of these components has to be supported by suitable structures, and has to be optimized to allow for installation, maintenance, and repair. In addition, space has to be provided for escape routes and for sufficient distance between components that could negatively influence each other's performance, etc. This paper gives an overview over the guiding principles and used tools for optimizing the layout of all components in the torus hall.

A multichannel CO2 laser interferometer is planned for electron density profile measurements in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator under construction. This article describes the mathematical methods used to find the optimum orientation of the various sightlines. The problem of reconstructing local densities from line integrated density measurements can be formulated as a matrix inversion. The quality of the reconstruction is largely determined by the condition number of the matrix describing the problem, which has to be minimized, i.e., the sightlines have to be chosen such that the information content of different channels is maximally distinct. For the W7-X interferometer four-and eight-sightline arrangements are investigated and their orientations are optimized for standard conditions of magnetic configuration and density profile. The optimized arrangements are tested by simulating the inversion of hypothetical reference density profiles in a number of different magnetic configurations. In the ideal case the error of a reconstruction using four sightlines is typically a few times larger than that with eight sightlines. The robustness of the optimization is demonstrated by a variation of the position of the whole interferometer, and the influence of noisy phase data on the reconstructed profiles is investigated. These factors significantly narrow the difference between the four- and eight-beam setups. Finally, the use of regularization methods for the analysis of experimental data is briefly discussed.