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Research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak has emphasized RF heating, self-generated flows, momentum transport, scrape-off layer (SOL) turbulence and transport and the physics of transport barrier transitions, stability and control. The machine operates with P-RF up to 6 MW corresponding to power densities on the antenna of 10 MW m(-2). Analysis of rotation profile evolution, produced in the absence of external drive, allows transport of angular momentum in the plasma core to be computed and compared between various operating regimes. Momentum is clearly seen diffusing and convecting from the plasma edge on time scales similar to the energy confinement time and much faster than neo-classical transport. SOL turbulence and transport have been studied with fast scanning electrostatic probes situated at several poloidal locations and with gas puff imaging. Strong poloidal asymmetries are found in profiles and fluctuations, confirming the essential ballooning character of the turbulence and transport. Plasma topology has a dominant effect on the magnitude and direction of both core rotation and SOL flows. The correlation of self-generated plasma flows and topology has led to a novel explanation for the dependence of the H-mode power threshold on the del B drift direction. Research into internal transport barriers has focused on control of the barrier strength and location. The foot of the barrier could be moved to larger minor radius by lowering q or B-T. The barriers, which are produced in C-Mod by off-axis RF heating, can be weakened by the application of on-axis power. Gyro-kinetic simulations suggest that the control mechanism is due to the temperature dependence of trapped electron modes which are destabilized by the large density gradients. A set of non-axisymmetric coils was installed allowing intrinsic error fields to be measured and compensated. These also enabled the determination of the mode locking threshold and, by comparison with data from other machines, provided the first direct measurement of size scaling for the threshold. The installation of a new inboard limiter resulted in the reduction of halo currents following disruptions. This effect can be understood in terms of the change in plasma contact with the altered geometry during vertical displacement of the plasma column. Unstable Alfven eigenmodes (AE) were observed in low-density, high-power ICRF heated plasmas. The damping rate of stable AEs was investigated with a pair of active MHD antennae.

The observed toroidal rotation in Alcator C-Mod Ohmic L-mode plasmas has been found to depend strongly on the magnetic configuration. For standard discharges with a lower single null and the ion B ? ?B drift downward, and with BT = 5.4?T, IP = 0.8?MA and ne = 1.4 ? 1020?m?3, the core toroidal rotation is measured to be in the range of 10?20?km?s?1 (counter-current). Similar plasmas with upper single null (USN) have significantly stronger counter-current rotation, in the range 30?50?km?s?1. The rotation depends very sensitively on the distance between the primary and secondary separatrices in near double null plasmas, with changes of ~25?km?s?1 occurring over a variation of a few millimetres in this distance. Application of ICRF power has been found to increase the rotation in the co-current direction. The transition to H-mode is seen to occur in these standard plasmas when the core rotation reaches a characteristic value, near 0?km?s?1; hence higher input power is needed to induce the transition in the USN configuration.

The time evolution of toroidal rotation velocity profiles has been measured in Alcator C-Mod [Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] plasmas using a tangentially viewing x-ray spectrometer array. The strong co-current toroidal rotation in enhanced Dα (EDA) high confinement mode (H-mode) plasmas is observed to propagate in from the edge on a time scale similar to the energy confinement time. The ensuing steady state rotation velocity profiles in both Ohmic and ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heated EDA H modes, which are generated in the absence of any external momentum input, are found to be relatively flat. These profiles may be simulated by a simple diffusion model with the boundary condition of an edge rotation, which appears during the H-mode period. The observed profiles are well matched by the simulations using a momentum diffusivity of ∼0.1 m2/s, which is much larger than the calculated neo-classical value, and the momentum transport may be regarded as anomalous. The Alcator C-M...

Edge profiles during the L–H transition and pedestal evolution in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have been measured with high spatial and time resolution. For input power near the threshold, periodic 'dithering' cycles are seen, and the sustained transition occurs in a series of steps that appear related to this oscillatory behaviour. Even at a higher power, there is evidence of non-smooth Te evolution, and the pedestal Te shows a double break-in-slope at the transition. Calculations with a fluctuation-shear flow model, for parameters typical of this experiment, reproduce much of the observed behaviour. Profiles just before the L–H transition, averaged over steady or dithering periods, are compared with an analytic criterion based on shear suppression by zonal flows (Guzdar P N et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 265004). The experimental values of are about 50% below the theoretical threshold, for a range of BT.

Anomalous momentum transport has been observed in Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasmas. The time evolution of core impurity toroidal rotation velocity profiles has been measured with a tangentially viewing crystal x-ray spectrometer array. Following the L-mode to EDA (enhanced Dα) H-mode transition in both Ohmic and ion cyclotron range of frequencies heated discharges, the ensuing co-current toroidal rotation velocity, which is generated in the absence of any external momentum source, is observed to propagate in from the edge plasma to the core with a timescale of the order of the observed energy confinement time, but much less than the neo-classical momentum confinement time. The ensuing steady state toroidal rotation velocity profiles in EDA H-mode plasmas are relatively flat, with V ~ 50 km s−1, and the momentum transport can be simulated using a simple diffusion model. Assuming that the L–H transition produces an instantaneous edge source of toroidal torque (which disappears at the H- to L-mode transition), the momentum transport may be characterized by a diffusivity, with values of ~0.07 m2 s−1 during EDA H-mode and ~0.2 m2 s−1 in L-mode. These values are large compared to the calculated neo-classical momentum diffusivities, which are of the order of 0.003 m2 s−1. Velocity profiles of ELM-free H-mode plasmas are centrally peaked (with V(0) exceeding 100 km s−1 in some cases), which suggests the presence of an inward momentum pinch; the observed profiles are consistent with simulations including an edge inward convection velocity of ~10 m s−1. In EDA H-mode discharges which develop internal transport barriers, the velocity profiles become hollow in the centre, indicating the presence of a negative radial electric field well in the vicinity of the barrier foot. Upper single null diverted and inner wall limited L-mode discharges exhibit strong counter-current rotation (with V(0)~−60 km s−1 in some cases), which may be related to the observed higher H-mode power threshold in these configurations. For plasmas with locked modes, the toroidal rotation is observed to cease (V ≤ 5 km s−1).

Research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [1] is focused on high particle- and power-density plasma regimes to understand particle and energy transport in the core, the dynamics of the H-mode pedestal, and scrape-off layer and divertor physics. The auxiliary heating is provided exclusively by RF waves, and both the physics and technology of RF heating and current drive are studied. The momentum which is manifested in strong toroidal rotation, in the absence of direct momentum input, has been shown to be transported in from the edge of the plasma following the L–H transition, with timescale comparable to that for energy transport. In discharges which develop internal transport barriers, the rotation slows first inside the barrier region, and then subsequently outside of the barrier foot. Heat pulse propagation studies using sawteeth indicate a very narrow region of strongly reduced energy transport, located near r/a = 0.5. Addition of on-axis ICRF heating arrests the buildup of density and impurities, leading to quasi-steady conditions. The quasi-coherent mode associated with enhanced D-Alpha (EDA) H-mode appears to be due to a resistive ballooning instability. As the pedestal pressure gradient and temperature are increased in EDA H-mode, small ELMs appear; detailed modelling indicates that these are due to intermediate n peeling–ballooning modes. Phase contrast imaging has been used to directly detect density fluctuations driven by ICRF waves in the core of the plasma, and mode conversion to an intermediate wavelength ion cyclotron wave has been observed for the first time. The bursty turbulent density fluctuations, observed to drive rapid cross-field particle transport in the edge plasma, appear to play a key role in the dynamics of the density limit. Preparations for quasi-steady-state advanced tokamak studies with lower hybrid current drive are well underway, and time dependent modelling indicates that regimes with high bootstrap fraction can be produced.

Localized direct electron heating (EH) by mode-converted (MC) ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) waves in D(H) tokamak plasmas has been clearly observed for the first time in Alcator C-Mod. Both on- and off-axis (high field side) mode conversion EH (MCEH) have been observed. The MCEH profile was obtained from a break-in-slope analysis of electron temperature signals in the presence of radio frequency shut-off. The temperature was measured by a 32-channel high spatial resolution (less than or equal to7 mm) 2nd harmonic heterodyne electron cyclotron emission system. The experimental profiles were compared with the predictions from a toroidal full-wave ICRF code TORIC. Using the hydrogen concentration measured by a high-resolution optical spectrometer, TORIC predictions were shown qualitatively in agreement with the experimental results for both on- and off-axis MC cases. From the simulations, the EH from MC ion cyclotron wave and ion Bernstein wave is examined.

Experiments were carried out to study the similarity of H-mode (high confinement mode) physics on the Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] and DIII-D [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] tokamaks comparing plasmas with matched local edge dimensionless parameters (β, ρ*, ν*, q95) and shape (e, κ, δ). It was observed that matching local values of the dimensionless parameters on top of the H-mode pedestals produces similar Te and ne profiles across the entire pedestal region, with pedestal width scaling linearly with the machine size. Furthermore, in H-modes with matched pedestals, similar edge fluctuations were observed. Discharges in DIII-D with scaled pedestal parameters similar to those of C-Mod EDA (enhanced D-alpha) H-mode showed a quasicoherent mode localized to the outer half of the pedestal, similar to the C-Mod quasicoherent mode (QC mode). The wavenumber of the mode observed on DIII-D matches the wavenumber of the C-Mod QC mode if scaled with the machine size...

The Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostics set has been upgraded to deliver measurements of electron temperature (Te) and density (ne) with improved temporal and spatial resolution. Two 30 Hz, 1.3 J Nd-doped yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers share a vertical beam path through the tokamak plasma and are fired in an alternating fashion, allowing the collection of scattered light with a 60 Hz repetition rate. Eight compact polychromators have been added to the system, better than doubling the spatial resolution of core plasma TS measurements and allowing better diagnosis of core ne and Te gradients. Each fiber holder can be repositioned easily, making it possible to concentrate core measurements in the regions of particular interest with a spatial resolution of ∼1 cm. The newly designed mount can be positioned with submillimeter precision, and its alignment with respect to the Nd:YAG beam can be adjusted between discharges using remote controlled stepper motors. Cross calibration of TS ne measurements wit...

On the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)], radial profiles of electron temperature (Te) and density (ne) are measured at the plasma edge with millimeter resolution Thomson scattering [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 72, 1107 (2001)]. Edge transport barriers in the high confinement regime (H mode) exhibit Te, ne pedestals with typical widths of 2–6 mm, with the Te pedestal on average slightly wider than and inside the ne pedestal. Measurements at both the top and the base of the pedestal are consistent with profiles obtained using other diagnostics. The two primary H-mode regimes on C-Mod, enhanced Dα (EDA) and edge-localized mode free, have been examined for differences in pedestals. EDA operation is favored by high edge collisionality ν*, in addition to high edge safety factor q95. Scaling studies at fixed shape yield little systematic variation of pedestal widths with plasma parameters, though higher triangularity is seen to increase the ne pedestal width dramatically. Pedestal heights and gradient...

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 DαH-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. Modeling shows that the internal thermal barrier was maintained throughout the discharge. The presence of sawteeth throughout most of the ITB discharge allows sawtooth-indu...

Double transport barrier plasmas comprised of an edge enhanced D? (EDA) H-mode pedestal and an internal transport barrier (ITB) have been observed in Alcator C-Mod. The ITB can be routinely produced in ICRF heated plasmas by locating the wave resonance off-axis near |r/a|~0.5, provided the target plasma average density is above ~1.4?1020?m-3, and can develop spontaneously in some Ohmic H-mode discharges. The formation of the barrier appears in conjunction with a decrease or reversal in the central (impurity) toroidal rotation velocity. The ITB foot is located near r/a~0.5, regardless of how the barrier was produced. The ITBs can persist for ~15 energy confinement times (?E), but exhibit a continuous increase of the central electron density, up to values near 1?1021?m-3 (in the absence of an internal particle source), followed by collapse of the barrier. Application of additional on-axis ICRF heating arrests the density and impurity peaking, which occurs along with an increase (co-current) in the core rotation velocity. Quasi-steady state double barrier plasmas have been maintained for 10?E or longer, with a bootstrap fraction of 0.13 near the ITB foot.

Under most operational conditions of Alcator C-Mod, the dominant type of H-mode is the steady state enhanced Dα (EDA) mode, characterized by good energy confinement, continuously degraded impurity confinement and absence of regular edge localized modes (ELMs). In this regime, a quasicoherent (QC) electromagnetic mode (kθ~5 cm-1, f~100 kHz) is observed, localized in the region of the density pedestal. Experimental evidence suggests that the mode is responsible for enhancement of particle transport. It is shown experimentally that the QC mode can exist in a well defined region in edge temperature-safety factor space, favouring high edge q values (q95≥3.5) and requiring moderate pedestal temperature Teped ≤ Tc (Tc~400 eV). As edge temperature and pressure gradient increase, the QC mode is replaced by broadband low frequency fluctuations (f

High resolution measurements on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1551 (1994)] of the transport barrier in the “Enhanced Dα” (EDA) regime, which has increased particle transport without large edge localized modes, show steep density and temperature gradients over a region of 2–5 mm, with peak pressure gradients up to 12 MPa/m. Evolution of the pedestal at the L-H transition is consistent with a large, rapid drop in thermal conductivity across the barrier. A quasi-coherent fluctuation in density, potential, and Bpol, with f0∼50–150 kHz and kθ∼4 cm−1, always appears in the barrier during EDA, and drives a large particle flux. Conditions to access the steady-state EDA regime in deuterium include δ>0.35, q95>3.5, and L-mode target density ne>1.2×1020 m−3. A reduced q95 limit is found for hydrogen discharges.

A high-resolution Thomson scattering diagnostic is in operation on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, measuring radial profiles of electron temperature and density at the plasma edge. Photons are scattered from a Nd–yttrium–aluminum–garnet laser beam pulsed at 30 Hz (1.3 J, 8 ns pulse), and are measured by a filter polychromator with four spectral channels. The polychromator measures Te in the range of 15–800 eV and ne of 0.3–3×1020 m−3. Twenty scattering volumes are located about the last closed flux surface, spaced for a nominal resolution of 1.3 mm in midplane radial coordinates. High resolution is essential for measuring edge Te and ne profiles on C-Mod, since these quantities exhibit gradient scale lengths as small as 2 mm in H mode. The steep profiles at the H mode edge are fit to a parameterized pedestal function for ease of analysis. Measured profiles are compared with edge profiles from electron cyclotron emission and visible continuum diagnostics.

A high spatial resolution CCD based one-dimensional imaging system to measure visible continuum emissivity profiles from Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasmas is described. The instrument has chordal resolution that is better than 1 mm for the edge region of the plasma, where very sharp (1 to 10 mm) gradient lengths in plasma parameters are observed after the formation of the H-mode transport barrier. Each image has up to 2048 pixels, and total spatial coverage goes from 2 cm inside of the magnetic axis to ∼4 cm outside of the last closed flux surface in the ∼22 cm horizontal minor radius plasmas. Time resolution can be varied from 0.21 ms to 4 ms; good signal to noise is achieved with 1 ms integration under typical plasma conditions. The emission over most of the plasma volume is dominated by free–free bremsstrahlung, and can be used to infer local values of the average ion charge (Zeff). Toroidally localized puffing of deuterium, nitrogen, and helium reveals that a significant contribution to the signal in the scrape-off layer at the extreme edge of the plasma can come from diatomic molecular band pseudocontinuum emission.

Neutral particle densities and energy losses have been measured in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)]. Their effect on the formation and evolution of the edge barrier which accompanies the enhanced confinement regime are discussed. The neutrals can enter the edge dynamics through the particle, momentum, and energy balance. Neutral densities of up to 5×1016 m−3 have been measured in the edge barrier region. Neutrals enter the local dynamics around most of the periphery, not just at the X-point. High resolution measurements of the ionization profile have been obtained for the region near the separatrix. The profile shifts inside the separatrix as the plasma is making a transition from low-to high-mode confinement (H-mode) regimes, partly accounting for the dramatic rise in edge density. The measured neutral density is large enough to affect the bulk ion momentum by charge exchange, and thereby introduces a negative radial electric field at the edge. At the same time, significant edge heat flux, carried by the neutrals, contributes to the measured power loss. At very high edge densities, this loss mechanism could contribute to quenching H-modes.

Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] has operated a High-confinement-mode (H-mode) plasma together with a dissipative divertor and low core Zeff. The initially attached plasma is characterized by steady-state enhancement factor, HITER89P [P. N. Yushmanov et al., Nucl. Fusion 30, 1999 (1990)], of 1.9, central Zeff of 1.1, and a radiative fraction of ∼50%. Feedback control of a nitrogen gas puff is used to increase radiative losses in both the core/edge and divertor plasmas in almost equal amounts. Simultaneously, the core plasma maintains HITER89P of 1.6 and Zeff of 1.4 in this nearly 100% radiative state. The power and particle flux to the divertor plates have been reduced to very low levels while the core plasma is relatively unchanged by the dissipative nature of the divertor.

Design of the Alcator C-Mod Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic is discussed and the results of the measurements are presented. The TS system has six spatial channels with observation volumes evenly distributed between the midplane and the edge of the plasma. Each channel is capable of measuring the electron density in the range Ne=5×1019–5×1021 m−3 and temperature from Te=200 eV to 10 keV. A 30 Hz, 1.5 J per pulse Nd-YAG laser is employed allowing the measurements of evolution of Te and Ne profiles during plasma shot. A laser beam position control and feedback system provides for the beam alignment stability and reliable electron density measurements. Examples of the core density and temperature profiles measured at different stages of the plasma evolution are discussed.

The object of this review is to summarize the achievements of research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994) and Marmar, Fusion Sci. Technol. 51, 261 (2007)] and to place that research in the context of the quest for practical fusion energy. C-Mod is a compact, high-field tokamak, whose unique design and operating parameters have produced a wealth of new and important results since it began operation in 1993, contributing data that extends tests of critical physical models into new parameter ranges and into new regimes. Using only high-power radio frequency (RF) waves for heating and current drive with innovative launching structures, C-Mod operates routinely at reactor level power densities and achieves plasma pressures higher than any other toroidal confinement device. C-Mod spearheaded the development of the vertical-target divertor and has always operated with high-Z metal plasma facing components—approaches subsequently adopted for ITER. C-Mod has made ground-breaking discoveries in divertor physics and plasma-material interactions at reactor-like power and particle fluxes and elucidated the critical role of cross-field transport in divertor operation, edge flows and the tokamak density limit. C-Mod developed the I-mode and the Enhanced Dα H-mode regimes, which have high performance without large edge localized modes and with pedestal transport self-regulated by short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. C-Mod has carried out pioneering studies of intrinsic rotation and demonstrated that self-generated flow shear can be strong enough in some cases to significantly modify transport. C-Mod made the first quantitative link between the pedestal temperature and the H-mode's performance, showing that the observed self-similar temperature profiles were consistent with critical-gradient-length theories and followed up with quantitative tests of nonlinear gyrokinetic models. RF research highlights include direct experimental observation of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) mode-conversion, ICRF flow drive, demonstration of lower-hybrid current drive at ITER-like densities and fields and, using a set of novel diagnostics, extensive validation of advanced RF codes. Disruption studies on C-Mod provided the first observation of non-axisymmetric halo currents and non-axisymmetric radiation in mitigated disruptions. A summary of important achievements and discoveries are included., United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-FC02-99ER54512), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-FG03-94ER-54241), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-AC02-78ET- 51013), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-AC02-09CH11466), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-FG02-95ER54309), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-AC02-05CH11231), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-AC52-07NA27344), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-FG02- 97ER54392), United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative Agreement DE-SC00-02060)

The radiation from the 5 cm period undulator at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) has been characterized using a transmission grating spectrometer. Spectral and angular distributions of radiation were measured for deflection parameter K values between 0.45 and 2.12 at low storage ring current (0.1--0.5 mA). From the calibration of the spectrometer, the absolute flux density of the undulator harmonics has been determined together with the spectral linewidth. The electron the beam emittance was determined by analyzing the angular distribution of the red-shifted fundamental. Comparison has been made with radiation calculations based upon the measured magnetic field data of the undulator. Including field errors, electron beam emittance and energy spread, good agreement is found between theoretically and experimentally determined harmonic widths and peak brightness.

Edge transport barrier (ETB) studies on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] investigate pedestal scalings and the radial transport of plasma and neutrals. Pedestal profiles show trends with plasma operational parameters such as total current IP. A ballooning-like IP2 dependence is seen in the pressure gradient, despite calculated stability to ideal ballooning modes. A similar scaling is seen in the near scrape-off layer for both low-confinement (L-mode) and H-mode discharges, possibly due to electromagnetic fluid drift turbulence setting transport near the separatrix. Neutral density diagnosis allows an examination of D0 fueling in H-modes, yielding profiles of effective particle diffusivity in the ETB, which vary as IP is changed. Edge neutral transport is studied using a one-dimensional kinetic treatment. In both experiment and modeling, the C-Mod density pedestal exhibits a weakly increasing pedestal density and a nearly invariant density pedestal width as the D0 source rate increa...