In a tokamak plasma the maximum achievable density is limited. A too high density will result in a violent end of a discharge. Two types of density limit disruption can be distinguished: (a) impure and moderately heated discharges, if the radiative power exceeds the input power, (b) clean, auxiliary heated discharges, where the Greenwald limit is encountered. It has been found that in TEXTOR-94 these two density limits differ by the radiative instability in the plasma boundary, which preceeds the disruption. A symmetric radiative mantle and a detachment are observed prior to the first type, while the Greenwald limit has a MARFE precursor. Control of the impurity content, edge and recycling properties prevents the growth of the MARFE and makes it possible to exceed the Greenwald limit in TEXTOR-94 by more than a factor of 2. High densities have been obtained by means of normal gas feed. Maximum central densities of ne(0) = 1.3 × 1020 m-3 have been obtained. The maximum achievable density scales with the input power and plasma current. Non-disruptive discharges, with a stationary (t > 25 τE) density a factor of 1.93 above the Greenwald limit have been produced in L mode. The radiative losses and impurity concentration have been maintained at a relatively low level during the entire high density phase.

A power-balance model, with radiation losses from impurities and neutrals, gives a unified description of the density limit (DL) of the stellarator, the L-mode tokamak, and the reversed field pinch (RFP). The model predicts a Sudo-like scaling for the stellarator, a Greenwald-like scaling, , for the RFP and the ohmic tokamak, a mixed scaling, , for the additionally heated L-mode tokamak. In a previous paper (Zanca et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 056010) the model was compared with ohmic tokamak, RFP and stellarator experiments. Here, we address the issue of the DL dependence on heating power in the L-mode tokamak. Experimental data from high-density disrupted L-mode discharges performed at JET, as well as in other machines, are taken as a term of comparison. The model fits the observed maximum densities better than the pure Greenwald limit.

Long period sawteeth have been observed to result in low-β triggering of neo-classical tearing modes, which can significantly degrade plasma confinement. Consequently, a detailed physical understanding of sawtooth behaviour is critical, especially for ITER where fusion-born α particles are likely to lead to very long sawtooth periods. Many techniques have been developed to control, and in particular to destabilize the sawteeth. The application of counter-current neutral beam injection (NBI) in JET has resulted in shorter sawtooth periods than in Ohmic plasmas. This result has been explained because, firstly, the counter-passing fast ions give a destabilizing contribution to the n = 1 internal kink mode-which is accepted to be related to sawtooth oscillations-and secondly, the flow shear strongly influences the stabilizing trapped particles. A similar experimental result has been observed in counter-NBI heated plasmas in MAST. However, the strong toroidal flows in spherical tokamaks mean that the sawtooth behaviour is determined by the gyroscopic flow stabilization of the kink mode rather than kinetic effects. In NBI heated plasmas in smaller conventional aspect-ratio tokamaks, such as TEXTOR, the flow and kinetic effects compete to give different

The radiative improved (RI) mode is a tokamak regime offering many attractive reactor features. In the article, the RI mode of TEXTOR-94 is shown to follow the same scaling as the linear ohmic confinement regime and is thus identified as one of the most fundamental tokamak operational regimes. The current understanding derived from experiments and modelling of the conditions necessary for sustaining the mode is reviewed, as are the mechanisms leading to L-RI mode transition. The article discusses the compatibility of high impurity seeding with the low central power density of a burning reactor, as well as RI mode properties at and beyond the Greenwald density.

Recent progress in experimental and theoretical studies of edge localized mode (ELM) physics is reviewed for the reactor relevant plasma regimes, namely the high confinement regimes, that is, H-modes and advanced scenarios.Theoretical approaches to ELM physics, from a linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability analysis to non-linear transport models with ELMs are discussed with respect to experimental observations, in particular the fast collapse of pedestal pressure profiles, magnetic measurements and scrape-off layer transport during ELMs.High confinement regimes with different types of ELMs are addressed in this paper in the context of development of operational scenarios for ITER. The key parameters that have been identified at present to reduce the energy losses in Type I ELMs are operation at high density, high edge magnetic shear and high triangularity. However, according to the present experimental scaling