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Recent JET deuterium experiments with an advanced tokamak scenario using an internal transport barrier (ITB) have been performed to clearly observe destabilized toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmodes (TAEs) by fast ions; interestingly, these also exhibit unstable electromagnetic (EM) perturbations in the sub-TAE frequency range. We identify such EM perturbations to be beta-induced ion temperature gradient (BTG) eigenmodes and not beta-induced Alfven eigenmodes nor beta-induced Alfven acoustic eigenmodes, which are often unstable in such high-beta plasmas with high-power neutral beam injection (NBI). The BTG modes are the most unstable modes due to the high thermal ion temperature gradient related to the ITB, high thermal ion temperature compared to thermal electron temperature (high Ti/Te), and a high ion beta regime. BTG mode experimental characteristics match the analytical theory, i.e., location in the vicinity of a rational magnetic surface with a low magnetic shear, mode frequency scaling with the ion diamagnetic frequency ( ωi*), and a coupling among Alfven and drift waves. We also perform linear gyrokinetic simulations with validated plasma profiles and equilibrium, and find a mode kinetically driven by thermal ions with similar characteristics as the experimental BTG modes.

The Mega Ampère Spherical Tokamak (MAST) programme is strongly focused on addressing key physics issues in preparation for operation of ITER as well as providing solutions for DEMO design choices. In this regard, MAST has provided key results in understanding and optimizing H-mode confinement, operating with smaller edge localized modes (ELMs), predicting and handling plasma exhaust and tailoring auxiliary current drive. In all cases, the high-resolution diagnostic capability on MAST is complemented by sophisticated numerical modelling to facilitate a deeper understanding. Mitigation of ELMs with resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) with toroidal mode number n RMP = 2, 3, 4, 6 has been demonstrated: at high and low collisionality; for the first ELM following the transition to high confinement operation; during the current ramp-up; and with rotating n RMP = 3 RMPs. n RMP = 4, 6 fields cause less rotation braking whilst the power to access H-mode is less with n RMP = 4 than n RMP = 3, 6. Refuelling with gas or pellets gives plasmas with mitigated ELMs and reduced peak heat flux at the same time as achieving good confinement. A synergy exists between pellet fuelling and RMPs, since mitigated ELMs remove fewer particles. Inter-ELM instabilities observed with Doppler backscattering are consistent with gyrokinetic simulations of micro-tearing modes in the pedestal. Meanwhile, ELM precursors have been strikingly observed with beam emission spectroscopy (BES) measurements. A scan in beta at the L–H transition shows that pedestal height scales strongly with core pressure. Gyro-Bohm normalized turbulent ion heat flux (as estimated from the BES data) is observed to decrease with increasing tilt of the turbulent eddies. Fast ion redistribution by energetic particle modes depends on density, and access to a quiescent domain with ‘classical’ fast ion transport is found above a critical density. Highly efficient electron Bernstein wave current drive (1 A W−1) has been achieved in solenoid-free start-up. A new proton detector has characterized escaping fusion products. Langmuir probes and a high-speed camera suggest filaments play a role in particle transport in the private flux region whilst coherence imaging has measured scrape-off layer (SOL) flows. BOUT++ simulations show that fluxes due to filaments are strongly dependent on resistivity and magnetic geometry of the SOL, with higher radial fluxes at higher resistivity. Finally, MAST Upgrade is due to begin operation in 2016 to support ITER preparation and importantly to operate with a Super-X divertor to test extended leg concepts for particle and power exhaust.

Results are presented from the JET Trace Tritium Experimental (TTE) campaign using minority tritium (T) plasmas (n(T)/n(D) 2 MA) and monotonic q-profiles. In CH discharges the gamma-ray emission decay times are much lower than classical (tau(Ts) + tau(alpha s)), indicating alpha confinement degradation, due to the orbit losses and particle orbit drift predicted by a 3-D Fokker-Planck numerical code and modelled using TRANSP.

In preparation for next step burning plasma devices such as ITER, experimental studies of instabilities and confinement of energetic ions were performed on Joint European Torus (JET) and on Mega-Amper Spherical Tokamak (MAST) with innovative diagnostic techniques, in conventional and shear-reversed plasmas, exploring a wide range of effects for energetic ions. A compendium of recent results testing capabilities of the present-day facilities for burning plasma relevant study is presented in this paper. 'Alpha tail' production using 3rd harmonic ion-cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) of He-4 beam ions has been employed on JET for studying He-4 of the megaelectronvolt energy range in a 'neutron-free' environment. The evolution of ICRH-accelerated ions of He-4 with E >= 1.7 MeV and D with E >= 500 keV was assessed from nuclear gamma-ray emission born by the fast ions colliding with Be and C impurities. A simultaneous measurement of spatial profiles of fast He-4 and fast D ions relevant to ITER was performed for the first time in positive and strongly reversed magnetic shear discharges. Time-resolved gamma-ray diagnostics for ICRH-accelerated He-3 and H minority ions allowed changes in the fast ion distribution function to be assessed in the presence of unstable toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAEs) and sawteeth. A significant decrease of gamma-ray intensity from protons with E >= 5 MeV was detected during the 'tornado' modes. This was interpreted as 'tomado'-induced loss of fast ions with the drift orbit width, Delta(f), comparable to the minor radius of tokamak a. Experiments performed in the opposite case, Delta f/a = 500 keV, have shown excitation of numerous Alfven eigenmodes without a significant degradation of the fast ion confinement. The stabilizing effect of fast particles on 'monster' sawteeth was experimentally found to fail in low-density plasmas with high power ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF)-heating. The transition from the 'monster' to short-period 'grassy' sawteeth was investigated with different ICRF phasing, which controls the pinch-effect and radial distribution of ICRF-accelerated ions. Instabilities excited by super-Alfvenic beam ions were investigated on the spherical tokamak MAST. Due to higher values of beta and a higher proportion of fast ions on MAST than on JET, a wider variety of modes and nonlinear regimes for the Alfven instabilities were observed, including the explosive TAE-regimes leading to the formation of hole-clump pairs on the fast ion distribution function. The MAST and START data showed that TAE and chirping modes decrease both in their mode amplitudes and in the number of unstable modes with increasing beta.

Fast wave current drive (FWCD) experiments have been performed in JET plasmas with electron internal transport barriers produced with LHCD. Because of a large fraction of parasitic absorption, owing to weak single pass damping, the inductive nature of the plasma current and the interplay between the RF-driven current and the bootstrap current only small changes are seen in the central current profiles. The measured difference in the central current density for co- and counter-current drive is larger than the response expected from current diffusion calculations, but smaller than the driven currents, suggesting a faster current diffusion than that given by neo-classical resistivity. A large fraction of the power is absorbed by cyclotron damping on residual 3He ions while a significant fraction appears not to have been deposited in the plasma. The strong degradation of heating and current drive occurs simultaneously with strong increases in the Be II and C IV line intensities in the divertor. The degradation depends on the phasing of the antennas and increases with reduced single pass damping which is consistent with RF-power being lost by dissipation of rectified RF-sheath potentials at the antennas and walls. Asymmetries in direct electron heating, lost power and production of impurities, fast ions and gamma-rays are seen for co- and counter-current drive. These differences are consistent with the differences in the absorption on residual 3He ions owing to the RF-induced pinch. Effective direct electron heating, comparable to the indirect electron heating with H-minority heating, occurs for dipole phasing of the antennas without producing a significant fast ion pressure and with low impurity content in the divertor plasma.

Efficient coupling of lower hybrid (LH) waves in conditions close to those foreseen in ITER has been obtained in advanced scenario plasmas in the JET tokamak. Up to 3 MW of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) power has been coupled at a distance between the separatrix and the launcher of 11 cm, in the presence of edge localized mode activity. The key to the improved LH wave coupling is local control of the Scrape-Off-Layer (SOL) density through gas injection in the region magnetically connected to the launcher. This increases the electron density in front of the launcher so as to improve the coupling of the LH waves, i.e. reduce the reflected power in the launcher. The average power reflection coefficient was 5.7% with gas injection, at 11 cm distance between the separatrix and the launcher. A change in the gas injection design has made the gas puffing more efficient, making the use of D2 injection possible as an alternative to CD4. At similar injected electrons/s rates, D2 gives higher electron density in the SOL than CD4, resulting in better LH coupling with D2. The possibility of using D2 instead of the earlier used CD4 is an encouraging result in view of ITER operation, as CD4 may not be compatible in ITER due to the problem of tritium retention in deposited carbon layers.

An overview is given of the experimental method, the analysis technique and the results for trace tritium experiments conducted on the JET tokamak in 2003. Observations associated with events such as sawtooth collapses, neo-classical tearing modes and edge localized modes are described. Tritium transport is seen to approach neo-classical levels in the plasma core at high density and low q(95), and in the transport barrier region of internal transport barrier (ITB) discharges. Tritium transport remains well above neo-classical levels in all other cases. The correlation of the measured tritium diffusion coefficient and convection velocity for normalized minor radii r/a = [0.65, 0.80] with the controllable parameters q95 and plasma density are found to be consistent for all operational regimes (ELMy H-mode discharges with or without ion cyclotron frequency resonance heating, hybrid scenario and ITB discharges). Scaling with local physics parameters is best described by gyro-Bohm scaling with an additional inverse beta dependence.

JET plasmas show fluctuations from a large variety of MHD instabilities. A combination of spectral analysis, mode number analysis, and determination of mode radial position has the potential as a diagnostic for the plasma q profile. Mode frequencies and mode numbers are obtained from spectral and phase analysis from fast magnetic pickup signals. Cross correlation of magnetic and multiarray signals from ECE, SXR, and reflectometer systems provide the mode localization. The present status of the diagnostic systems used for fluctuation analysis is summarized, with particular emphasis on the fast magnetic pickup system. A new data collection system allows the magnetic signals to be recorded at 2 MHz for up to 32 s in each pulse. An example of q-profile validation from the observation of Alfven eigenmode cascades and a snake is given. At JET, Alfven cascades are used to determine q(min) in optimized shear discharges, while a variety of low frequency modes (such as the snake) allow the determination of the radial position of q integer values in monotonic and reversed shear q profiles. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Active current drive with lower hybrid (LH) waves in the advanced scenario plasmas at JET-EFDA was successful after a systematic study of the coupling problems that derive from the H-mode features of the edge plasma, namely very low density and ELM activity. The LH coupling has been improved compared to the past, by making the edge plasma in front of the LH launcher denser and more uniform. Injecting deuterated methane (CD4) from a nearby gas pipe increases the density in front of the LH launcher at least by a factor of 1.5, above the cut-off value for the LH frequency. A better matching of the plasma shape to that of the LH antenna makes the plasma ahead of the LH launcher more regular along the poloidal angle. These two techniques together have permitted a balanced supply of the three LH grills, with an average reflection below 4%, as in the previous L-mode operation. CD4 does not affect the performances nor does it contaminate the main plasma up to the maximum flow rate so far used, 10^{22}{\rm el}\,{\rm s}^{-1} SRC=http://ej.iop.org/images/0741-3335/46/2/003/ppcf169854in001.gif/> and now it is routinely applied in JET (up to 4?MW have been injected for longer than 8?s) with very encouraging results for LHCD. Even though CD4 is not suitable for ITER for tritium retention, the possibility of controlling locally and safely the scrape-off plasma density has been demonstrated.

Ion cyclotron resonance frequencies (ICRF) mode conversion has been developed for localized on-axis and off-axis bulk electron heating on the JET tokamak. The fast magnetosonic waves launched from the low-field side ICRF antennas are mode-converted to short-wavelength waves on the high-field side of the He-3 ion cyclotron resonance layer in D and He-4 plasmas and subsequently damped on the bulk electrons. The resulting electron power deposition, measured using ICRF power modulation, is narrow with a typical full-width at half-maximum of approximate to30 cm (i.e. about 30% of the minor radius) and the total deposited power to electrons comprises at least up to 80% of the applied ICRF power. The ICRF mode conversion power deposition has been kept constant using He-3 bleed throughout the ICRF phase with a typical duration of 4-6 s, i.e. 15-40 energy confinement times. Using waves propagating in the counter-current direction minimizes competing ion damping in the presence of co-injected deuterium beam ions.

This paper summarizes the recent work on JET in the three areas of heating, current drive and energetic particles. The achievements have extended the possibilities of JET, have a direct connection to ITER operation and provide new and interesting physics. Toroidal rotation profiles of plasmas heated far off axis with little or no refuelling or momentum input are hollow with only small differences on whether the power deposition is located on the low field side or on the high field side. With LH current drive the magnetic shear was varied from slightly positive to negative. The improved coupling (through the use of plasma shaping and CD4) allowed up to 3.4 MW of PLH in internal transport barrier (ITB) plasmas with more than 15 MW of combined NBI and ICRF heating. The q-profile with negative magnetic shear and the ITB could be maintained for the duration of the high heating pulse (8 s). Fast ions have been produced in JET with ICRF to simulate alpha particles: by using third harmonic 4He heating, beam injected 4He at 120 kV were accelerated to energies above 2 MeV, taking advantage of the unique capability of JET to use NBI with 4He and to confine MeV class ions. ICRF heating was used to replicate the dynamics of alpha heating and the control of an equivalent Q = 10 'burn' was simulated.

Low-frequency/long-wavelength density turbulence is found to be reduced within the volume enclosed by an electron thermal internal transport barrier generated with lower hybrid microwave heating in the JET tokamak. The turbulence reduction coincides with a region (typically r/a 0.8), the turbulence amplitude is also reduced coinciding with large positive magnetic shear s>1. Estimates of the core turbulence wavelengths (λ⊥> 0.1 m) are not in agreement with expectations from electron temperature gradient instabilities.

By applying lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) for strong electron heating and off-axis current drive starting very early in the discharge, an electron internal transport barrier (eITB) can be generated. The barrier is formed just inside the location of minimum q, and slowly moves inward with this location. During the current flat-top the barrier can be sustained during many seconds, either with continued LHCD, or by ion cyclotron resonance heating. In this paper both scenarios are analysed and compared.

Quasi-steady operation has been achieved at JET in the high-confinement regime with internal transport barriers (ITBs). The ITB has been maintained up to 11 s. This duration, much larger than the energy confinement time, is already approaching a current resistive time. The high-performance phase is limited only by plant constraints. The radial profiles of the thermal electron and ion pressures have steep gradients typically at mid-plasma radius. A large fraction of non-inductive current (above 80%) is sustained throughout the high-performance phase with a poloidal beta exceeding unity. The safety factor profile plays an important role in sustaining the ITB characteristics. In this regime where the self-generated bootstrap current (up to 1.0 MA) represents 50% of the total current, the resistive evolution of the non-monotonic q-profile is slowed down by using off-axis lower-hybrid current drive.

A connection has been found between puffing of CD4 at the outer mid-plane of JET and a rise in scrape-off layer (SOL) peripheral electron density. This observation led to the proposal that CD4 puffing might be used to improve lower hybrid coupling in optimized shear discharges. Results described elsewhere have demonstrated that this is indeed the case. The focus of this paper is on the causes of this peripheral density rise using two-dimensional fluid modelling and local measurements of turbulent transport in the JET SOL.

In optimized shear plasmas in the Joint European Torus [P. H. Rebut and B. E. Keen, Fusion Technol. 11, 13 (1987)], safety factor (q) profiles with negative magnetic shear are produced by applying lower hybrid (LH) waves during the plasma current ramp-up phase. These plasmas produce a barrier to the electron energy transport. The radius at which the barrier is located increases with the LH wave power. When heated with high power from ion cyclotron resonance heating and neutral beam injection, they can additionally produce transient internal transport barriers (ITBs) seen on the ion temperature, electron density, and toroidal rotation velocity profiles. Due to recent improvements in coupling, q profile control with LH current drive in ITB plasmas with strong combined heating can be explored. These new experiments have led to ITBs sustained for several seconds by the LH wave. Simulations show that the current driven by the LH waves peaks at the ITB location, indicating that it can act in the region of low magnetic shear.

Experiments designed for generating internal transport barriers in the plasmas of the Joint European Torus [JET, P. H. Rebut et al., Proceedings of the 10th International Conference, Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion, London (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1985), Vol. I, p. 11] reveal cascades of Alfven perturbations with predominantly upward frequency sweeping. These experiments are characterized by a hollow plasma current profile, created by lower hybrid heating and current drive before the main heating power phase. The cascades are driven by ions accelerated with ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH). Each cascade consists of many modes with different toroidal mode numbers and different frequencies. The toroidal mode numbers vary from n=1 to n=6. The frequency starts from 20 to 90 kHz and increases up to the frequency range of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes. In the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model, a close correlation is found between the time evolution of the Alfven cascades and the evolution of the Alfven continuum frequency at the point of zero magnetic shear. This correlation facilitates the study of the time evolution of both the Alfven continuum and the safety factor, q(r), at the point of zero magnetic shear and makes it possible to use Alfven spectroscopy for studying q(r). Modeling shows that the Alfven cascade occurs when the Alfven continuum frequency has a maximum at the zero shear point. Interpretation of the Alfven cascades is given in terms of a novel-type of energetic particle mode localized at the point where q(r) has a minimum. This interpretation explains the key experimental observations: simultaneous generation of many modes, preferred direction of frequency sweeping, and the absence of strong continuum damping.

A low/negative magnetic shear profile is maintained in the Joint European Torus in a plasma target with plasma current of 2.4 MA using 2.2 MW of lower hybrid (LH) power combined with neutral beam injection and ion cyclotron radiofrequency heating. In this scenario, an internal transport barrier (ITB) with time duration up to about 4 s is produced. The fraction of LH driven current is about 25% the total plasma current. During LH power application, the layer with reversed shear q-profile can be maintained in a suitable radial position to inhibit the onset of turbulence, which might otherwise drive the ITB to collapse. LH power could be used as a tool to drive moderate amounts of noninductive off-axis current and sustain high performance ITBs at high plasma current.

An overview of the recent results of Lower Hybrid (LH) experiments at JET with the ITER-like wall (ILW) is presented. Topics relevant to LH wave coupling are addressed as well as issues related to ILW and LH system protections. LH wave coupling was studied in conditions determined by ILW recycling and operational constraints. It was concluded that LH wave coupling was not significantly affected and the pre-ILW performance could be recovered after optimising the launcher position and local gas puffing. SOL density measurements were performed using a Li-beam diagnostic. Dependencies on the D2 injection rate from the dedicated gas valve, the LH power and the LH launcher position were analysed. SOL density modifications due to LH were modelled by the EDGE2D code assuming SOL heating by collisional dissipation of the LH wave and/or possible ExB drifts in the SOL. The simulations matched reasonably well the measured SOL profiles. Observations of arcs and hotspots with visible and IR cameras viewing the LH launc...

Optimized shear (OS) experiments in JET can generate an internal transport barrier (ITB) during a high power heating phase early in the plasma discharge. A strong link is generally observed between the formation of the barrier and the location of an integer q magnetic surface within a low magnetic shear (s = r/q(dq/dr)) region of the plasma. However, if the q-profile for such experiments is modified by applying lower hybrid heating and current drive (LHCD) before the main heating pulse, to provide a region of reduced or negative magnetic shear in the plasma core, ITBs can be formed the location of which does not exhibit any apparent association with a particular internal magnetic surface. Initial results suggest that q-profile modification using an LHCD prelude can also be used to reduce the heating power level required for ITB generation.

Lower hybrid (LH) current drive experiments were carried out in the ergodic divertor (ED) configuration. In this configuration, at low density (〈ne〉=1.7 × 1019–2.3 × 1019 m−3), up to 4.5 MW of LH power was coupled and 65% of the plasma current (here equal to 1.4 MA to match the resonant edge safety factor needed for divertor operation) was driven by the LH waves. With an optimized position of the grills, it was possible to obtain a reasonable steady state temperature of the neutralizers (Tneut

Fast electrons generated in front of lower hybrid (LH) grills can cause damage to tokamak divertor and first wall components. It is therefore of interest to identify possible edge electron acceleration mechanisms and suggest measures to limit these. One possible acceleration process described here depends on mode overlap in the antenna electric field spectrum and on the presence of high- modes, resonant with the ambient ( eV) edge electrons. These electrons then diffuse throughout the globally stochastic region of -space whose upper bound is given by the last overlapping mode. It is shown that the described acceleration is seriously aggravated by the presence of higher order waveguide modes generated at sharp waveguide-plasma transitions and that rounding-off the waveguide septa can considerably reduce the fields and electron acceleration associated with these higher order modes. Additional antenna field non-uniformities arising from a grill modular structure and random fields generated at the plasma edge through parametric decay and scattering of the LH slow wave from plasma density fluctuations can further enhance the edge electron energy.

An infrared (IR) camera has been installed on TdeV (Tokamak de Varennes) to view both the inner and the outer divertor plates. With a finite element code (PDE Protran), the energy deposited on the plates is calculated from the surface temperature profile measured by the IR camera. The experimental results have revealed that the divertor plate temperature decreases with an increase of the main plasma density, suggesting that the plasma detaches from the divertor plates at higher plasma densities (above 4.0×1019 m−3). During divertor biasing, the heat flux increases on the plates of the `active' divertor as a result of the E×B flow. However, energy deposition can be reduced by increasing the plasma density. The neutral gas pressure in the divertor region increases strongly at higher plasma density, and appears to be correlated with the reduction in deposited energy.

The main aspects of radiative plasma experiments carried out in the LH-heated TdeV tokamak are summarized. D 2 , N 2 and Ne puffing, and divertor biasing, are assessed in terms of their ability to increase edge and divertor radiative losses and reduce neutralizer plate heat loads. Detailed patterns of radiation and plate power deposition are compared. Combined N 2 and D 2 puffing gives the best results. Biasing enhances divertor radiation but also causes an increase in power conducted and convected to one of the divertor legs. The improvements obtained are still insufficient due to disruptive instabilities that appear at high impurity puffing rates. The instability is triggered at the edge with N 2 and in the core with Ne.

At high densities, the plasma detaches from the outboard divertor plates in TdeV. The signatures are a reduction of the ion flux to the divertor plate, movement of the radiating zone from the plate toward the X-point, a pressure gradient between an ionization front and the target plate, and strong cross-field transport in the divertor. A toroidally-viewing TV imaging system allows us to observe local interactions between the divertor plasma and the different divertor plates. As the plasma detaches, the gas pressure in the divertor continues to rise, and there is evidence for molecular processes in the cold plasma near the divertor plates. Auxiliary heating increases the power and particle flow across the separatrix; our results suggest that detachment depends on the energy transported per particle. Simulations using the B2/EIRENE and DIVIMP codes give reasonable agreement with the measurements for the attached phase.

In this paper, we discuss the phenomena that link particle recycling from the vessel walls in the L-mode during discharge start-up and the core confinement in the H-mode during the subsequent main heating phase. We consider available data of JET experiments that aimed at approaching fully non-inductive ITER-relevant steady-state conditions and show that the high electron temperature produced at the edge by a low recycling during start-up tends to favour the build-up of high normalized β(βN) regimes in the H-mode, the confinement being improved in a large plasma volume. To provide an insight into this complex phenomenon we have modelled the relation between particle recycling in the scrape-off layer and the evolution of plasma transport, plasma current density and shear as well as the stability properties for such experimental conditions. The results confirm the existence of a link between the confinement in the H-mode phase and the values at the edge of electron temperature, bootstrap current density and local magnetic shear during start-up. Such a link could favour these regimes to be self-sustained in time. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

In this paper important aspects of Lower Hybrid (LH) operation with the ITER Like Wall (ILW) [1] at JET are reported. Impurity release during LH operation was investigated and it was found that there is no significant Be increase with LH power. Concentration of W was analysed in more detail and it was concluded that LH contributes negligibly to its increase. No cases of W accumulation in LH-only heating experiments were observed so far. LH wave coupling was studied and optimised to achieve the level of system performance similar to before ILW installation. Measurements by Li-beam were used to study systematic dependencies of the SOL density on the gas injection rate from a dedicated gas introduction module and the LH power and launcher position. Experimental results are supported by SOL transport modelling. Observations of arcs in front of the LH launcher and hotspots on magnetically connected sections of the vessel are reported. Overall, a relatively troublefree operation of the LH system up to 2.5MW of coupled Radio Frequency (RF) power in L-mode plasma was achieved with no indication that the power cannot be increased further., Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures. This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Plasma Physics & Controlled Fusion. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it

Experimental data, analysis and simulations are used to describe the physics of divertor detachment and He exhaust under detached conditions in TdeV. With increasing density, the plasma is found to detach progressively from the outboard divertor plates with a marked reduction of the ion flux to the plates, the generation of a pressure gradient between an ionization front and the target plate, and strong cross-field transport in the divertor. Local interactions between the divertor plasma and the plates are described, with evidence for carbon sputtering and molecular processes near the divertor plates. Divertor exhaust and retention continue to increase through detachment and He exhaust is not affected although the divertor He enrichment remains low but constant at about 0.2. A moderate density of seems to be sufficient both for efficient peak power load reduction at the divertor plate and good He exhaust through the divertor. Simulations of the edge and divertor plasmas using the B2/EIRENE and DIVIMP codes give reasonable agreement with the measurements and indicate possible divertor geometry improvements

The interaction of tokamak plasma edge electrons with the electric near field generated by a lower hybrid slow wave antenna is studied. Antenna field spectra of interest for current drive and/or plasma heating have lobes at high‐n∥ values (n∥≳30) intense enough for resonant acceleration of the relatively cold (∼25 eV) edge electrons. For waveguide electric fields, typically around 3 kV/cm, the higher‐order modes overlap in the phase‐space [B. V. Chirikov, Phys. Rep. 52, 263 (1979)], so that electron global stochasticity is induced. For Tokamak de Varennes (TdeV) [Decoste et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1497 (1994)] conditions and for 90° waveguide phasing, the stochastic limit in the current drive direction is about 2 keV, determined by the last overlapping mode. The progress of electrons through accessible phase space is very efficient: the TdeV 32 waveguide array can accelerate the electrons to the possible limit. An area‐preserving map is derived to study the electron dynamics. Surface‐of‐section plots fully ...

Effective control of the particle and power flux distributions between the upper and lower divertors has been demonstrated on TdeV, using biasing of the divertor plates, in ohmic discharges with a double null magnetic configuration. Negative biasing of the divertor plates with respect to the walls significantly increases the pressure and the emitted power from the plasma in the active divertor into which E*B drift is directed, but it has little influence on the opposite divertor. This enhanced power dissipation is the result of improved particle retention in the active divertor. The incident power on the plates in the active divertor also increases with biasing, but at a slower rate. The Franck-Condon and charge exchange neutrals contribute significantly to the power loss in the divertors of TdeV in the present operating mode. Positive biasing of the divertor plates has little influence on the total losses from the divertor regions

Measurements in TdeV in the double null configuration show strong asymmetries between the upper and lower divertors. The divertor to which the ion ∇ B drift is directed has a higher density, which varies little with the central line-average density. The electron temperature also exhibits a poloidal variation which depends on the direction of the toroidal magnetic field. The divertor plasma shows a double peak structure which evolves as a function of the central density, with the outer peak varying more rapidly. We have measured flow reversal near the separatrix in the bottom divertor when the ion ∇ B drift is directed away from the X -point. Divertor plate biasing allows us to control the flux of plasma in the SOL; under negative biasing there is a strong increase of the electron density in the active divertor, the one favoured by the E × B flow. Calculations of the energy deposition derived by flush-mounted probes agree well with measurements of the heat load derived from the temperature increase of the divertor tiles.

Large and infrequent collapse events have been observed in high βN advanced tokamak (AT) plasmas in JET. Although they have features similar to large ELMs, they were triggered by core MHD. They caused a considerable loss of the plasma thermal and fast particle energy (∼10% of the total stored energy), but the heat load in the divertor due to these collapse events was small as a fraction of the plasma energy loss compared with regular type-I ELMs. Instead, significant heating of the main chamber wall was observed. A large, toroidally asymmetric, increase in the neutral gas pressure outside the plasma was observed after such events, which caused arcs in the lower hybrid (LH) and ion cyclotron (IC) heating systems and increased reionization in the neutral beam (NB) injectors. The collapses resulted in a reduction in the electron and ion temperatures and toroidal rotation of the whole plasma, a rise in Z eff; and a sufficiently large increase in the peripheral electron density to completely black-out the ECE emission from the plasma core. These features have been modelled to gain an understanding of the plasma behaviour associated with these collapse events and the implication for the operation of AT plasma scenarios with high additional heating power will be discussed.

Experiments on JET with a carbon-fibre composite wall have explored the reduction of steady-state power load in an ELMy H-mode scenario at high Greenwald fraction 0.8, constant power and close to the L to H transition. This paper reports a systematic study of power load reduction due to the effect of fuelling in combination with seeding over a wide range of pedestal density ((48)×10 19m 3) with detailed documentation of divertor, pedestal and main plasma conditions, as well as a comparative study of two extrinsic impurity nitrogen and neon. It also reports the impact of steady-state power load reduction on the overall plasma behaviour, as well as possible control parameters to increase fuel purity. Conditions from attached to fully detached divertor were obtained during this study. These experiments provide reference plasmas for comparison with a future JET Be first wall and an all W divertor where the power load reduction is mandatory for operation.

Mechanisms of arc formation have been analyzed and the critical electric fields for the multipactor effect calculated, compared to the experimental values and found to be within the normal operational space of the LH system on JET. It has been shown that the characteristic electron energy (20-1000)eV for the highest multipactor resonances (N = 4-9) are within the limits of secondary electron yield above 1 required for multipactoring. Electrons with these energies provide the highest gas desorption efficiency when hitting the waveguide walls. The effect of higher waveguide modes and magnetic field on the multipactor was also considered. The distribution function for electrons accelerated by LH waves in front of the launcher has been calculated. The field emission currents have been estimated and found to be small. It is proposed that emission of Fel5, 16 lines, which can be obtained with improved diagnostics, could be used to detect arcs that are missed by a protection system based on the reflected power. The reliability and time response of these signals are discussed. A similar technique based on the observation of the emission of low ionized atoms can be used for a fast detection of other undesirable events to avoid sputtering ormore » melting of the plasma facing components such as RF antenna. These techniques are especially powerful if they are based on emission uniquely associated with specific locations and components.« less

Heat loads from ICRF and LH wave absorption in the SOL are characterized on JET from the de‐convolution of surface temperatures measured by infrared thermography. The spatial localization, quantitative estimates, parametric dependence and physical origin of the observed heat fluxes are documented. Implications of these observations are discussed for the operation of JET with an ITER‐Like Wall, featuring Beryllium tiles with reduced power handling capability.

Externally launched lower hybrid (LH) waves do not propagate into the plasma core during operations of JET with radial profiles with relatively high density even at the periphery, approaching the condition necessary for ITER. Modelling results indicate that this problem would be caused by parametric instability (PI)-induced LH spectral broadening, which is expected to occur in the plasma edge and prevents the coupled LH power penetrating the plasma core. However, operation with relatively high electron temperature at the edge is expected to diminish the PI effect and extend the LH current drive effectiveness to reactor-grade high density plasmas, consistent with results obtained in other experiments.

Lower hybrid (LH) wave coupling is modified and usually degraded when the system is powered simultaneously with the ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) antennas magnetically connected to the launcher. This has been attributed to scrape-off layer density modifications by the RF sheaths. LH reflection coefficients dependences on various parameters are investigated and shown to be consistent with RF sheath physics. Gas puffing near the launcher has been used to improve the coupling of LH waves.

In this paper, significant results in the heating and current drive domains obtained at JET in the past few years following systems upgrade and dedicated experimental time, will be reviewed. Firstly, an overview of the new Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF) heating capabilities will be presented i.e. results from the ITER‐Like ICRF antenna (ILA), the use of External Conjugate‐T and 3dB hybrid couplers to increase the ICRF power during ELMy H‐mode. Furthermore, experiments to study the influence of the phasing of the ICRF antenna on power absorption and coupling will be described. Looking at Low Hybrid (LH) issues for ITER, the effect of the location of gas injection on the LH coupling improvement at large launcher‐separatrix distances will be discussed as the possibility to operate at ITER‐relevant power densities. Experiments to characterise the LH power losses in the Scrape‐Off‐Layer (SOL) and to determine the LH wave absorption and current drive using power modulation will be shown. Finally, plas...

LH power modulation was recently used at JET to quantify experimentally the LH current drive efficiency and power deposition. A new approach was applied for the analysis of the amplitude and phase of electron temperature Te perturbations δTe(kωo) at different harmonics k of the modulation frequency ωo. A solution of the Fokker‐Planck equation combined with heat transport modelling was used to study the dependence of the ratio of the perturbation of different harmonics k and n, δTe(kωo)/δTe(nωo), and the phase shift of the harmonics δφ(kωo) on the plasma parameters and electron distribution function plateau width, which is directly connected to the current drive efficiency. The results of the modelling were compared with the experimental data to estimate the current drive efficiency. In addition, LH power deposition profiles were deduced from the radial dependence of δφ(ωo). The maximum of the LH power deposition becomes more peripheral and with a reduced current drive efficiency at higher densities. In H‐...

Good coupling of lower hybrid (LH) waves has been demonstrated in different H-mode scenarios in JET, at high triangularity (delta similar to 0.4) and at large distance between the last closed flux surface and the LH launcher ( up to 15 cm). Local gas injection of D(2) in the region magnetically connected to the LH launcher is used for increasing the local density in the scrape-off layer ( SOL). Reciprocating Langmuir probe measurements magnetically connected to the LH launcher indicate that the electron density profile flattens in the far SOL during gas injection and LH power application. Some degradation in normalized H-mode confinement, as given by the H98(gamma,2)-factor, could be observed at high gas injection rates in these scenarios, but this was rather due to total gas injection and not specifically to the local gas puffing used for LH coupling. Furthermore, experiments carried out in L-mode plasmas in order to evaluate the effect on the LH current drive efficiency, when using local gas injection to improve the coupling, indicate only a small degradation (Delta I(LH)/I(LH) similar to 15%). This effect is largely compensated by the improvement in coupling and thus increase in coupled power when using gas puffing.

During high power commissioning of the JET LH launcher, the radiation and impurity release has been analyzed from various diagnostics: VUV and visible spectroscopy, bolometry. These two last diagnostics have lines‐of‐sight viewing the launcher and can provide information about the electron and/or impurity source localisation. Using a database of 800 plasmas, it is concluded that the iron contamination (FeXV and FeXXIII) is very low for 94% of the pulses and increases linearly with LH power. During arcs, a strong and fast increase of the radiation along the line‐of‐sight viewing the launcher is observed. This diagnostic could provide a tool for arc detection complementary to the RF measurements aiming at reducing the metal contamination in the plasma.

Lower hybrid (LH) current drive experiments have been carried out on JET with an antenna–plasma separatrix distance varying between 0.09 and 0.15 m, and LH power in the range 0–3.2 MW. For different plasma configurations, the electron density ne of the scrape-off layer has been studied by the mean of a reciprocating Langmuir probe magnetically connected to the LH antenna. For pulses in the high confinement regime (H mode) characterized by strong particle bursts in the plasma edge, the edge localized modes (ELMs), profiles of the saturation current (Jsat) are obtained with a sufficient time resolution to distinguish 'between ELMs' and during the rise and decay of the ELMs.It is found that gas injection from a valve located near the LH launcher and magnetically connected to it allows one to raise the density and improve the LH coupling. The Jsat profiles indicate quite clearly that this density rise affects mainly the plasma layer in front of the antenna with a typical thickness of 5 cm. The resulting profile can be extremely flat in this region. The effect of the near-launcher gas injection but also of the LH power and the total gas injection on the density at the wall is quantitatively documented. It is shown in particular that with increasing LH power, the required gas injection for obtaining good LH coupling is decreasing, with no saturation obtained so far. Effect of the ELMs on the LH coupling is also discussed. Modelling with the EDGE2D code indicates that such flat profiles of Jsat/ne can be obtained when LH power dissipation is taken into account. Detailed analysis of the heat flux carried by electrons accelerated in the near-field of the antenna confirms the increase in density with gas puff during high LH power coupling.

In recent JET experiments, Lower Hybrid (LH) power losses in the Scrape‐Off Layer (SOL) were characterized using infra‐red (IR) thermography. Hot spots were observed on objects intercepting the field lines passing in front of the LH launcher, i.e. on poloidal limiters and on dumplates located at the top of the tokamak; their locations being in good agreement with magnetic field line tracing using the EFIT equilibrium code. The dumplate temperature was monitored while scanning the launcher position so that the radial distance between field lines intercepting the hot spots and the launcher was increased up to 3.5 cm. The dissipation layer in front of the launcher was estimated to be at least 3.5 cm wide, in agreement with recent measurements on Tore‐Supra, but not with simple models that predict a dissipation layer in the mm range.

Lower Hybrid (LH) wave coupling deteriorates when the system is pulsed with Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) antennas magnetically connected to the launcher. This has been attributed to the density modifications by the RF sheaths. Reflection Coefficients (RCs) dependencies are investigated and shown consistent with the sheath physics. Gas puffing near the launcher has been used to improve the coupling. Results from a statistical analysis of a particular set of data are summarised.

In ITER, the requirement for the ICRF antenna is to deliver 20 MW in ELMy H‐mode plasmas with an averaged antenna—plasma separatrix distance of 14 cm [1]. Two major problems will have to be solved: the very fast change in antenna loading during ELMs and the decrease of the loading when the plasma is pushed far away from the antenna. JET has the capability to combine these conditions and for the first time, experiments were performed in ELMy H‐mode at antenna—separatrix distance, referred as ROG, varied from 10 to 14 cm. When ROG was increased, the perturbation caused by ELMs was found to decrease significantly and the loading between ELMs was found to deteriorate to very low values. In order to compensate the latter unwanted effect, different levels of deuterium gas were injected in the edge either from the divertor, the midplane or the top of the tokamak. Using this technique, the loading was increased by up to a factor 6 and up to 8 MW of ICRF power were coupled.

LHCD has been used in JET experiments aimed at producing internal transport barriers (ITBs) in highly triangular plasmas ({delta}{approx_equal}0.4) at high {beta}{sub N} (up to 3) for steady-state application. The LHCD is a potentially valuable tool for (i) modifying the target q-profile, which can help avoid deleterious MHD modes and favour the formation of ITBs, and (ii) contributing to the non-inductive current drive required to prolong such plasma regimes. The q-profile evolution has been simulated during the current ramp-up phase for such a discharge (B{sub 0} = 2.3 T, I{sub P} = 1.5 MA) where 2 MW of LHCD has been coupled. The JETTO code was used taking measured plasma profiles, and the LHCD profile modeled by the LHstar code. The results are in agreement with MSE measurements and indicate the importance of the elevated electron temperature due to LHCD, as well as the driven current. During main heating with 18 MW of NBI and 3 MW of ICRH the bootstrap current density at the edge also becomes large, consistently with the observed reduction of the local turbulence and of the MHD activity. JETTO modelling suggests that the bootstrap current can reduce the magnetic shear (sh) at large radius, potentiallymore » affecting the MHD stability and turbulence behaviour in this region. Keywords: lower hybrid current drive (LHCD), bootstrap current, q (safety factor) and shear (sh) profile evolutions.« less

Good coupling of LH power at plasma‐launcher distance of 15 cm has been obtained at JET. Near‐gas injection is used to increase the density in front of the grill. The role of LH power in the density increase at constant gas level is demonstrated. For the first time at JET the temperature of the hot spots caused by parasitic absorption of LH power has been measured.

The non-solenoid start-up technique reported here relies on a double mode conversion for electron Bernstein wave (EBW) excitation. It consists of the mode conversion of the ordinary mode, entering the plasma from the low field side of the tokamak, into the extraordinary (X) mode at a mirror-polarizer located at the high field side. The X mode propagates back to the plasma, passes through electron cyclotron resonance and experiences a subsequent X to EBW mode conversion near the upper hybrid resonance. Finally the excited EBW mode is totally absorbed at the Doppler shifted electron cyclotron resonance. The absorption of EBW remains high even in cold rarefied plasmas. Furthermore, EBW can generate significant plasma current giving the prospect of a fully solenoid-free plasma start-up. First experiments using this scheme were carried out on MAST [V. Shevchenko et al, Nuclear Fusion 50, 022004 (2010)]. Plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved using 28 GHz 100kW 90ms RF pulses. Recently experimental results were extended to longer RF pulses showing further increase of plasma currents generated by RF power alone. A record current of 73kA has been achieved with 450ms RF pulse of similar power. The current drive enhancement was mainly achieved due to RF pulse extension and further optimisation of the start-up scenario., Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures

The lower hybrid current drive efficiency of 66 Tore Supra pulses has been investigated. The ohmic part of the plasma current (0.6–0.9 MA) is very small (Vloop

The recent success in coupling lower hybrid (LH) waves in high performance plasmas at JET together with the first demonstration on FTU of the coupling capability of the new passive active multijunction launcher removed major concerns on the possibility of using LH on ITER. LH exhibits the highest experimental current drive (CD) efficiency at low plasma temperature thus making it the natural candidate for off-axis CD on ITER where current profile control will help in maintaining burning performance on a long-time scale. We review recent LH results: long internal transport barrier obtained in JET with current profile sustained and controlled by LH acting under real time feedback together with first LH control of flat q-profile in a hybrid regime with Te ~ Ti. Minutes long fully non-inductive LH driven discharges on Tore Supra (TS). High CD efficiency with electron cyclotron in synergy with LH obtained in FTU and TS opening the possibility of interesting scenarii on ITER for MHD stabilization. Preliminary results of LH modelling for ITER are also reported. A brief overview of ITER LH system is reported together with some indication of new coming LH experiments, in particular KSTAR where CW klystrons at the foreseen ITER frequency of 5 GHz are being developed.