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Quiescent high-confinement mode plasmas with edge-harmonic oscillations do not exhibit the explosive instabilities associated with edge-localized modes. Instead, an additional means of enhanced transport is considered to maintain the plasma edge under conditions just below the boundary of the peeling mode instability. Although the potential of the peeling mode has been widely recognized in plasma physics, no direct evidence for this mode has been revealed previously because decisive diagnostics were lacking. Herein, we report evidence of the structure and dynamical steady state of peeling mode in quiescent high-confinement mode. Edge-harmonic oscillations are dominated by fundamental mode at both the low- and high-field sides. Edge perturbations are confirmed to have kink parity and exhibit the frozen-in-condition predicted by linear stability analysis. The envelope signal of the fundamental mode exhibits repeated cycles of growth and damping in association with minor changes in the edge gradient. Results from this study are quantitatively consistent with limit-cycle-oscillation model. Unveiling the properties of edge harmonic oscillation is one of the major pursuits to understand complex systems in plasma physics. The authors present measurements at the JT-60U tokamak that show direct observations of peeling modes in quiescent high-confinement tokamak plasmas, offering insights into the “peeling nature” of both laboratory plasmas and astronomical plasmas.

Explosive dynamical events in controlled-nuclear-fusion devices (known as edge-localized modes) display many similarities to solar-flare events on the sun, revealing a new connection between laboratory plasma physics and astronomy. However, to date there has been no direct evidence for the peeling mode structure, due to the lack of decisive diagnostics. Here we report the first evidence for the structure and dynamical steady state of a peeling mode for low-n edge-harmonic oscillations (EHOs) in the quiescent H-mode. EHOs are dominated by the fundamental mode (1fEHO) at both the low- and high-field sides. 1fEHO edge perturbations are confirmed to have kink parity and exhibit the frozen-in-condition predicted by a linear stability analysis. The envelope signal of the 1fEHO mode exhibits repeated cycles of growth and damping to the order of a few hundred Hz associated with small changes in an edge gradient, and results are quantitatively consistent with a limit-cycle-oscillation model.

Disruption is a critical phenomenon in a tokamak reactor. Although disruption causes serious damage to the reactor, its physical mechanism remains unclear. To realize a tokamak reactor, it is necessary to understand and control the disruption phenomenon. The present research constructs a disruption predictor using experimental high-beta plasma data in the JT-60U tokamak. The predictor was constructed using a support vector machine as a linear discriminant, and we focus on a variable selection problem for the binary classification by sparse modeling, specifically, exhaustively searching the best combinations of variables which maximize the predictor performance. By the sparse modeling, we found that the six input parameters as the best combinations. The selected parameters were the n = 1 mode amplitude | B r n = 1 | and its time derivative d | B r n = 1 | / d t , the plasma density (relative to the Greenwald density limit) and its time derivative, and the time derivatives of the plasma internal inductance and plasma elongation. In particular, it was identified that the parameter d | B r n = 1 | / d t , plays a key role on plasma disruption. We should notice that the combination with other plasma parameters is indispensable and remarkably make it possible to improve the performance of disruption prediction.

An incoherent Thomson scattering diagnostic will be installed in the JT-60SA tokamak to measure electron temperature and electron density profiles. The target radial spatial resolution is 25 mm with 46 spatial channels. The accuracy in electron temperature and density is a few percent at ne = 7.5 × 1019 m-3, which is the expected value in the plasma core. This paper presents the designs of collection optics, fibers with their alignment system, and polychromators. The collection optics overcomes unique issues for superconducting fusion devices, i.e., limited design space, high-temperature measurements, and harsh radiation condition. When in several years the more performing plasma will generate intense nuclear radiation, the lens materials of the optics can be replaced by radiation resistant glasses without major changes in the lens holder. It will prevent transmission degradation and keep stable measurement accuracy.

In JT-60U, simultaneous excitation of n = 1 helical cores (HCs) and m/n = 2/1 Tearing Modes (TMs) was observed [T. Bando et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 61 115014 (2019)]. In this paper, we have investigated the excitation mechanism of n = 1 HCs with m/n = 2/1 TMs based on the experimental observations and a simple quasi-linear MHD model. In the previous study, it was reported that a "coupling" on the phase of the MHD mode is observed between n = 1 HCs and m/n = 2/1 TMs. In this study, it is found that the coupling is observed with the mode frequency from several Hz to 6 kHz. This indicates that the resistive wall and the plasma control system do not induce the coupling because the both time scales are different from the mode frequency. In addition, n = 1 HCs appear to be the non-resonant mode from the two observations: n = 1 HCs do not rotate with the plasma around the q = 1 surface in the core and the coupling is also observed even when qmin > 1. It is also observed that the electron fluctuation due to an n = 1 HC in the core region disappears with the stabilization of an m/n = 2/1 neoclassical tearing mode by electron cyclotron current drive, implying that n = 1 HCs are driven by m/n = 2/1 TMs. This perspective, n = 1 HCs are driven by m/n = 2/1 TMs, is supported by the observation that the saturated amplitude of the m/n = 1/1 component of the radial displacement in the core is smaller than that of the m/n = 2/1 component. Finally, we revisit a quasi-linear MHD model where the m/n = 1/1 HC is induced directly by the sideband of the current for the m/n = 2/1 TM, which allows to excite the non-resonant m/n = 1/1 mode. The model also describes the characteristic of the coupling, fm/n=1/1(HC) = 2fm/n=2/1(TM).

Materials and structures of a collimator for a new neutron emission profile monitor in JT-60SA are examined through Monte Carlo simulations using the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code. First, the shielding properties of various material combinations are compared in order to determine a combination with high shielding performances against both neutrons and gamma-rays. It is found that a collimator consisting of borated polyethylene and lead has a high shielding performance against neutrons. Moreover, a high shielding performance against gamma-rays is obtained when a lead pipe with a radial thickness of 0.01 m is inserted into a collimation tube. Second, we demonstrate that it is possible to improve the spatial resolution to a desired level by installing a thin tubular extension structure that fits into the limited space available between the main collimator block and the tokamak device. Finally, the collimator structures that meet both the targeted spatial resolutions (

A field of view (FoV) of the resistive bolometer systems specialized for the total radiated power analysis has been designed with bolometer systems having multiple-apertures in JT-60SA. The multi-aperture bolometer system can reduce the required number of bolometer channels for the determination of the total radiated power. The FoV design has been carried out to minimize unobserved and overlapping regions with the following requirements: (i) independent determination of the divertor and the main plasma radiation, (ii) limitation of the use of only three diagnostic ports, and (iii) a redundant FoV design. With the designed FoV, the whole plasma of JT-60SA is viewed by only five bolometers and five replicated bolometers having the same FoV for redundancy. A signal evaluation with the designed FoV with a predetermined radiation profile indicates that even the lowest performing bolometer exhibits a signal to noise (S/N) ratio of 300 or more. The evaluated S/N ratio is high enough for the total radiated power analysis. Using the designed FoV, the total radiated power over the plasma profile can be determined within 5.3% using only five bolometers.

Edge localized mode (ELM) must be eliminated which enhances the erosion of divertor plates in the Hmode operation of tokamak reactors. Suppression of ELM has been experimentally achieved by the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) with multipartite coils. In a DEMO reactor with strong neutron flux, however, it is desired the coils near the first wall not to be put in. We propose an innovative concept of the RMP for tokamak DEMO reactors without installing coils but inserting ferritic steels of the helical configuration. Helically perturbed magnetic field is naturally formed in the axisymmetric toroidal magnetic field through the helical ferritic steel inserts (FSIs). The perturbation amplitude in the plasma pedestal region can easily be set above several 10-4 of the toroidal field strength in the DEMO reactor condition, which is enough for the RMP to mitigate/suppress ELMs.

Two design techniques for the field of view (FoV) of a resistive bolometer system for the analysis of the total radiated power have been developed. The first technique is a new concept of the resistive bolometer system having multiple apertures to achieve a large viewing angle with one bolometer channel. The second technique is an optimization technique of the bolometer location in the major radial direction to minimize error of the analysis. Both techniques have been examined with a virtual tokamak device. By a FoV designed with both techniques, the total radiation power of several radiation profiles can be determined within 3% error of the analysis with one bolometer channel.

By using a fully three dimensional magnetic field orbit-following Monte-Carlo code, the energetic ion confinement was investigated for the current conceptual design of the ferromagnetic components in ITER which will be employed for reducing the toroidal magnetic field (TF) ripple. The ferromagnetic insert is effective in the reference standard scenario with Q = 10 (Scenario No. 2) and steady state scenario with Q = 5 (Scenario No. 4) to improve the energetic ion confinement. Over-compensation appears at half of the full toroidal magnetic field and its effect becomes stronger when the quantity of the ferromagnetic insert is increased in order to more reduce the TF ripple at the full toroidal magnetic field. Though the current design is acceptable, whether to increase the ferromagnetic insert to achieve lower TF ripple amplitude at the full field operation depends on how prospected are possibilities of lower field operations. Planned test blanket modules do not induce large loss (

The design activity of JT-60SA (JT-60 Super Advanced) addresses the remodeling of JT-60 to a superconducting tokamak device under the JA-EU collaborative ITER–BA project. For the JT-60SA control system, the existing system should be reused as much as possible from the viewpoint of cost-effectiveness. Initial considerations of the configuration of the advanced supervisory control system (SVCS) including the following systems are: (1) an ultimate flexibility real-time control system, (2) a precision timing system able to diagnose a plasma event having a time range of ∼1 μs, and (3) a safety shutdown control system. In this report, we present the design study of the JT-60SA SVCS with the focus on the above systems.

A recent series of dimensionless pedestal identity experiments at JET and JT-60U failed to produce a match in the dimensional pedestal parameters and edge-localized mode (ELM) frequency despite a good match in the main dimensionless plasma parameters. This paper describes the progress made in understanding these experimental results. First, it is investigated whether differences in the magnetohydrodynamic stability of the pedestal, including those potentially arising from the 10% difference in the aspect ratio between the two tokamaks, can explain the results. The potential effects of differences in plasma rotation between the two machines are also examined. Given the result that these mechanisms fail to explain the experimental observations and the fact that JT-60U features considerably stronger toroidal magnetic field ripple than JET, the bulk of the paper, however, discusses the effects of ripple losses. The analysis shows that ripple losses of thermal ions can affect H-mode plasma performance very sensitively. Orbit-following simulations indicate that losses due to diffusive transport give rise to a wide radial distribution of enhanced ion thermal transport, whereas non-diffusive losses have a very edge-localized distribution. In predictive transport simulations with an energy sink term in the continuity equation for the ion pressure representing non-diffusive losses, reduced performance as well as an increase in the ELM

The degradation of energy confinement with increased toroidal beta βT was shown by non-dimensional analysis in JT-60U. The dependence of the energy confinement on βT was examined by both the JT-60U ELMy H-mode confinement database and the dedicated experiment on a single βT scan while and ν* were kept fixed as well as the other magnetic geometrical parameters. In both cases, the degradation of energy confinement with increasing βT was observed, satisfying the relation of . This dependence is a little weaker than that predicted by the IPB98(y, 2) scaling. The fusion power production rate was estimated to increase in proportion to .

Dependence of the energy confinement in ELMy H-mode tokamak on the beta has been investigated for a long time, but a common conclusion has not been obtained so far. Recent non-dimensional transport experiments in JT-60U demonstrated clearly the beta degradation. A database for JT-60U ELMy H-mode confinement was assembled. Analysis of this database is carried out, and the strong beta degradation consistent with the above experiments is confirmed. Two subsets of ASDEX Upgrade and JET data in the ITPA H-mode confinement database are analysed to find the origin of the various beta dependences. The shaping of the plasma cross section, as well as the fuelling condition, affects the confinement performance. The beta dependence is not identical for different devices and conditions. The shaping effect, as well as the fuelling effect, is a possible candidate for causing the variation of beta dependence.

Characteristics of the edge pedestal has been studied for the high βp ELMy H mode and the reversed shear ELMy H mode in JT-60U. The contribution of the pedestal is around 20% for the confinement improvement factor, the normalized beta, and the bootstrap fraction. The upper boundary of the fusion performance measure increases with the pedestal poloidal beta, βp-ped. At high triangularity, δ, βp-ped increases with the total βp (βp − tot) almost linearly for positive shear type I ELMy discharges. This dependence is not due to the profile stiffness, since the dependence is the same for the discharges both with and without an internal transport barrier (ITB). In the reversed shear ELMy H mode, βp-ped increases with βp-tot on the same line as the positive shear cases except at high q95 = 8–9.3. In the high plasma current regime, the final structure with both an ITB and edge transport barrier seems to be determined by the balance between the expanding ITB-foot radius and deepening ELM penetration: the ELM penetration radius deepens with increasing pedestal stored energy and then reaches the ITB-foot radius. The ITB-foot seems to behave as a barrier against the ELM crash penetration, and shrinks after a few ELM attacks, and the ELM penetration follows the shrinking ITB-foot.

The paper reviews recent theoretical and experimental results focussing on the identification of the key factors controlling ELM energy and particle losses both in natural ELMs and in the presence of external controlling mechanisms. Present experiment and theory pointed out the benefit of the high plasma shaping, high q(95) and high pedestal density in reducing the ELM affected area and conductive energy losses in Type I ELMs. Small benign ELMs regimes in present machines (EDA, HRS, Type II, Grassy, QH, Type III in impurity seeded discharges at high delta) and their relevance for ITER are reviewed. Recent studies of active control of ELMs using stochastic boundaries, small pellets and edge current generation are presented. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A method of measuring the fluctuation spectrum by means of conventional microwave reflectometry is proposed and discussed. The technique is based on the analytical solution of the full-wave equation of microwave propagation and scattering inside the plasma. The reflectometer signal simulated using the reconstructed fluctuations is consistent with the amplitude spectrum of the experimental reflectometer signal. The accuracy of the method is tested on a number of specially modelled data sets, which correspond to isotropic and anisotropic fluctuations, multiple scattering by strong turbulence, and random motion of turbulent modes. We conclude that for the case of small fluctuations our method allows us to reconstruct the profile of the poloidal wavenumber spectrum with a high accuracy, while the turbulence amplitude is estimated within a 40–60% error bar. Multiple scattering deteriorates both the wavenumber spectrum profile and turbulence amplitude estimations.As an illustration, we apply our technique to estimate the fluctuation level and poloidal wavenumber spectrum shape in the ELM-free H mode plasma of the JT-60U tokamak.

The mitigation of the large pulsed heat loads induced by edge-localized modes (ELMs) on the divertor plates is one of the most important issues for a tokamak fusion reactor. However, ELMs have been completely suppressed in the quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) plasmas produced in the DIII-D tokamak (see Burrell K H et al 2002 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 44 A253). One of the key conditions for producing QH-mode plasmas is that the direction of neutral beam injection (NBI) should be opposite to that of the plasma current (i.e. ctr-NBI), which then leads to the toroidal rotation velocity being in the counter direction to the plasma current. By using various combinations of NBI lines in JT-60U, it has been possible to investigate the impact of the toroidal rotation velocity on ELM behaviour by changing the toroidal momentum input in a detailed manner for similar absorbed NB heating power. It has been determined that the ELM frequency decreases with increased counter toroidal rotation velocity at the plasma edge even to the point of the ELMs disappearing. In addition, the magnitude of the pulsed Dα signal at the divertor decreases with decreasing ELM frequency. These results indicate that it is possible to control the ELM behaviour through the toroidal momentum input.

Recent progress in experimental and theoretical studies of edge localized mode (ELM) physics is reviewed for the reactor relevant plasma regimes, namely the high confinement regimes, that is, H-modes and advanced scenarios.Theoretical approaches to ELM physics, from a linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability analysis to non-linear transport models with ELMs are discussed with respect to experimental observations, in particular the fast collapse of pedestal pressure profiles, magnetic measurements and scrape-off layer transport during ELMs.High confinement regimes with different types of ELMs are addressed in this paper in the context of development of operational scenarios for ITER. The key parameters that have been identified at present to reduce the energy losses in Type I ELMs are operation at high density, high edge magnetic shear and high triangularity. However, according to the present experimental scaling for the energy losses in Type I ELMs, the extrapolation of such regimes for ITER leads to unacceptably large heat loads on the divertor target plates exceeding the material limits. High confinement H-mode scenarios at high triangularity and high density with small ELMs (Type II), mixed regimes (Type II and Type I) and combined advanced regimes at high βp are discussed for present-day tokamaks. The optimum combination of high confinement and small MHD activity at the edge in Type II ELM scenarios is of interest to ITER. However, to date, these regimes have been achieved in a rather narrow operational window and far from ITER parameters in terms of collisionality, edge safety factor and βp.The compatibility of the alternative internal transport barrier (ITB) scenario with edge pedestal formation and ELMs is also addressed. Edge physics issues related to the possible combination of small benign ELMs (Type III, Type II ELMs, quiescent double barrier) and high performance ITBs are discussed for present-day experiments (JET, JT-60U, DIII-D) in terms of their relevance for ITER. Successful plasma edge control, at high triangularity (~0.5) and high density (~0.7nGR), in ITB scenarios in JET is reported.Active control of ELMs by edge current, pellet injection, impurities and external magnetic perturbations creating an ergodic zone localized at the separatrix are discussed for present-day experiments and from the perspective of future reactors.

The use of microwave reflectometry in the estimation of the bicoherency of the turbulent modes in plasmas is theoretically investigated. The full-wave two-dimensional model of microwave scattering in plasma is applied to simulate the reflectometer response to the turbulent fluctuations, consisting of random and coherent modes, and the simulated data ensemble is further processed to obtain the auto-bicoherence function. The sensitivity of the method was analysed for different ambient plasma profiles, geometry, fluctuation spectra and amplitudes. It was found that for plasma conditions similar to the edge JT-60U tokamak plasma, reflectometry-based estimations of the bicoherency can prove the existence of the phase-coupled modes only if the ratio of coherent to random amplitudes is larger than unity. Reflectometry in plasmas with stronger curvature of the cut-off layer has a better sensitivity to coherent fluctuations as compared to weak-curvature profiles. As an illustration, the results obtained were applied to the data ensemble acquired by the O-mode reflectometer on the JT-60U tokamak to demonstrate the existence of strong phase coupling in the H-mode plasma near the separatrix.

An analytical model of fluctuation reflectometry is developed, which is capable of handling the plasma profiles of arbitrary shape and curvature. The experimental profiles are piece-wise approximated by the functions, which allow for the integration of the full-wave O-mode equation. The model is applied to the reflectometry of the JT-60U tokamak plasma to provide a preliminary estimation of the fluctuation amplitude and spectral width.

Recent developments and results of fast charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) using interference filter method are reported. In order to measure the rapid change of the ion temperature and rotation velocity under collapse or transition phenomena with high-time resolution, two types of interference filter systems were applied to the CXRS diagnostics on the JT-60U Tokamak. One can determine the Doppler broadening and Doppler shift of the CXR emission using three interference filters having slightly different center wavelengths. A rapid estimation method of the temperature and rotation velocity without non-linear least square fitting is presented. The modification of the three-filters system enables us to improve the minimum time resolution up to 0.8 ms, which is better than that of 16.7 ms for the conventional CXRS system using the CCD detector in JT-60U. The other system having seven wavelength channels is newly fabricated to crosscheck the results obtained by the three-filters assembly, that is, to verify that the CXR emission forms a Gaussian profile under collapse phenomena. In a H-mode discharge having giant edge localized modes, the results obtained by the two systems are compared. The applicability of the three-filters system to the measurement of rapid changes in temperature and rotation velocity is demonstrated.

Fusion plasma performance and confinement studies on JT-60 and JT-60U are reviewed. With the main aim of providing a physics basis for ITER and the steady-state tokamak reactors, JT-60/JT-60U has b...

The results of analytical solution of time-dependent two-dimensional full-wave equation are presented here for the case of fluctuation reflectometry. We consider a family of plasma density profiles with cylindrical symmetry, which allow for an integration of the microwave scattering equation. Based on the results of analytical modelling, Doppler reflectometry as a method of plasma velocity measurements is investigated. It is shown that the accuracy of Doppler shift measurements is sensitive to the spectral content of the broadband turbulence, as well as to the curvature of the plasma cut-off layer. Addressing the problem of fluctuation amplitude measurements, it is suggested that a power-related parameter of the microwave signal, called fluctuation index, is suitable to quantify the plasma turbulence level provided that the fluctuation spectrum is a priori estimated. As an illustration, we apply our model to estimate the density fluctuation level in the edge plasma of the JT-60U tokamak.

Simultaneous fast measurements of electron density and temperature, Dα emission and Mirnov probe fluctuations in JT-60U during type I ELMs have been performed. Density fluctuations, measured with two vertical chords of the far infrared interferometer (FIR) at low and high field sides, have been found instrumental in determining spatial structure of type I ELMs (fluctuations localized mainly at the low field side) and duration of its MHD phase. Two different mechanisms for the initial phase of the interaction between the ELM-induced power and particle flows into the scrape-off layer (SOL) and the divertor target have been considered. They may explain the observed difference in the behaviour of Dα emission spikes at the inner and outer targets, which is related to the value of electron collisionality at the pedestal before the ELM. In ELMs with low pedestal collisionality, sharp fronts of Dα emission spikes at the inner and outer strike points and their simultaneous occurrence, coincident with the start of large-scale oscillations observed on the FIR channels, is observed. It is concluded that in such ELMs, plasma-wall interaction is initiated by a power flow conducted to the target through electron channel. In ELMs with high pedestal collisionality (but still of type I), slower evolution of fast signals was observed, with more gradual Dα spikes and clear time delays between outer and inner Dα channels, consistent with the mechanism of convective parallel energy fluxes with the ion sound speed proposed at JET.

Resistive wall modes (RWM) associated with ideal magnetohydrodynamic current-driven (βN 2.4) kink modes with low toroidal mode number n (n = 1) have been identified in JT-60U. The pressure-driven RWM occurs at the plasma toroidal rotation of about 1% the Alfven speed without clear continuous slowing down of the plasma toroidal rotation. Occurrence of n = 1 RWMs result in thermal quench accompanied by higher n (n ≥ 2) modes. In the case of current-driven (˜ zero β) RWMs, a thermal quench occurs only at the peripheral region just after the RWM. In contrast, a thermal quench occurs in the whole plasma region following a drastic increase in the growth rate of the RWM from the order of τw-1 (τw is the resistive diffusion time of the wall) to larger than 102 τw-1in the case of pressure-driven (high β) RWMs.

The dependence of the ion-temperature-gradient scale length on the hydrogen isotope mass was examined in conventional H-mode plasmas in JT-60U tokamak. While identical profiles for density and temperature were obtained for hydrogen and deuterium plasmas, the ion conductive heat flux necessary for hydrogen to sustain the same ion temperature profile was two times that required for deuterium, resulting in a clearly higher ion heat diffusivity for hydrogen at the same ion-temperature-gradient scale length. On the other hand, the ion-temperature-gradient scale length for deuterium is less than that for hydrogen at a given ion heat diffusivity.

The paper compares the transport properties of a set of dimensionless identity experiments performed between JET and JT-60U in the advanced tokamak regime with internal transport barrier, ITB. These International Tokamak Physics Activity, ITPA, joint experiments were carried out with the same plasma shape, toroidal magnetic field ripple and dimensionless profiles as close as possible during the ITB triggering phase in terms of safety factor, normalized Larmor radius, normalized collision frequency, thermal beta, ratio of ion to electron temperatures. Similarities in the ITB triggering mechanisms and sustainment were observed when a good match was achieved of the most relevant normalized profiles except the toroidal Mach number. Similar thermal ion transport levels in the two devices have been measured in either monotonic or non-monotonic q-profiles. In contrast, differences between JET and JT-60U were observed on the electron thermal and particle confinement in reversed magnetic shear configurations. It was found that the larger shear reversal in the very centre (inside normalized radius of 0.2) of JT-60U plasmas allowed the sustainment of stronger electron density ITBs compared with JET. As a consequence of peaked density profile, the core bootstrap current density is more than five times higher in JT-60U compared with JET. Thanks to the bootstrap effect and the slightly broader neutral beam deposition, reversed magnetic shear configurations are self-sustained in JT-60U scenarios. Analyses of similarities and differences between the two devices address key questions on the validity of the usual assumptions made in ITER steady scenario modelling, e.g. a flat density profile in the core with thermal transport barrier? Such assumptions have consequences on the prediction of fusion performance, bootstrap current and on the sustainment of the scenario.

Experiments at DIII-D investigated the effects of magnetic error fields similar to those expected from proposed ITER test blanket modules (TBMs) containing ferromagnetic material. Studied were effects on: plasma rotation and locking, confinement, L–H transition, the H-mode pedestal, edge localized modes (ELMs) and ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations, energetic particle losses, and more. The experiments used a purpose-built three-coil mock-up of two magnetized ITER TBMs in one ITER equatorial port. The largest effect was a reduction in plasma toroidal rotation velocity v across the entire radial profile by as much as Δv/v ∼ 60% via non-resonant braking. Changes to global Δn/n, Δβ/β and ΔH98/H98 were ∼3 times smaller. These effects are stronger at higher β. Other effects were smaller. The TBM field increased sensitivity to locking by an applied known n = 1 test field in both L- and H-mode plasmas. Locked mode tolerance was completely restored in L-mode by re-adjusting the DIII-D n = 1 error field compensation system. Numerical modelling by IPEC reproduces the rotation braking and locking semi-quantitatively, and identifies plasma amplification of a few n = 1 Fourier harmonics as the main cause of braking. IPEC predicts that TBM braking in H-mode may be reduced by n = 1 control. Although extrapolation from DIII-D to ITER is still an open issue, these experiments suggest that a TBM-like error field will produce only a few potentially troublesome problems, and that they might be made acceptably small.

The pressure at the top of the edge transport barrier (or ‘pedestal height’) strongly impacts fusion performance, while large edge localized modes (ELMs), driven by the free energy in the pedestal region, can constrain material lifetimes. Accurately predicting the pedestal height and ELM behavior in ITER is an essential element of prediction and optimization of fusion performance. Investigation of intermediate wavelength MHD modes (or ‘peeling–ballooning’ modes) has led to an improved understanding of important constraints on the pedestal height and the mechanism for ELMs. The combination of high-resolution pedestal diagnostics, including substantial recent improvements, and a suite of highly efficient stability codes, has made edge stability analysis routine on several major tokamaks, contributing both to understanding, and to experimental planning and performance optimization. Here we present extensive comparisons of observations to predicted edge stability boundaries on several tokamaks, both for the standard (Type I) ELM regime, and for small ELM and ELM-free regimes. We further discuss a new predictive model for the pedestal height and width (EPED1), developed by self-consistently combining a simple width model with peeling–ballooning stability calculations. This model is tested against experimental measurements, and used in initial predictions of the pedestal height for ITER.

We have observed a bursting mode in the high-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ plasmas above the ideal $\ensuremath{\beta}$ limit without a conducting wall. The mode frequency is chirping down as the mode amplitude increases, and its initial value is close to the precession frequency of the trapped energetic particle from the perpendicular neutral beams. The mode structure is radially extended with a peak around the $q=2$ surface. This mode can finally trigger the resistive wall mode (RWM) despite enough plasma rotation for RWM stabilization. It is concluded that the mode is driven by trapped energetic particles. The mode is attributed to the interaction between the trapped energetic particles and a marginally stable mode in the wall-stabilized high-${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{N}$ region.

The toroidal plasma rotation generated by the external momentum input and by the plasma itself (intrinsic rotation) has been separated through a novel momentum transport analysis in the JT-60U tokamak device. The toroidal rotation, which is not determined by the momentum transport coefficients and the external momentum input, has been observed. It is found that this intrinsic rotation is locally determined by the local pressure gradient and increases with increasing pressure gradient. This trend is almost the same for various plasmas: low and high confinement mode, co and counterrotating plasmas.

Recent results of control of current profile and instability using radiofrequency wave in JT‐60U and prediction analysis in JT‐60SA are descried. In JT‐60U, control of current profile in high‐beta regime was demonstrated by using a real‐time system, where the motional Stark effect diagnostic and lower hybrid wave were used as a detector and actuator, respectively. The minimum value of the safety factor was raised from 1.3 to 1.7 so as to follow the commanded value. Complete stabilization of a neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) with the poloidal mode number m = 2 and the toroidal mode number n = 1 was demonstrated using electron cyclotron (EC) current drive. By scanning the location of EC current drive in detail, strong stabilization effect was found for misalignment less than about half of the full island width. In addition, destabilization of the 2/1 NTM was observed for misalignment comparable to the full island width. Simulation of NTM stabilization in JT‐60SA was performed by using the TOPICS code combined with the modified Rutherford equation. The TOPICS simulation showed that complete stabilization can be achieved more effectively by optimizing the EC wave injection angle and modulating the EC wave.Recent results of control of current profile and instability using radiofrequency wave in JT‐60U and prediction analysis in JT‐60SA are descried. In JT‐60U, control of current profile in high‐beta regime was demonstrated by using a real‐time system, where the motional Stark effect diagnostic and lower hybrid wave were used as a detector and actuator, respectively. The minimum value of the safety factor was raised from 1.3 to 1.7 so as to follow the commanded value. Complete stabilization of a neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) with the poloidal mode number m = 2 and the toroidal mode number n = 1 was demonstrated using electron cyclotron (EC) current drive. By scanning the location of EC current drive in detail, strong stabilization effect was found for misalignment less than about half of the full island width. In addition, destabilization of the 2/1 NTM was observed for misalignment comparable to the full island width. Simulation of NTM stabilization in JT‐60SA was performed by using the TOPICS code combin...

A broadband microwave reflectometer was applied to the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror using a fast-sweep hyperabrupt varactor-tuned oscillator (HTO) that can be swept over the full band (12–18 GHz) in less than 5 μs. Clear fringes are observed during a plasma shot when the resultant frequencies from the reflectometer output are much larger than the ion cyclotron range of frequency (3–10 MHz). The density profile measurement is performed for various sweep times of HTO from 1 ms to 5 μs in which two reconstruction methods are utilized, zero-cross counting of the fringes and frequency analysis using the maximum entropy method. The reliability of the profile measurement seems to be improved when the sweep time is faster than 10–30 μs. The integrated value of many reconstructed density profiles agrees well with the profile obtained from a scanning interferometer. The fast-sweep reflectometer is also applied to the measurement of density fluctuations such as plasma movement as well as density profiles.

A new transmission line for electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic has been introduced in order to improve a signal-to-noise ratio and to observe the structure of electron temperature in the toroidal direction. Installation and calibration have been finished as planned. It is found that a signal-to-noise ratio of a heterodyne radiometer is improved by a factor of >5, and that toroidal mode number can be identified by comparing ECE signal from the new transmission line with that from the existing transmission line located 60 degrees apart in the toroidal direction. Also, both toroidal and poloidal structures have been observed during a large collapse in a reversed shear discharge by the simultaneous measurement

Microwave reflectometry has been applied to the central cell of the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror for measurements of fluctuations in the ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF). The instability with frequency ω

Since its inception in 2002, the International Tokamak Physics Activity topical group on Integrated Operational Scenarios (IOS) has coordinated experimental and modelling activity on the development of advanced inductive scenarios for applications in the ITER tokamak. The physics basis and the prospects for applications in ITER have been advanced significantly during that time, especially with respect to experimental results. The principal findings of this research activity are as follows. Inductive scenarios capable of higher normalized pressure (beta(N)>= 2.4) than the ITER baseline scenario (beta(N) = 1.8) with normalized confinement at or above the standard H-mode scaling are well established under stationary conditions on the four largest diverted tokamaks (AUG, DIII-D, JET, JT-60U), demonstrated in a database of more than 500 plasmas from these tokamaks analysed here. The parameter range where high performance is achieved is broad in q(95) and density normalized to the empirical density limit. MHD modes can play a key role in reaching stationary high performance, but also define the limits to achieved stability and confinement. Projection of performance in ITER from existing experiments uses empirical scalings and theory-based modelling. The status of the experimental validation of both approaches is summarized here. The database shows significant variation in the energy confinement normalized to standard H-mode confinement scalings, indicating the possible influence of additional physics variables absent from the scalings. Tests using the available information on rotation and the ratio of the electron and ion temperatures indicate neither of these variables in isolation can explain the variation in normalized confinement observed. Trends in the normalized confinement with the two dimensionless parameters that vary most from present-day experiments to ITER, gyroradius and collision frequency, are significant. Regression analysis on the multi-tokamak database has been performed, but it appears that the database is not conditioned sufficiently well to yield a new scaling for this type of plasma. Coordinated experiments on size scaling using the dimensionless parameter scaling approach find a weaker scaling with normalized gyroradius than the standard H-mode scaling. Preliminary studies on scaling with collision frequency show a favourable scaling stronger than the standard H-mode scaling. Coordinated modelling activity has resulted in successful benchmarking of modelling codes in the ITER regime. Validation of transport models using these codes on present-day experiments is in progress, but no single model has been shown to capture the variations seen in the experiments. However, projection to ITER using these models is in general agreement with the favourable projections found with the empirical scalings.

Numerical stability analysis of edge-localized MHD mode is performed to identify the origin of small-amplitude ‘grassy ELMs’ on the basis of current understanding of kinetic effects on ballooning mode stability. These qualitative and quantitative analyses show that short wavelength ballooning mode can play an important role in a grassy ELM stability even when kinetic effects are taken into account. After showing the importance of kinetic effects for discussing grassy ELM physics, impacts of plasma parameters important for realizing a grassy ELM plasma experimentally are investigated numerically from the viewpoint of the edge-localized MHD stability including these kinetic effects. These analyses show that low plasma ellipticity is preferable to realize a grassy ELM plasma due to destabilizing ballooning mode by preventing access to the second stability region of the ballooning mode.

The first detailed measurements of ion-impurity dynamics for NBI-heated ELMy H-modes at the edge of the JT-60U tokamak are reported. We investigated the ability of external momentum/power input to modify and control the radial electric field, E r , and pedestal structures. The relationship between E r and pedestal structures of ion-impurity density, n i, and temperature, T i, during the ELMing H-mode phase for various momentum input directions (i.e. co-, balanced- and counter-NBI) and input powers from perpendicular NBI are compared with the ELM-free phase. The observed trend is that the edge E r -well width increases in the co-NBI discharge, while the E r value at the base of the E r -well becomes more negative in the counter-NBI discharge. The scale length for both n i and T i in the pedestal is ∼2 cm and values are ∼1 for both ELM-free and ELMing phases with different magnitudes of E r (and/or E r shear). Characteristics of the turbulent density fluctuation, in addition to a uniform toroidal MHD oscillation (i.e. n = 0), during both ELM-free and ELMing phases are also reported.

By conducting power scan experiments using perpendicular neutral beams (NBs) after the injection of tangential NBs in directions co-, balanced and counter to the plasma current, the unified effect of counter-toroidal rotation and heating power on type-I edge-localized modes (ELMs) was investigated in a JT-60U tokamak. ELM frequency f ELM increased monotonically together with the power across the separatrix P sep for all the cases of tangential NBs. However, dependence of f ELM on P sep was explicitly stronger than a simple proportionality when perpendicular NBs were injected. The toroidal rotation velocity at the H-mode pedestal shifted continuously in the counter-direction when perpendicular NBs were applied. At fixed values of , f ELM increased clearly in proportion to P sep. In addition, this proportionality between f ELM and P sep holds regardless of the mixture of datasets of the toroidal momentum inputs. The proportional coefficient decreased as shifted in the co-direction.

The effects of toroidal field (TF) ripple on the edge pedestal characteristics were examined in the TF ripple scan experiments at the plasma current I p of 1.1 MA in JET and JT-60U. The TF ripple amplitude δR was defined as a value averaged over the existing ripple wells at the separatrix on the outer midplane. By the installation of ferritic inserts (FIs), δR was reduced from 1% to 0.6% at 3.2T (0.5% at 2.2 T) in JT-60U. In JET, δR was varied from 0.08% to 1% by feeding different currents to the odd and even set of coils out of 32 TF coils. The pedestal pressure p ped was similar for the cases before and after the installation of FIs in JT-60U. Similarly, no clear difference in p ped was also observed in the variation of δR in JET. The core and edge toroidal rotation clearly shifted in the counter-direction by increased δR. However, there were no changes in the spatial profiles of electron density, electron temperature and ion temperature. By the installation of FIs in JT-60U, the ELM frequency f ELM decreased by ∼20%, while the ELM energy loss increased by 50–150%. The increased ELM loss power by 30% suggests a reduction of inter-ELM transport with the reduced δR. In JET, f ELM increased only slightly with increased δR while the edge toroidal rotation frequency decreased as δR increased. From the inter-machine similarity experiment at 1.1 MA, TF ripple less than 1% does not strongly affect the pedestal pressure. However, in the single TF ripple scan at the higher I p of 2.6 MA in JET, it clearly decreases with the increased δR, accompanying with a strong density pump out at large TF ripple. These results suggests that the effect of TF ripple on H-mode properties becomes stronger in the plasmas with higher I p or lower edge collisionality of ripple diffusion.

Mechanisms of plasma rotation effects on edge magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability are investigated numerically by introducing energies that are distinguished by physics. By comparing them, it is found that an edge-localized MHD mode is destabilized by the difference between the eigenmode frequency and the equilibrium toroidal rotation frequency, which is induced by rotation shear. In addition, this destabilizing effect is found to be effective in the shorter wavelength region. The effect of poloidal rotation on the edge MHD stability is also investigated. Under the assumption that the change in equilibrium by poloidal rotation is negligible, it is identified numerically that poloidal rotation can have both stabilizing and destabilizing effects on the edge MHD stability, which depends on the direction of poloidal rotation. A numerical analysis demonstrates that these effects of plasma rotation in both the toroidal and poloidal directions can play important roles in type-I edge-localized mode phenomena in JT-60U H-mode plasmas.

Charge exchange recombination spectroscopy measurements with high spatial and temporal resolution have made the evaluation of the radial electric field (E r ) in the JT-60U tokamak peripheral region possible with a better signal-to-noise ratio. In a very low density (19 m−3) L-mode phase, the gradient in E r (or, equivalently, in poloidal rotation, V θ) was found to start increasing prior to an increase in the ion temperature (T i). As the E r values in the region r/a > 0.94 started to become negative, down to −40 kV m−1 (similar to V ϕ), the steepening of the T i profile in the same region accelerated. Even though the numerical value of V ϕ was considerably smaller than that of V θ, its contribution to shear could be significant: while for r/a ⩾ 0.90 V ϕ became increasingly negative; it simultaneously became increasingly positive for r/a < 0.90. Clean bifurcations in the edge E r values between weak negative and strong negative ones were observed in the later ELM-free H-mode phase, with essentially the same confinement properties corresponding to two very different E × B shearing rates. The ‘normal’ ELMy H-mode took place only after the bifurcations. The results indicate that energy confinement improvement may not necessarily be connected to E × B shear suppression of turbulence.

The detailed characteristics of the precursor of the type I edge localized mode (ELM) have been studied in JT-60U using diagnostics with high temporal and spatial resolution such as a microwave reflectometer, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) heterodyne radiometer and grating polychromator. Coherent density and temperature precursors have been observed before the collapse phase of type I ELM. The growth rate of the precursor is evaluated to be γ/ωA ∼ 10−3 for several edge pedestal conditions. From the phase delay between ECE signals measured at two toroidal locations and the frequency of the precursor, the toroidal mode number is experimentally evaluated as n = 8–10 or 14–16 assuming that the precursor rotates toroidally with the same toroidal rotation speed of carbon impurity. It is found that the dominant n varies with each ELM under the same plasma condition. The ratio of the pressure gradient inside the pedestal (∇p in) to the pressure gradient within the pedestal (∇p ped) has been confirmed as an important parameter in determining the ELM energy loss (ΔW ELM) normalized to the pedestal stored energy (W ped), ΔW ELM/W ped. From the comparison of the reduction rate in the ion temperature profile due to ELMs, a larger reduction rate within the pedestal and a wider ELM affected area are observed in the plasma with larger ∇p in/∇p ped. When the plasma near the top of the pedestal on the high-field side is heated by an electron cyclotron wave (ECW) power of 1.57 MW, the ΔW ELM/W ped is reduced by ∼35%, together with an increase in the ELM frequency. The increasing rate of the ELM frequency with the heating power is about four times larger in the ECW injection case than the natural power dependence observed in the neutral beam injection case.

In JT-60U, a frequency hopping reflectometer has been developed to evaluate the poloidal rotation velocity as a Doppler reflectometer and the radial correlation of density fluctuations in plasmas. The system can measure the radial profile of density fluctuations or the radial correlation profile at two spatial points within 250 ms by combining with the other fixed frequency reflectometer. The radial profiles of the poloidal rotation velocity evaluated from the Doppler-shifted frequency spectrum of density fluctuations show a positive radial electric field in co-rotating plasmas and a negative radial electric field in counter-rotating plasmas. Density fluctuation measurement at the internal transport barrier (ITB) using a correlation reflectometer revealed that long-range correlation increased when ITB was degraded owing to the central heating by electron cyclotron waves.

AnL/Rmodel that predicts the current decay time from the circuit equation is essentially used for the design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. In order to verify the validity of theL/Rmodel in the determination of current decay time during disruption, the plasma current decay time in the JT-60U tokamak is studied using experimental plasma resistance and inductance. The plasma resistance during the initial phase of current quench is estimated from the electron temperature profile measured using the electron cyclotron emission diagnostic system and by measuring the He I line emission intensity ratios and plasma inductance is estimated by the Cauchy-Condition surface method using magnetic sensor signals. Further, the radiation-induced disruptive plasma discharges with massive neon gas puffing are also analysed. The observed area-normalized current decay times have a weak dependence on the electron temperature, particularly in a small decay time region (5–10 ms m−2). The observed decay times are lesser by one order of magnitude than the decay times estimated by theL/Rmodel. However, a novel model for decay time prediction, which takes into account the time derivative of the plasma inductance, wields results that are extremely consistent with the experimental decay time.

A lithium beam probe (LiBP) has been developed for the measurement of electron density profiles with highly spatial and temporal resolutions in JT-60U. Using an electron beam heating ion source with a capability of 10 mA extraction, a 5.5 mA beam has been injected to the plasmas. It corresponds to the equivalent neutral beam current of 2 mA. A spectrum width of the beam emission has been small enough to separate Zeeman splitting. By use of the LiBP, time evolutions of pedestal density profiles during type I and grassy edge localized modes (ELMs) have been obtained for the first time. After a type I ELM crash, the drop of the line-integrated density measured by an interferometer delays by 2 ms later than that of the pedestal density. Comparing the line-integrated density to the line integration of the edge density profile measured by the LiBP, it is found that the recovery from the type I ELM crash is correlated with the reduction of core plasma density. As for grassy ELMs, grassy ELMs have smaller density crashes than that of type I ELMs, which is mainly derived from the narrower ELM affected area.

Dynamics of ion internal transport barrier (ITB) formation and impurity transport both in the Large Helical Device (LHD) heliotron and in the JT-60U tokamak are described. Significant differences between heliotron and tokamak plasmas are observed. The location of the ITB moves outwards during the ITB formation regardless of the sign of magnetic shear in JT-60U, and the ITB becomes more localized in plasmas with negative magnetic shear. In LHD, a low T e/T i ratio (