No abstract

No abstract

High-confinement (H-mode) operation is the choice for next-step tokamak devices based either on conventional or advanced tokamak physics. This choice, however, comes at a significant cost for both the conventional and advanced tokamaks because of the effects of edge localized modes (ELMs). ELMs can produce significant erosion in the divertor and can affect the beta limit and reduced core transport regions needed for advanced tokamak operation. Experimental results from DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] this year have demonstrated a new operating regime, the quiescent H-mode regime, which solves these problems. We have achieved quiescent H-mode operation that is ELM-free and yet has good density and impurity control. In addition, we have demonstrated that an internal transport barrier can be produced and maintained inside the H-mode edge barrier for long periods of time (>3.5 s or >25 energy confinement times τE), yielding a quiescent double barrier regime. By slowly ramping the input power, we have achieved βNH89=7 for up to 5 times the τE of 150 ms. The βNH89 values of 7 substantially exceed the value of 4 routinely achieved in the standard ELMing H mode. The key factors in creating the quiescent H-mode operation are neutral beam injection in the direction opposite to the plasma current (counter injection) plus cryopumping to reduce the density. Density and impurity control in the quiescent H mode is possible because of the presence of an edge magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillation, the edge harmonic oscillation, which enhances the edge particle transport while leaving the energy transport unaffected.

The invariant mass spectrum of the e + e − and µ + µ − pairs from decays of light unflavored mesons with masses below the φ(1020)-meson mass to final states containing along with a dilepton pair one photon, one meson, and two mesons are calculated within the framework of the effective meson theory.The results can be used for simulations of the dilepton spectra in heavy-ion collisions and for experimental searches of dilepton meson decays.

Sustained ELM mitigation has been achieved on MAST and AUG using RMPs with a range of toroidal mode numbers over a wide region of low to medium collisionality discharges. The ELM energy loss and peak heat loads at the divertor targets have been reduced. The ELM mitigation phase is typically associated with a drop in plasma density and overall stored energy. In one particular scenario on MAST, by carefully adjusting the fuelling it has been possible to counteract the drop in density and to produce plasmas with mitigated ELMs, reduced peak divertor heat flux and with minimal degradation in pedestal height and confined energy. While the applied resonant magnetic perturbation field (b r res ) can be a good indicator for the onset of ELM mitigation on MAST and AUG there are some cases where this is not the case and which clearly emphasise the need to take into account the plasma response to the applied perturbations. The plasma response calculations show that the increase in ELM frequency is correlated with the size of the edge peelingtearing like response of the plasma and the distortions of the plasma boundary in the Xpoint region. In many cases the RMPs act to increase the frequency of type I ELMs, however, there are examples where the type I ELMs are suppressed and there is a transition to a small or type IV ELM-ing regime.