Nonaxisymmetric field effects on Alcator C-Mod.

A set of external coils (A-coils) capable of producing nonaxisymmetric, predominantly n=1, fields with different toroidal phase and a range of poloidal mode m spectra has been used to determine the threshold amplitude for mode locking over a range of plasma parameters in Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson, R. Boivin, F. Bombarda, P. Bonoli, S. Fairfax, C. Fiore, J. Goetz, S. Golovato, R. Granetz, M. Greenwald et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)]. The threshold perturbations and parametric scalings, expressed in terms of (B₂₁/B_T), are similar to those observed on larger, lower field devices. The threshold is roughly linear in density, with typical magnitudes of order 10^-4. This result implies that locked modes should not be significantly more problematic for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [I. P. B. Editors, Nucl. Fusion 39, 2286 (1999)] than for existing devices. Coordinated nondimensional identity experiments on the Joint European Torus [Fusion Technol. 11, 13 (1987)], DIII-D [Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)], and C-Mod, with matching applied mode spectra, have been carried out to determine more definitively the field and size scalings. Locked modes on C-Mod are observed to result in braking of core toroidal rotation, modification of sawtooth activity, and significant reduction in energy and particle confinement, frequently leading to disruptions. Intrinsic error fields inferred from the threshold studies are found to be consistent in amplitude and phase with a comprehensive model of the sources of field errors based on “as-built” coil and bus-work details and coil imperfections inferred from measurements using in situ magnetic diagnostics on dedicated test pulses. Use of the A-coils to largely cancel the 2/1 component of the intrinsic nonaxisymmetric field has led to expansion of the accessible operating space in C-Mod, including operation up to 2 MA plasma current at 8 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]