By injecting a tracer-encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) with triple tracers, V (Z = 23), Mn (Z = 25) and Co (Z = 27), into a plasma in the Large Helical Device (LHD), it was found in the high-density case (typically n e = (5-7) × 10 19 m −3 ) that the Kα emissions from the intrinsic impurities were strongly suppressed, while those from all the three tracers were retained for a long time. In the medium-density case (typically n e = (3-4) × 10 19 m −3 ), Kα emissions from the intrinsic impurities were observed clearly, while those of the tracer impurities were observed to decay much faster than the high-density case. When the intrinsic impurities penetrate into the plasma core through the plasma periphery in the plasma build-up phase under relatively low-density conditions, then such impurities are found to be kept for a long time in the later phase under high-density conditions. By implementing supersonic Ar gas puffing in addition to the TESPEL injection, Ar Kα emission was clearly observed together with Kα emissions from the tracers in the medium-density case. In contrast to this, Ar Kα emission was completely suppressed in the high-density case. This result shows that the suppression of the intrinsic impurity coming from outside the plasma is indeed working in the high-density case, while the impurities deposited inside the plasma are kept for a long time.

Supersonic gas puffing (SSGP), where a high-pressure gas is ejected through a fast solenoid valve equipped with a Laval nozzle, has been applied to large high-temperature plasmas and its fueling characteristics have been investigated in the Large Helical Device. The fueling efficiency of SSGP depends on the target plasma density and decreases as the density increases. This is due to the fueling mechanism of SSGP, where the fuel particles are supplied to the plasma edge region and then transported to the core region by diffusion. SSGP locally supplies a large number of particles to the edge region within a short time on the order of milliseconds. A fueling efficiency of ∼20% can be achieved by SSGP at a low initial density of ∼1.5 × 10 19 m −3 , which is more than twice as high as that of ordinary gas puffing at a similar density. Furthermore, this property leads to the additional effect of edge cooling to SSGP that will be beneficial for divertor heat load reduction.

The supersonic cluster beam (SSCB) injection method is being developed as a new fueling method for the Large Helical Devise (LHD) experiment. As a first step, cluster formation at a room temperature has been investigated for various gasses using a fast solenoid valve for SSCB. Rayleigh scattering of laser light by the cluster is measured by a fast charge coupled device camera. In the case of methane, nitrogen, and argon, clear scattering signals are observed at high valve backing pressure of more than 3-4 MPa. In the case of hydrogen, helium, and neon, on the other hand, no scattering signal is detected at < 8 MPa. The result that the expansion half angle is 22.5 • suggests gas flow is supersonic. The scattering signals from argon and nitrogen clusters show approximately cubic dependence on the backing pressure as expected from a model. Meanwhile, stronger pressure dependence than this has been found in the case of methane, where the scattering signal increases with the fifth power of the backing pressure at 3.2 MPa-7 MPa, and it is further enhanced at > 7 MPa.

Non-local transport and electron temperature fluctuations triggered by supersonic gas puffing (SSGP) in high-temperature helical plasmas in the Large Helical Device (LHD) are reported. After a short-pulse SSGP, the core electron temperature increased while the edge electron temperature decreased. SSGP triggered a longer core temperature increase than that triggered by a small impurity pellet injection. The temperature profile, which was relatively flat inside the half minor radius before SSGP, became parabolic after non-local transport was triggered. Fluctuations were excited in the electron temperature signals around the half minor radius. The frequency of these fluctuations increased from ∼ 400 Hz to ∼ 1 kHz within ∼ 0.1 s and the amplitude decreased correspondingly. The temperature fluctuations inside and outside of the half minor radius had opposite phases. Magnetic fluctuations resonating near the half minor radius were observed simultaneously with the electron temperature fluctuations.