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It has long been known that high temperature superconductors (HTS) could have an important role to play in the future of tokamak fusion research. Here we report on first results of the use of HTS in a tokamak magnet and on the progress in design and construction of the first fully-HTS tokamak.

Cryogenic pellet injection has been used in START and it is under commissioning for MAST for fuelling and diagnostics. In START NBI, heated plasmas fuelled with deuterium pellets, high normalized density (Greenwald number NG≤1.1) with good energy confinement time (τE/τEelmfITER97≤1.3) both at high beta (βT≤25%, βN≤4.9) have been obtained for time scales close to the energy confinement time (∼τE). In addition, high fuelling efficiency (∼100%) have also been simultaneously observed. A complete pellet injection programme is currently under development in MAST, including the commissioning of a eight pellet injector, technical aspects of launching pellets through guide tubes, dedicated diagnostics, and modelling.

The COMPASS-D tokamak has recently obtained H-mode plasmas in a single-null X-point configuration with no additional heating. Clear H-mode signatures have been observed including reduction in Dalpha light and the unmistakable appearance of ELMs and ELM-free periods. Recycling and gas puff can play crucial roles in achieving and terminating the H-modes. The emergence of distinct ELMs, from the apparently-random fluctuations, of the background Dalpha light, is usually one of progression, taking some 10s of ms rather than a sudden discontinuity. The relatively slow evolution allows for detail examination of important phenomena, such as improvements to confinement and fluid rotation. The H-mode quality improves with density, unless impurity accumulation becomes important. Improvements to the energy and particle confinement are observed and are accompanied by positive increases in the radial electric field at approximately=4 cm inside the last closed flux surface (LCFS). The ohmic powers in discharges with clearly defined H-modes have not been less, so far, than the power obtained from power threshold scalings from larger machines.

Low‐aspect‐ratio tokamaks offer both the economic advantage of smaller size and a number of physics advantages which are not available at conventional aspect ratio. The Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokamak (START) [Fusion Technology 1990, edited by B. E. Keen, M. Huguet, and R. Hemsworth (North‐Holland, Amsterdam, 1991), Vol. 1, p. 353] was conceived as a first substantial test of tokamak plasma behavior at low aspect ratio. It has achieved plasma currents up to 200 kA, peak densities of ∼2×1020 m−3 and central electron temperatures of ∼500 eV at an aspect ratio of 1.3–1.5. Central beta values of ∼13% have been measured and the volume‐averaged beta 〈β〉 can approach the Troyon limit. Plasmas are naturally elongated (κ≲2.0) and are vertically stable without feedback control. Major disruptions have not been observed at low aspect ratios (A≤2.0).

Experimental results from the COMPASS-C tokamak reveal a sharp threshold in amplitude above which externally applied static resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) induce stationary magnetic islands. Such islands (in particular, m=2, n=1 islands) give rise to a significant degradation in energy and particle confinement, suppression of the sawtooth oscillation and a large change in the impurity ion toroidal velocity. The observed threshold for inducing stationary (2,1) islands is consistent with a phenomenological resistive MHD model which takes into account plasma rotation (including poloidal flow damping) and externally applied resonant fields. Broadly similar results are found for applied fields other than m=2, n=1. Other results from RMP experiments are also discussed, such as the stabilization of rotating MHD activity, stimulated disruptions and extensions to the disruptive density limit. Finally, the likely effect of field errors on large tokamaks is briefly examined in the light of the COMPASS-C results

Low aspect ratio tokamaks may provide a low cost route to developing magnetic fusion energy and may offer simpler and more economic fusion reactors. The first test of this concept with hot plasmas has been conducted with the Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokamak (START) experiment now in operation at Culham Laboratory. The novel method of plasma formation is described and observations of plasmas at aspect ratios as low as 1.3 are presented, indicating high temperature discharges with good global stability properties and typical tokamak characteristics. This represents a new and significant extension of the parameter range of the conventional tokamak

Otherwise stable discharges can become nonlinearly unstable to disruptive locked modes when subjected to a resonant m=2, n=1 error field from irregular poloidal field coils, as in DIII‐D [Nucl. Fusion 31, 875 (1991)], or from resonant magnetic perturbation coils as in COMPASS‐C [Proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics, Berlin (EPS, Petit‐Lancy, Switzerland, 1991), Vol. 15C, Part II, p. 61]. Experiments in Ohmically heated deuterium discharges with q≊3.5, n ≊ 2 × 1019 m−3 and BT ≊ 1.2 T show that a much larger relative error field (Br21/BT ≊ 1 × 10−3) is required to produce a locked mode in the small, rapidly rotating plasma of COMPASS‐C (R0 = 0.56 m, f≊13 kHz) than in the medium‐sized plasmas of DIII‐D (R0 = 1.67 m, f≊1.6 kHz), where the critical relative error field is Br21/BT ≊ 2 × 10−4. This dependence of the threshold for instability is explained by a nonlinear tearing theory of the interaction of resonant magnetic perturbations with rotating plasmas that p...

The question of the influence of nonaxisymmetric field perturbations on tokamaks is investigated. Recent experiments in the COMPASS‐C tokamak [in Proceedings of the 15th Symposium on Fusion Technology, Utrecht (North‐Holland, Amsterdam, 1989), Vol. 1, p. 361] with externally applied helical fields reveal that magnetic islands do not appear until the applied field exceeds a certain value, when plasma rotation and confinement are affected. A new resistive magnetohydrodynamic model including plasma rotation now provides an explanation of this threshold, and is quantitatively consistent with experimental results in Ohmic plasmas. The results indicate the tolerable error fields in future tokamaks. The effects of perturbations with various poloidal and toroidal mode numbers have been studied.

In the week before the 13th IAEA Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research in Washington, DC, 45 participants from 16 nations gathered in Arlington, VA, for a three day meeting on Research Using Small Tokamaks under the chairmanship of D. Banner (IAEA). One of the aims of this series of meetings is to provide a forum for countries with small or developing tokamak programmes to present their recent results and, perhaps more importantly, to exchange ideas. There are usually some representatives from the more advanced fusion programmes, for example from some of the several small tokamaks just starting operation in the USA. The large number of small tokamaks represented is listed in Table I. There are, of course, many other devices that were not represented at this meeting. Most of the papers were on experimental and theoretical programmes developed within a single laboratory, but there were some co-operative experiments between small and large laboratories. Each talk was accompanied by a written paper which will appear, as usual, in an IAEA Technical Document.

START continues to provide key results on the 'spherical tokamak' concept. This paper outlines the engineering solutions adopted to overcome problems of space restrictions in a very low aspect ratio tokamak, whilst providing high performance at low cost.

The highly successful tight aspect ratio tokamak research pioneered on the START machine at Culham, together with the attractive possibilities of the concept, suggest a larger device should be considered. The design of a Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak is described, operating at much higher currents and over longer pulses than START and compatible with strong additional heating.

There is increasing interest in the behaviour of tokamaks with tight aspect ratios, A (A=Ro/a), where toroidal effects become very important [ 1 ], World experience is of tokamaks with A>2.5, but recent theoretical studies predict that devices such as the ‘spherical torus’ reactor may have significant advantages in the search for economic fusion power. As yet however there are no experimental results with high temperature plasmas, in this area. START is specifically intended to study the physics behaviour at extremely tight aspect ratios, as low as 1.2.

Experiments are described which investigate the parametric variation of particle confinement in heated and unheated decaying plasmas in the Culham Superconducting Levitron. The parameter range investigated, expressed in terms of a collisionality parameter, is similar to that found in the current generation of reverse-field pinch experiments and in the edge regime of present-day tokamak experiments. The variation of the particle confinement time with electron temperature, electron-density and magnetic field strength was found to be approximately of the form τp ∝ T½ B2/n which is that expected for classical diffusion . The measured confinement times were, however, shorter than those predicted by classical diffusion by a factor of 3–10, depending on the magnetic shear. The diffusion rate was found to be approximately proportional to where s is the mean shear length. Low-frequency spectra of floating-potential fluctuations were measured, and it was found that the amplitude of these fluctuations was reduced by increasing magnetic shear. The resistive-g mode has been suggested as a possible explanation for the low-frequency fluctuations, and the diffusion coefficient predicted for this mode (D = γ/k2) has a scaling similar to that observed.

Using a neutral-beam injection power of 3.4 M W, volume-averaged toroidal betas of up to βT = 4.5% have been obtained in low-toroidal-field, low-qψ, vertically elongated discharges in the Doublet III tokamak. This level of βT is above the minimum level required for a tokamak reactor, thus demonstrating that reactor level values of βT are possible in a tokamak device. The observed enhancement of βT with vertical elongation lends confidence in the design of future devices which rely on vertical elongation.

Summary The first Neutral Injection System Beamline became operational on the Doublet III tokamak in September 1981. Power delivery tests and system debugging proceeded through December and initial experiments on plasma heating were started in January 1982. This first beamline has been running well and as of February 1982 is routinely delivering about 2.0 MW of neutral hydrogen power to various circular and elongated dee-shaped deuterium plasmas. The second beamline is now being brought on-line and we expect to have 5–6 MW of heating power available for definitive β studies in mid 1982. We find that the change in the total plasma stored energy caused by the beams is essentially independent of toroidal field and plasma current, but increases weakly with density. The total stored energy increases with current and density, but is independent of toroidal field. A volume-average βT= 2.2% is obtained in low toroidal field discharges.

Non-inductive current drive using second harmonic ECRH at both 28 GHz and 60 GHz has been studied in the CLEO tokamak. At 60 GHz, RF driven currents of up to 5 kA have been observed at e = 4 × 1018m−3 for 185 kW of injected power, indicating an efficiency of η ≡ eIRFR0/PRF = 0.001 (1020 m−3, A, m, W−1). The RF driven current scaled linearly with total plasma current in the range of 5-15 kA and was maximized when the cyclotron resonance was located near to the centre of the plasma. Sawtooth activity was normally strongly affected and transient sawtooth stabilization was often observed. With detailed theoretical studies it is possible to reproduce both the high absorption efficiencies and the scaling of RF driven current with resonance position seen in the 60 GHz experiments. However, the magnitude of the observed current is a factor of about three below that theoretically predicted. At 28 GHz, no evidence of RF driven current could be detected. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

The helical distortion of a compact tokamak plasma with currents in modular Furth-Hartman type coils is investigated with respect to the impact on the magnetic field structure and to the ideal magnetohydrodynamic stability. A sequence of configurations, in which the current in the helical coils is increased up to the level of that of the main toroidal coils, is generated. The magnetic field structure acquires a ripple along the field lines when the currents in both sets of coils becomes comparable. The magnitude of this ripple depends on the modulation of the Furth-Hartman coils on their winding surface. The local ideal ballooning stability properties deteriorate with the increasing helical deformation of the plasma shape because the normal magnetic field line curvature becomes larger in regions where the helical contribution enhances the toroidicity component while the local magnetic shear vanishes. The global external kink stability properties, in contrast, improve because the normal curvature on average does not change while the local magnetic shear acquires a noticeable helical modulation.