Finite radial transport around magnetic islands is believed to play an important role in the threshold, spatial structure and temporal evolution of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs). We report on novel measurements of NTMs with mode structure m/n = 2/1 on the MAST spherical tokamak (ST), which have allowed a direct evaluation of the effect of transport on island behaviour for the first time on an ST. Temperature profiles obtained with the upgraded Thomson scattering (TS) system on MAST have been used to constrain the solutions of a heat transport equation for the NTM magnetic island (Fitzpatrick 1995 Phys. Plasmas 2 825), allowing the determination of the critical width for temperature flattening across an island w c , an important parameter in the modified Rutherford equation (MRE) for NTM evolution. The measured value of w c = 0.7 ± 0.2 cm obtained for an ensemble of high β N MAST discharges has been used in an analysis of the MRE for 2/1 NTM growth and saturation on MAST. Using a probabilistic method for parameter and error estimation, which takes account of the experimental uncertainty on measured equilibrium parameters, it is found that the temporal evolution of island size is well described by marginally, classically unstable NTMs with strongly destabilizing bootstrap current and stabilizing curvature terms. Finally, further analysis of a β ramp-down discharge is presented, in which the measured w c value explains the observed threshold width well.

The newly upgraded MAST Thomson scattering (TS) system provides excellent spatial resolution (∼1 cm) at over 130 radial locations across a full plasma diameter, and utilizes eight individual Nd: :YAG laser systems which can be fired sequentially, providing electron temperature and density profiles approximately every 4 ms throughout a plasma discharge. By operating the

A real-time system has been developed to trigger both the MAST Thomson scattering (TS) system and the plasma control system on the phase and amplitude of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs), extending the capabilities of the original system. This triggering system determines the phase and amplitude of a given NTM using magnetic coils at different toroidal locations. Real-time processing of the raw magnetic data occurs on a low cost field programmable gate array (FPGA) based unit which permits triggering of the TS lasers on specific amplitudes and phases of NTM evolution. The MAST plasma control system can receive a separate trigger from the FPGA unit that initiates a vertical shift of the MAST magnetic axis. Such shifts have fully removed m∕n = 2∕1 NTMs instabilities on a number of MAST discharges.

Triggered vertical shifts of the MAST spherical tokamak plasma have been found to stabilize 2/1 neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) for a number of MAST shots, without impacting on core confinement. This stabilization is a result of favourable modifications of the density, temperature and pressure profiles at the location of an NTM by means of a brief transition from high (H) to low (L) confinement mode. Using this method, the high confinement phase can typically be recovered, and the NTM removed, within 20 ms of onset.