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A mathematical model for the charging simulation of non-insulated superconducting pancake solenoids is presented. Numerical solutions are obtained by the simulation model using a variety of solvers. A scalability analysis is performed for both direct and preconditioned iterative solvers for four different pancakes solenoids with varying number of turns and mesh elements. It is found that even with two extremely different time scales in the system an iterative solver combination (FGMRES-GMRES) in conjunction with the parallel Auxiliary Space Maxwell Solver (AMS) preconditioner outperforms a parallelized direct solver (MUMPS). In general, the computational time of the iterative solver is found to increase with the number of turns in the solenoids and/or the conductivity assumed for the superconducting material.

International audience; The presence of magnetic dust can be an important issue for future fusion reactors where plasma breakdown is critical. Magnetic dust has been collected from contemporary fusion devices (FTU, Alcator C-Mod, COMPASS and DIII-D) that feature different plasma facing components. The results of morphological and elemental analysis are presented. Magnetic dust is based on steel or nickel alloys and its magnetism is generated by intense plasma-material interactions. In spite of the strong similarities in terms of morphology and composition, X-ray diffraction analysis revealed differences in the structural evolution that leads to non-trivial magnetic responses.

Owing to its high magnetic field, high power, and compact size, the SPARC experiment will operate with divertor conditions at or above those expected in reactor-class tokamaks. Power exhaust at this scale remains one of the key challenges for practical fusion energy. Based on empirical scalings, the peak unmitigated divertor parallel heat flux is projected to be greater than 10 GW m−2. This is nearly an order of magnitude higher than has been demonstrated to date. Furthermore, the divertor parallel Edge-Localized Mode (ELM) energy fluence projections (~11–34 MJ m−2) are comparable with those for ITER. However, the relatively short pulse length (~25 s pulse, with a ~10 s flat top) provides the opportunity to consider mitigation schemes unsuited to long-pulse devices including ITER and reactors. The baseline scenario for SPARC employs a ~1 Hz strike point sweep to spread the heat flux over a large divertor target surface area to keep tile surface temperatures within tolerable levels without the use of active divertor cooling systems. In addition, SPARC operation presents a unique opportunity to study divertor heat exhaust mitigation at reactor-level plasma densities and power fluxes. Not only will SPARC test the limits of current experimental scalings and serve for benchmarking theoretical models in reactor regimes, it is also being designed to enable the assessment of long-legged and X-point target advanced divertor magnetic configurations. Experimental results from SPARC will be crucial to reducing risk for a fusion pilot plant divertor design.

Statistical properties of the scrape-off layer plasma fluctuations are studied in ohmically heated plasmas in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. For the first time, plasma fluctuations as well as parameters that describe the fluctuations are compared across measurements from a mirror Langmuir probe (MLP) and from gas-puff imaging (GPI) that sample the same plasma discharge. This comparison is complemented by an analysis of line emission time-series data, synthesized from the MLP electron density and temperature measurements. The fluctuations observed by the MLP and GPI typically display relative fluctuation amplitudes of order unity together with positively skewed and flattened probability density functions. Such data time series are well described by an established stochastic framework that models the data as a superposition of uncorrelated, two-sided exponential pulses. The most important parameter of the process is the intermittency parameter, $\gamma = {\tau _{d}} / {\tau _{w}}$ , where ${\tau _{d}}$ denotes the duration time of a single pulse and ${\tau _{w}}$ gives the average waiting time between consecutive pulses. Here we show, using a new deconvolution method, that these parameters can be consistently estimated from different statistics of the data. We also show that the statistical properties of the data sampled by the MLP and GPI diagnostic are very similar. Finally, a synthetic GPI signal using only plasma parameters sampled by the MLP shows qualitatively different fluctuation statistics from the measured GPI signal.

This paper reports the latest lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experimental and modeling investigations conducted on Alcator C-Mod, which further elucidates the role of the scrape-off layer (SOL) in determining the magnitude and profile of wave power deposition. In the latest C-Mod LHCD experiment, with a proper management of the SOL plasma, a recovery of efficient current drive is observed in a diverted configuration at densities exceeding the previously identified LH density limit of n¯e ≈ 1.0x1020 m−3. By operating at higher current, i.e., at lower Greenwald fraction, the SOL width is reduced and the turbulence level is minimized. Under this condition, parasitic wave power losses occurring in the edge/SOL region are found to be minimized. In our modeling study, a shift or spread in the poloidal mode number by the SOL turbulence is investigated in order to better match the experimental power deposition profile with an available ray-tracing/Fokker-Planck model. The approach is to introduce an additional spectral broadening mechanism by launching the rays with a non-negligible poloidal wavenumber component while preserving the launched n// power spectrum. This approach contrasts to spectral broadening achieved in the n// space. An initial modeling investigation on the C-Mod plasma reproduces an experimental on-axis power deposition profile.

Boronization is a Plasma Facing Component (PFC) conditioning technique widely used in tokamak machines. The National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) applied this conditioning, using a plasma glow with a deuterated Trimethyl-boron (d-TMB) and He mixture. The use of boronization during the campaign improved the plasma performance, allowing longer plasma discharges and H-mode access. The chemical state of an ATJ graphite sample, used as a proxy for the NSTX-U PFCs, was monitored in-situ using the Materials Analysis Particle Probe (MAPP) diagnostic and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS data showed a progressive rise (from

For the first time, a digital Mirror Langmuir Probe (MLP) has successfully sampled plasma temperature, ion saturation current, and floating potential together on a single probe tip in real time in a radio-frequency driven helicon linear plasma device. This is accomplished by feedback control of the bias sweep to ensure a good fit to I-V characteristics with a high frequency, high power digital amplifier, and field-programmable gate array controller. Measurements taken by the MLP were validated by a low speed I-V characteristic manually collected during static plasma conditions. Plasma fluctuations, induced by varying the axial magnetic field (f̃ = 10 Hz), were also successfully monitored with the MLP. Further refinement of the digital MLP pushes it toward a turn-key system that minimizes the time to deployment and lessens the learning curve, positioning the digital MLP as a capable diagnostic for the study of low radio-frequency plasma physics. These demonstrations bolster confidence in fielding such digital MLP diagnostics in magnetic confinement experiments with high spatial and adequate temporal resolution, such as edge plasma, scrape-off layer, and divertor probes.

International audience; Magnetic dust collected from multiple fusion devices (FTU, Alcator C-Mod, COMPASS) that feature different plasma-facing components (PFCs) and toroidal magnetic fields has been analyzed by means of the X-ray diffraction technique aiming to investigate the nature and origin of dust magnetism. Analysis led to the conclusion that the main mechanism of ferromagnetic dust formation is the change of iron crystalline phase from austenitic to ferritic during the re-solidification of stainless steel droplets. Analysis also revealed differences in the collected dust structure and an unexpectedly high amount of stainless steel based dust in its native austenitic phase. Theoretical estimates showed that the magnetic moment force can also mobilize strongly paramagnetic adhered dust prior to the establishment of proper tokamak discharges. The post-mortem analysis of dust collected during pure magnetic discharges in FTU confirmed these estimates.

As part of an effort to validate the edge plasma model in the SOLPS-ITER code suite under ITER-relevant divertor plasma and neutral conditions, we report on progress in the modeling of the Alcator C-Mod divertor plasma with the new code. We perform simulations with a complete drifts model and kinetic neutrals, including effects of neutral viscosity, ion-molecule collisions and Lyα-opaque conditions, but assuming a pure deuterium plasma. Through a series of simulations with varying divertor geometries, we show the importance of including neutal leakage paths through the divertor substructure on the divertor plasma solution. Moreover, the impact of drifts on inner-outer target asymmetries is assessed. Including both effects, we achieve excellent agreement between simulations and upstream and outer target Langmuir Probe data. In absence of strong volumetric losses due to e.g. impurity radiation in our simulations, the strong inner target detachment observed experimentally remains elusive in our modeling at present. Keywords: SOLPS-ITER, Alcator C-Mod, Divertor modeling

New experiments on Alcator C-Mod reveal that the favorable impurity screening characteristics of the high-field side (HFS) scrape-off layer (SOL), previously reported for single null geometries, is retained in double null configurations, despite the formation of an extremely thin SOL. In balanced double-null, nitrogen injected locally into the HFS SOL is better screened by a factor of 2.5 compared to the same injection into the low field side (LFS) SOL. This result is insensitive to plasma current and Greenwald fraction. Nitrogen injected into the HFS SOL is not as well screened (only a factor of 1.5 improvement over LFS) in unbalanced double-null discharges, when the primary divertor is in the direction of B×∇B. In this configuration, impurity ‘plume’ emission patterns indicate that an opposing E × B drift competes with the parallel impurity flow to the divertor. In balanced double-null plasmas, the dispersal pattern exhibits a dominant E × B motion. Unbalanced discharges with the primary divertor opposite the direction of B×∇B exhibit excellent HFS screening characteristics – a factor of 5 enhancement compared to LFS. These data support the idea that future tokamaks should locate all RF actuators and close-fitting wall structures on the HFS and employ near-double-null magnetic topologies, both to precisely control plasma conditions at the antenna/plasma interface and to maximally mitigate the impact of local impurity sources arising from plasma-material interactions. Keywords: Alcator C-Mod; Impurity screening; Double null; High field side scrape-off layer, United States. Department of Energy (Contract DE-FC02-99ER54512)

A study of long-legged tokamak divertor configurations is performed with the edge transport code UEDGE (Rognlien et al., J. Nucl. Mater. 196, 347, 1992). The model parameters are based on the ADX tokamak concept design (LaBombard et al., Nucl. Fusion 55, 053020, 2015). Several long-legged divertor configurations are considered, in particular the X-point target configuration proposed for ADX, and compared with a standard divertor. For otherwise identical conditions, a scan of the input power from the core plasma is performed. It is found that as the power is reduced to a threshold value, the plasma in the outer leg transitions to a fully detached state which defines the upper limit on the power for detached divertor operation. Reducing the power further results in the detachment front shifting upstream but remaining stable. At low power the detachment front eventually moves to the primary X-point, which is usually associated with degradation of the core plasma, and this defines the lower limit on the power for the detached divertor operation. For the studied parameters, the operation window for a detached divertor in the standard divertor configuration is very small, or even non-existent; under the same conditions for long-legged divertors the detached operation window is quite large, in particular for the X-point target configuration, allowing a factor of 5–10 variation in the input power. These modeling results point to possibility of stable fully detached divertor operation for a tokamak with extended divertor legs., United States. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344)

A rich variety of field-aligned fluctuations has been revealed using fast imaging of Dα emission from Alcator C-Mod's lower X-point region. Field-aligned filamentary fluctuations are observed along the inner divertor leg, within the Private-Flux-Zone (PFZ), in the Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) outside the outer divertor leg, and, under some conditions, at or above the X-point. The locations and dynamics of the filaments in these regions are strikingly complex in C-Mod. Changes in the filaments’ generation appear to be ordered by plasma density and magnetic configuration. Filaments are not observed for plasmas with n/nGreenwald ≲ 0.12 nor are they observed in Upper Single Null configurations. In a Lower Single Null with 0.12 ≲ n/nGreenwald ≲ 0.45 and Bx∇B directed down, filaments typically move up the inner divertor leg toward the X-point. Reversing the field direction results in the appearance of filaments outside of the outer divertor leg. With the divertor targets “detached”, filaments inside the LCFS are seen. These studies were motivated by observations of filaments in the X-point and PFZ regions in MAST, and comparisons with those observations are made. Keywords: Alcator C-Mod, Turbulence, Divertor, X-point, Filaments

Extremely intense power exhaust channels are projected for tokamak-based fusion power reactors; a means to handle them remains to be demonstrated. Advanced divertor configurations have been proposed as potential solutions. Recent modelling of tightly baffled, long-legged divertor geometries for the divertor test tokamak concept, ADX, has shown that these concepts may access passively stable, fully detached regimes over a broad range of parameters. The question remains as to how such divertors may perform in a reactor setting. To explore this, numerical simulations are performed with UEDGE for the long-legged divertor geometry proposed for the ARC pilot plant conceptual design—a device with projected heat flux power width ( ) of 0.4 mm and power exhaust of 93 MW—first for a simplified Super-X divertor configuration (SXD) and then for the actual X-point target divertor (XPTD) being proposed. It is found that the SXD, combined with 0.5% fixed-fraction neon impurity concentration, can produce passively stable, detached divertor regimes for power exhausts in the range of 80–108 MW—fully accommodating ARC’s power exhaust. The XPTD configuration is found to reduce the strike-point temperature by a factor of ∼10 compared to the SXD for small separations (∼1.4 ) between main and divertor X-point magnetic flux surfaces. Even greater potential reductions are identified for reducing separations to ∼1 or less. The power handling response is found to be insensitive to the level of cross-field convective or diffusive transport assumed in the divertor leg. By raising the separatrix density by a factor of 1.5, stable fully detached divertor solutions are obtained that fully accommodate the ARC exhaust power without impurity seeding. To our knowledge, this is the first time an impurity-free divertor power handling scenario has been obtained in edge modelling for a tokamak fusion power reactor with of 0.4 mm.

Experiments indicate that the formation of density shoulders in the far scrape-off layer (SOL) is associated with an increase in cross-field transport and the propagation of coherent structures of high density known as blobs. It has been suggested that far SOL divertor collisionality (Λdiv) may be a controlling parameter in this physics, which could be challenging for heat flux mitigation schemes. At Alcator C-Mod, a new high spatial resolution divertor Langmuir probe array (rail probes) combined with a scanning Mirror Langmuir probe has been used to investigate this phenomenon in detail. Experiments were performed to mitigate divertor heat flux and thus increase Λdiv by two different methods and observe the divertor and scrape-off layer plasma response: (1) a 3-point density scan is found to increase the fluctuation intermittency at both the midplane and divertor, and produce a density shoulder at elevated Greenwald fraction; (2) a 3-point N2 seeding scan is found to increase the divertor strike point collisionality, by over two orders of magnitude yet no noticeable trend is observed in either the density profile or the fluctuation statistics. It is concluded that Λdiv near the strike point is not by itself a controlling parameter for SOL fluctuations and shoulder formation which is important for localized heat flux mitigation schemes targeting the strike point where heat flux is the greatest.

Launching lower hybrid (LH) waves from the high field side (HFS) of a tokamak offers significant advantages over low–field-side (LFS) launch with respect to both wave physics and plasma material interactions (PMIs). The higher magnetic field opens the window between wave accessibility and the condition for strong electron Landau damping, allowing LH waves from the HFS to penetrate into the core of burning plasma, while waves launched from the LFS are restricted to the periphery of the plasma. The lower parallel refractive index ( $n\vert \vert $ ) of the waves launched from the HFS yields a higher current drive efficiency as well. The absence of turbulent heat and particle fluxes on the HFS, particularly in double null configuration, makes it the ideal location to minimize PMI damage to the antenna structure. The quiescent scrape off layer (SOL) also eliminates the need to couple LH waves across a long distance to the separatrix, as the antenna can be located close to plasma without risking damage to the structure. The Advanced Divertor eXperiment (ADX) will include an LH launcher located on the HFS. The LH system for ADX will make use of the existing infrastructure from Alcator C-Mod, including sixteen 250-kW klystrons at 4.6 GHz (total source power of 4 MW), high-voltage power supply, and controls. The ADX vacuum vessel design includes dedicated space for waveguide runs, pressure windows, and vacuum feedthroughs for accessing the HFS wall. Compact antenna designs based on proven technologies (e.g., multijunction and four-way splitter antennas) fit within the available space on the HFS of the ADX. Wave coupling simulations of these launchers with HFS SOL density profiles showing good coupling can be obtained by adjusting the distance between the separatrix and the HFS wall. Guard limiters on each side of the LH antenna protect the structure during ramp-up, ramp-down, and off-normal events.

Efficient lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) is demonstrated at densities up to n[over ¯]_{e}≈1.5×10^{20} m^{-3} in diverted plasmas on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak by operating at increased plasma current-and therefore reduced Greenwald density fraction. This density exceeds the nominal "LH density limit" at n[over ¯]_{e}≈1.0×10^{20} m^{-3} reported previously, above which an anomalous loss of current drive efficiency was observed. The recovery of current drive efficiency to a level consistent with engineering scalings is correlated with a reduction in density shoulders and turbulence levels in the far scrape-off layer. Concurrently, rf wave interaction with the edge and/or scrape-off-layer plasma is reduced, as indicated by a minimal broadening of the wave frequency spectrum measured at the plasma edge. These results have important implications for sustaining steady-state tokamak operation and indicate a pathway forward for implementing efficient LHCD in a reactor.

The ARC pilot plant conceptual design study has been extended beyond its initial scope [B. N. Sorbom et al., FED 100 (2015) 378] to explore options for managing ∼525 MW of fusion power generated in a compact, high field (B0 = 9.2 T) tokamak that is approximately the size of JET (R0 = 3.3 m). Taking advantage of ARC's novel design – demountable high temperature superconductor toroidal field (TF) magnets, poloidal magnetic field coils located inside the TF, and vacuum vessel (VV) immersed in molten salt FLiBe blanket – this follow-on study has identified innovative and potentially robust power exhaust management solutions. The superconducting poloidal field coil set has been reconfigured to produce double-null plasma equilibria with a long-leg X-point target divertor geometry. This design choice is motivated by recent modeling which indicates that such configurations enhance power handling and may attain a passively-stable detachment front that stays in the divertor leg over a wide power exhaust window. A modified VV accommodates the divertor legs while retaining the original core plasma volume and TF magnet size. The molten salt FLiBe blanket adequately shields all superconductors, functions as an efficient tritium breeder, and, with augmented forced flow loops, serves as an effective single-phase, low-pressure coolant for the divertor, VV, and breeding blanket. Advanced neutron transport calculations (MCNP) indicate a tritium breeding ratio of ∼1.08. The neutron damage rate (DPA/year) of the remote divertor targets is ∼3–30 times lower than that of the first wall. The entire VV (including divertor and first wall) can tolerate high damage rates since the demountable TF magnets allow the VV to be replaced every 1–2 years as a single unit, employing a vertical maintenance scheme. A tungsten swirl tube FLiBe coolant channel design, similar in geometry to that used by ITER, is considered for the divertor heat removal and shown capable of exhausting divertor heat flux levels of up to 12 MW/m2. Several novel, neutron tolerant diagnostics are explored for sensing power exhaust and for providing feedback control of divertor conditions over long time scales. These include measurement of Cherenkov radiation emitted in FLiBe to infer DT fusion reaction rate, measurement of divertor detachment front locations in the divertor legs with microwave interferometry, and monitoring “hotspots” on the divertor chamber walls via IR imaging through the FLiBe blanket. ©2018, DOE NNSA Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (No. DE-NA0002135), National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant No. DGE1122374)

Plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak in ohmic and high confinement modes have been analyzed using gas puff imaging data. In all cases investigated, the time series of emission from a single spatially-resolved view into the gas puff are dominated by large-amplitude bursts, attributed to blob-like filament structures moving radially outwards and poloidally. There is a remarkable similarity of the fluctuation statistics in ohmic plasmas and in edge localized mode-free and enhanced D-alpha high confinement mode plasmas. Conditionally averaged wave forms have a two-sided exponential shape with comparable temporal scales and asymmetry, while the burst amplitudes and the waiting times between them are exponentially distributed. The probability density functions and the frequency power spectral densities are self-similar for all these confinement modes. These results are strong evidence in support of a stochastic model describing the plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer as a super-position of uncorrelated exponential pulses. Predictions of this model are in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in both ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas. The stochastic model thus provides a valuable tool for predicting fluctuation-induced plasma-wall interactions in magnetically confined fusion plasmas., 17 pages, 10 figures

Large-amplitude, intermittent fluctuations are ubiquitous in the boundary region of magnetically confined plasmas and lead to detrimental plasma-wall interactions in the next-generation, high duty cycle fusion power experiments. Using gas puff imaging data time series from the scrape-off layer in the Alcator C-Mod device, it is here demonstrated that the large-amplitude fluctuations can be described as a super-position of pulses with fixed shape and constant duration. By applying a new deconvolution algorithm on the data time series with a two-sided exponential pulse function, the arrival times and amplitudes of the pulses can be estimated and the measurement time series can be reconstructed with high accuracy. The pulse amplitudes are shown to follow an exponential distribution. The waiting times between pulses are uncorrelated, their distribution has an exponential tail, and the number of arrivals is a linear function of time. This demonstrates that pulse arrivals follow a homogeneous Poisson process. Identical statistical properties apply to both ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas, clearly demonstrating universality of the fluctuation statistics in the boundary region of Alcator C-Mod., 17 pages, 11 figures

The next generation fusion machines are likely to face enormous heat exhaust problems. In addition to summarizing major issues and physical processes connected with these problems, we discuss how advanced divertors, obtained by modifying the local geometry, may yield workable solutions. We also point out that: (1) the initial interpretation of recent experiments show that the advantages, predicted, for instance, for the X-divertor (in particular, being able to run a detached operation at high pedestal pressure) correlate very well with observations, and (2) the X-D geometry could be implemented on ITER (and DEMOS) respecting all the relevant constraints. A roadmap for future research efforts is proposed.

A study to examine some current issues in the physics of the plasma sheath has been recently carried out in DIII-D low power Ohmic plasmas using both flush and domed Langmuir probes, divertor Thomson scattering (DTS), an infrared camera (IRTV), and a new calorimeter triple probe assembly mounted on the Divertor Materials Evaluation System (DIMES). The sheath power transmission factor was found to be consistent with the theoretically predicted value of 7 (±2) for low power plasmas. Using this factor, the three heat flux profiles derived from the LP, DTS, and calorimeter diagnostic measurements agree. Comparison of flush and domed Langmuir probes and divertor Thomson scattering indicates that proper interpretation of flush probe data to get target plate density and temperature is feasible and could potentially yield accurate measurements of target plate conditions where the probes are located.

Fluctuations in the boundary region of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have been analyzed using gas puff imaging data from a set of Ohmically heated plasma density scan experiments. It is found that the relative fluctuation amplitudes are modest and close to normally distributed at the separatrix but become increasingly larger and intermittent towards the main chamber wall. The frequency power spectra are nevertheless similar for all radial positions and line-averaged densities. Predictions of a stochastic model, describing the plasma fluctuations as a super-position of uncorrelated pulses, are shown to be in excellent agreement with the measurements. This implies that the pulse duration is the same, while the degree of pulse overlap decreases radially outwards in the scrape-off layer. The model also describes the rate of threshold level crossings, which provide novel predictions of plasma--wall interactions due to transient transport events., 8 figures

High bandwidth, high spatial resolution measurements of electron temperature, density, and plasma potential are valuable for resolving turbulence in the boundary plasma of tokamaks. While conventional Langmuir probes can provide such measurements, either their temporal or spatial resolution is limited: the former by the sweep rate necessary for obtaining I-V characteristics and the latter by the need to use multiple electrodes, as is the case in triple and double probe configurations. The Mirror Langmuir Probe (MLP) bias technique overcomes these limitations by rapidly switching the voltage on a single electrode cycling between three bias states, each dynamically optimized for the local plasma conditions. The MLP system on Alcator C-Mod used analog circuitry to perform this function, measuring Te, VF, and Isat at 1.1 MSPS. Recently, a new prototype digital MLP controller has been implemented on a Red Pitaya Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) board which reproduces the functionality of the original controller and performs all data acquisition. There is also the potential to provide the plasma parameters externally for use with feedback control systems. The use of FPGA technology means the system is readily customizable at a fraction of the development time and implementation cost. A second Red Pitaya was used to test the MLP by simulating the current response of a physical probe using C-Mod experimental measurements. This project is available as a git repository to facilitate extensibility (e.g., real-time control outputs and more voltage states) and scalability through collaboration.

The ‘Super H-Mode’ regime is predicted to enable pedestal height and fusion performance substantially higher than standard H-Mode operation. This regime exists due to a bifurcation of the pedestal pressure, as a function of density, that is predicted by the EPED model to occur in strongly shaped plasmas above a critical pedestal density. Experiments on Alcator C-Mod and DIII-D have achieved access to the Super H-Mode (and Near Super H) regime, and obtained very high pedestal pressure, including the highest achieved on a tokamak (p ped ~ 80 kPa) in C-Mod experiments operating near the ITER magnetic field. DIII-D Super H experiments have demonstrated strong performance, including the highest stored energy in the present configuration of DIII-D (W ~ 2.2–3.2 MJ), while utilizing only about half of the available heating power (P heat ~ 7–12 MW). These DIII-D experiments have obtained the highest value of peak fusion gain, Q DT,equiv ~ 0.5, achieved on a medium scale (R β N ~ 2.9, H98 ~ 1.6) has been achieved utilizing n = 3 magnetic perturbations for density and impurity control. Pedestal and global confinement has been maintained in the presence of deuterium and nitrogen gas puffing, which enables a more radiative divertor condition. A pair of simple performance metrics is developed to assess and compare regimes. Super H-Mode access is predicted for ITER and expected, based on both theoretical prediction and observed normalized performance, to allow ITER to achieve its goals (Q = 10) at I p

In order to more completely demonstrate the I-mode regime as a compelling fusion reactor operating scenario, the first dedicated attempts at I-mode radiative heat exhaust and detachment were carried out on Alcator C-Mod. Results conclusively show that within the parameter space explored, an I/L back-transition is triggered prior to meaningful reductions in parallel heat flux, q||, target temperature, Te;tar, and target pressure, pe;tar, at the outer divertor. The exact mechanism for the I/L trigger remains uncertain, but a multi-diagnostic investigation suggests the pedestal regulation physics is impacted promptly by small amounts of N2 seeded into the private flux region. The time delay between when N2 contacts the plasma and the I/L transition is triggered varied from 30-120 ms, approximately 0.7-3 x tE, and the delay varied inversely with I-mode pedestal-top pressure, pe;95. Power and nitrogen influx scans indicate that the I/L transitions are not linked to excessive bulk-plasma impurity radiation. It is also shown that in the subsequent L-mode following nitrogen seeding, q|| and Te;tar can be reduced by factors of ~10. The I/L transition and L-mode exhaust results using N2 are compared to similar attempts using Ne where such q|| and Te;tar reductions in L-mode are limited to factors of 2-3. Implications for the I-mode regime are discussed, including needs for follow-up experiments on other facilities.

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in the Review of Scientific Instruments, 90, 013505, and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5049519. Understanding the statistics of fluctuation driven flows in the boundary layer of magnetically confined plasmas is desired to accurately model the lifetime of the vacuum vessel components. Mirror Langmuir probes (MLPs) are a novel diagnostic that uniquely allow us to sample the plasma parameters on a time scale shorter than the characteristic time scale of their fluctuations. Sudden large-amplitude fluctuations in the plasma degrade the precision and accuracy of the plasma parameters reported by MLPs for cases in which the probe bias range is of insufficient amplitude. While some data samples can readily be classified as valid and invalid, we find that such a classification may be ambiguous for up to 40% of data sampled for the plasma parameters and bias voltages considered in this study. In this contribution, we employ an autoencoder (AE) to learn a low-dimensional representation of valid data samples. By definition, the coordinates in this space are the features that mostly characterize valid data. Ambiguous data samples are classified in this space using standard classifiers for vectorial data. In this way, we avoid defining complicated threshold rules to identify outliers, which require strong assumptions and introduce biases in the analysis. By removing the outliers that are identified in the latent low-dimensional space of the AE, we find that the average conductive and convective radial heat fluxes are between approximately 5% and 15% lower as when removing outliers identified by threshold values. For contributions to the radial heat flux due to triple correlations, the difference is up to 40%.

This article is part of Ralph Kube's doctoral thesis, which is available in Munin at http://hdl.handle.net/10037/7088 Gas-puff imaging data is used to investigate the dynamics of blob-like structures in the scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod. A blob-tracking algorithm is developed and used to compute blob propagation velocities and cross-field sizes for a series of discharges where the line-averaged particle density View the MathML source is varied. We find that the mean radial blob velocity increases from View the MathML source for View the MathML source to View the MathML source for View the MathML source, where is the nG the Greenwald density. The cross-field size of the blobs is independent of the line-averaged particle densities. With increasing View the MathML source the observed blob velocities become larger than predicted by simple blob models for sheath-connected plasma filaments.

The divertor ‘death-ray’, enhanced plasma pressure near the outer strike-point relative to ‘upstream’ values, was thought to correspond to axisymmetric increased divertor heat flux. Recent measurements on Alcator C-Mod show that the ‘death-ray’ is localized to biased Langmuir probes. Heat fluxes deduced from plasma-sheath theory and surface thermocouples agree in sheath-limited and moderate-recycling regimes. They diverge in high-recycling and detached regimes; surface thermocouples measure reduced heat flux while a ‘death-ray’ appears on Langmuir probes. The ‘death-ray’ is caused by the probe’s negative bias affecting the local flux tube. With the bias, electron heat flux to the probe surface is reduced. Thus, the local electron temperature is raised, enhancing neutral ionization and increasing the ion flux to the probe. The plasma fluid code UEDGE is used to simulate and reproduce many of the features of this integrated biased probe/divertor system.

Radio frequency (RF) sheath rectification is a leading mechanism suspected of causing anomalously high erosion of plasma facing materials in RF-heated plasmas on Alcator C-Mod. An extensive experimental survey of the plasma potential (Φ[subscript P]) in RF-heated discharges on C-Mod reveals that significant Φ[subscript P] enhancement (>100 V) is found on outboard limiter surfaces, both mapped and not mapped to active RF antennas. Surfaces that magnetically map to active RF antennas show Φ[subscript P] enhancement that is, in part, consistent with the recently proposed slow wave rectification mechanism. Surfaces that do not map to active RF antennas also experience significant Φ[subscript P] enhancement, which strongly correlates with the local fast wave intensity. In this case, fast wave rectification is a leading candidate mechanism responsible for the observed enhancement., United States. Dept. of Energy (DE-FC02-99ER54512)

For the first time, the power deposition of lower hybrid RF waves into the edge plasma of a diverted tokamak has been systematically quantified. Edge deposition represents a parasitic loss of power that can greatly impact the use and efficiency of Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) at reactor-relevant densities. Through the use of a unique set of fast time resolution edge diagnostics, including innovative fast-thermocouples, an extensive set of Langmuir probes, and a Lyα ionization camera, the toroidal, poloidal, and radial structure of the power deposition has been simultaneously determined. Power modulation was used to directly isolate the RF effects due to the prompt (t1.0×10[superscript 20] (m[superscript −3])). Results will be shown addressing the distribution of power within the SOL, including the toroidal symmetry and radial distribution. These characteristics are important for deducing the cause of the reduced LHCD efficiency at high density and motivate the tailoring of wave propagation to minimize SOL interaction, for example, through the use of high-field-side launch., United States. Department of Energy. Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (Award No. DE-FC02-99ER54512-CMOD)

We study long time series of the ion saturation current and floating potential, sampled by Langmuir probes dwelled in the outboard mid-plane scrape off layer and embedded in the lower divertor baffle of Alcator C-Mod. A series of ohmically heated L-mode plasma discharges is investigated with line-averaged plasma density ranging from n_e/n_G = 0.15 to 0.42, where n_G is the Greenwald density. All ion saturation current time series that are sampled in the far scrape-off layer are characterized by large-amplitude burst events. Coefficients of skewness and excess kurtosis of the time series obey a quadratic relationship and their histograms coincide partially upon proper normalization. Histograms of the ion saturation current time series are found to agree well with a prediction of a stochastic model for the particle density fluctuations in scrape-off layer plasmas. The distribution of the waiting times between successive large-amplitude burst events and of the burst amplitudes are approximately described by exponential distributions. The average waiting time and burst amplitude are found to vary weakly with the line-averaged plasma density. Conditional averaging reveals that the radial blob velocity, estimated from floating potential measurements, increases with the normalized burst amplitude in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer. For low density discharges, the conditionally averaged waveform of the floating potential associated with large amplitude bursts at the divertor probes has a dipolar shape. In detached divertor conditions the average waveform is random, indicating electrical disconnection of blobs from the sheaths at the divertor targets., 45 pages, 20 figures

Mitigation of the intense heat flux to the divertor is one of the outstanding problems in fusion energy. One technique that has shown promise is impurity seeding, i.e., the injection of low-Z gaseous impurities (typically N2 or Ne) to radiate and dissipate the power before it arrives to the divertor target plate. To this end, the Alcator C-Mod team has created a first-of-its-kind feedback system to control the injection of seed gas based on real-time surface heat flux measurements. Surface thermocouples provide real-time measurements of the surface temperature response to the plasma heat flux. The surface temperature measurements are inputted into an analog computer that "solves" the 1-D heat transport equation to deliver accurate, real-time signals of the surface heat flux. The surface heat flux signals are sent to the C-Mod digital plasma control system, which uses a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm to control the duty cycle demand to a pulse width modulated piezo valve, which in turn controls the injection of gas into the private flux region of the C-Mod divertor. This paper presents the design and implementation of this new feedback system as well as initial results using it to control divertor heat flux.

The Langmuir probe is a standard diagnostic tool for laboratory plasmas, routinely used for edge plasmas in magnetic fusion devices. However, recent studies on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak indicate the possibility of a substantial local plasma perturbation by a negatively biased divertor plate target probe under high recycling conditions when the electron temperature is under ∼10 eV. The effects of the probe perturbation of the plasma are studied using the tokamak edge plasma code UEDGE for parameters relevant to Alcator C-Mod edge. It is found that at sufficiently negative bias voltage, the probe substantially modifies the local plasma characteristics. In particular, this is relevant to the experimentally known “death-ray” phenomenon, where the plasma pressure near the probe strongly exceeds the upstream value. Certain features of the “death-ray” phenomenon are reproduced in the modeling, pointing to interplay of plasma and neutrals transport, atomic physics, and sheath heat-flux boundary conditions (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The physics that sets the width of the power exhaust channel in a tokamak scrape-off layer and its scaling with engineering parameters is of fundamental importance for reactor design, yet it remains to be understood. An extensive array of divertor heat flux diagnostics was recently commissioned in Alcator C-Mod with the aim of improving our understanding. Initial results are reported from EDA H-mode discharges in which plasma current, input power, toroidal field and magnetic topology were varied. The integral width of the outer divertor heat flux footprint is found to lie in the range of 3–5 mm mapped to the mid-plane. Widths are insensitive to single versus double-null topology and the magnitude of toroidal field. Pedestal physics appears to largely determine these widths; a dependence of width on plasma thermal energy is noted, yielding a reduction in width as plasma current is increased for the best EDA H-modes.

The mitigation of divertor heat fluxes is an active topic of investigation on existing tokamaks. One approach uses radiation, both inside and outside the last closed flux surface (LCFS), to convert plasma thermal energy, usually directed towards dedicated plasma facing components, to soft X-ray and ultraviolet radiation, spread over a much larger surface area. Recent enhanced D-α H-mode experiments on Alcator C-Mod varied the ICRF input power and radiative power losses via impurity seeding to demonstrate that normalized energy confinement depends strongly on the difference between input power and the radiated power inside the LCFS. These investigations also show that when seeded with either Ne or N2, a factor of two and higher reduction in outer divertor heat flux is achieved while maintaining H98,y2 ∼ 1.0. Conversely, when seeding with Ar, confinement is limited to H98,y2 ∼ 0.8 for a similar level of exhaust power.

Alcator C-Mod was recently upgraded with multiple diagnostics to measure the heat flux footprint on the outer divertor: IR thermography, plasma conditions from Langmuir probes (LPs), and embedded calorimeters to measure local energy deposition. In addition to providing consistency checks of the inferred heat flux profiles, these measurements allow an assessment of the local sheath heat flux transmission coefficient (). We report measurements of the sheath heat-flux transmission coefficient at multiple locations in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) during an EDA H-mode discharge. The LP data are consistent with the presence of a heat flux “tail” measured by the IR system, extending into the far SOL. Measured are found to deviate from theoretical values by up to a factor of 3, depending on position in the SOL, pointing to some as yet unresolved physics. Calorimeter-inferred energy deposition profiles are found to be within 20% of the IR-inferred values across the footprint.

An ion sensitive probe (ISP) is developed as a robust diagnostic for measuring plasma potentials ( Φ P ) in magnetized plasmas of Alcator C-Mod. The ISP relies on the large difference between the ion and electron gyro-radii ( ρ i / ρ e ∼ 60) to reduce electron collection at a collector recessed at a distance ∼ ρ i behind a separately biased wall. We develop a new ISP method based on voltage sweeping to measure Φ P that is independent of the precise position and shape of the collector: Φ P is found to be the wall voltage when net current to the collector vanishes during an increasing voltage sweep. We have designed and installed an ISP to study Φ P and radio frequency (RF) sheath rectification on Alcator C-Mod. Preliminary results show that the ISP is a viable plasma potential diagnostic in Alcator C-Mod plasmas and Φ P measurements are in good agreement with independent results obtained with an emissive probe.

New data from Alcator C-Mod have extended the range of heat flux measurements and scalings to poloidal magnetic fields above ITER-level. Knowledge of how the scrape-off layer heat flux width (λ q) scales with machine parameters is crucial for designing fusion reactors and developing a power exhaust solution. An international database indicated that λ q scaled approximately inversely with the poloidal magnetic field (B p) and had no other significant dependencies. However, reactor-class tokamaks are expected to have at least 50% higher B p than the maximum of that database (0.8 T). Alcator C-Mod has been the only diverted tokamak capable of operating at reactor-level B p, up to ~1.3 T. A major focus of the final experimental campaign on Alcator C-Mod was to characterize λ q over a wide range of conditions, utilizing a unique array of heat flux sensors with unprecedented spatial resolution and heat flux dynamic range. The heat flux width scaling is found to extend up to B p ~ 1.3 T in H-mode. Looking across confinement regimes we find the remarkable result that λ q exhibits a unified dependence on volume-averaged core plasma pressure (). Within a standard deviation of about 20%, the heat flux width in any of the C-Mod plasmas studied (L-, I-, and H-mode) is proportional to the inverse square root of . It is also found that the standard prescription of representing the target plate heat flux profile as a convolution of exponential and Gaussian functions does not capture the heat flux profile measured in the private zone; a purely exponential decay fits the data better in this region to >3 orders of magnitude in heat flux dynamic range.

The heat flux distributions on divertor targets in H-mode plasmas are serious concerns for future devices. We seek to simulate the tokamak boundary plasma turbulence and heat transport in the edge localized mode-suppressed regimes. The improved BOUT++ model shows that not only Ip but also the radial electric field Er plays an important role on the turbulence behavior and sets the heat flux width. Instead of calculating Er from the pressure gradient term (diamagnetic Er), it is calculated from the plasma transport equations with the sheath potential in the scrape-off layer and the plasma density and temperature profiles inside the separatrix from the experiment. The simulation results with the new Er model have better agreement with the experiment than using the diamagnetic Er model: (1) The electromagnetic turbulence in enhanced Dα H-mode shows the characteristics of quasi-coherent modes (QCMs) and broadband turbulence. The mode spectra are in agreement with the phase contrast imaging data and almost has no change in comparison to the cases which use the diamagnetic Er model; (2) the self-consistent boundary Er is needed for the turbulence simulations to get the consistent heat flux width with the experiment; (3) the frequencies of the QCMs are proportional to Er, while the divertor heat flux widths are inversely proportional to Er; and (4) the BOUT++ turbulence simulations yield a similar heat flux width to the experimental Eich scaling law and the prediction from the Goldston heuristic drift model.

An array of flush-mounted and toroidally elongated Langmuir probes (henceforth called rail probes) have been specifically designed for the Alcator C-Mod's vertical target plate divertor and operated over multiple campaigns. The "flush" geometry enables the tungsten electrodes to survive high heat flux conditions in which traditional "proud" tungsten electrodes suffer damage from melting. The toroidally elongated rail-like geometry reduces the influence of sheath expansion, which is an important effect to consider in the design and interpretation of flush-mounted Langmuir probes. The new rail probes successfully operated during C-Mod's FY2015 and FY2016 experimental campaigns with no evidence of damage, despite being regularly subjected to heat flux densities parallel to the magnetic field exceeding ∼1 GW m-2 for short periods of time. A comparison between rail and proud probe data indicates that sheath expansion effects were successfully mitigated by the rail design, extending the use of these Langmuir probes to incident magnetic field line angles as low as 0.5°.

Recent Alcator C-Mod experiments have explored access to and characteristics of H-modes at magnetic fields approaching 8 T, the highest field achieved to date in a diverted tokamak. The H-modes originated from L-mode densities ranging from to , allowing insight into the density dependence of the H-mode power threshold at high magnetic field. This dependence is compared to predictions from the ITPA scaling law ([1]), finding that the law is approximately accurate at 7.8 T. However, the law underpredicted the high density H-mode threshold at lower magnetic field in previous C-Mod experiments ([2]), suggesting that the overall dependence of the threshold on magnetic field is weaker than predicted by the scaling law. The threshold data at 7.8 T also indicates that the onset of a low density branch at this magnetic field on C-Mod occurs below , which is lower than predicted by an existing model for low density branch onset. The H-modes achieved steady-state densities ranging from to , and higher transient densities, and had values of q 95 from 3.3 to 6.0. This parameter range allowed the achievement of all three types of H-mode routinely observed at lower magnetic field on C-Mod: the stationary, ELM-suppressed Enhanced D α (EDA) regime, seen at high densities and high values of q 95; the nonstationary ELM-free regime, seen at lower densities and values of q 95; and the ELMy regime, seen at low density, moderate q 95, and specialized plasma shape. The parameter space in which these regimes occur at 7.8 T is consistent with lower magnetic field experience. Pressure pedestal height at 7.8 T is compared to EPED [3, 4] predictions, and a scaling law for EDA density pedestal height developed between 4.5 T and 6.0 T is updated to include fields from 2.7 T to 7.8 T. Overall, this analysis increases confidence in the use of low magnetic field experience to predict some elements of high magnetic field tokamak behavior.

Plasma potentials computed from Langmuir probe data rely on a method to account for secondary electron emission (SEE) from the electrodes. However, significant variations exist among published models for SEE and the reported experimental parameters used to evaluate them. As a means to critically assess SEE computation methods, two of four tungsten electrodes on a Langmuir–Mach probe head were replaced with molybdenum and exposed to Alcator C-Mod boundary plasmas where electron temperatures exceed 50 eV and SEE becomes significant. In this situation, plasma potentials computed for either material should be identical—the SEE evaluation method should properly account for the differences in SEE yields. Of the six methods used to compute SEE, two are found to produce consistent results (Sternglass model with Bronstein experimental parameters and Young–Dekker model with Bronstein experimental parameters). In contrast, the method previously used for C-Mod data analysis (Sternglass model with Kollath parameters) was found to be inconsistent. We have since adopted Young–Dekker–Bronstein as the preferred method.

The next generation outer divertor target proposed for C-Mod is intended to operate with edge physics behavior that is 'Demo-like i.e., it will be capable of operating at a bulk tile and structure temperature of 600C. The proposed design exposes a vertical cylinder covered with tungsten lamellae tiles to the divertor heat flux. Heat load variation along the height of the cylindrical target has been specified and is being considered in the tile design. The design must allow for differential radial thermal expansion of the cylindrical structure. It is intended to be toroidally continuous with a high tolerance on axisymmetry to improve alignment with the plasma and limit interactions of disruption induced currents with the toroidal field. Inductively driven axisymmetric disruption currents are calculated using electromagnetic transient simulations previously employed for RF antennas and the cryopump. Disruption-induced halo currents are expected to flow though the structure, which have proved troublesome for the old outer divertor structure. The new toroidally continuous structure will be intrinsically strong with respect to axisymmetric mechanical loads, although the support hardware will also need to be robust to resist movement during non-axisymmetric halo loads. Halo current specifications for the outer divertor have been developed, and halo current paths that minimize loading are "forced" with appropriate use of insulation and grounding straps. Radiative energy transfer to other components in the vessel makes sustained operation of the outer divertor at elevated temperatures difficult.