This paper presents the experimental characterization of pedestal parameters, edge localized mode (ELM) energy, and particle losses from the main plasma and the corresponding ELM energy fluxes on plasma facing components for a series of dedicated experiments in the Joint European Torus (JET). From these experiments, it is demonstrated that the simple hypothesis relating the peeling-ballooning linear instability to ELM energy losses is not valid. Contrary to previous observations at lower triangularities, small energy losses at low collisionality have been obtained in regimes at high plasma triangularity and q95∼4.5, indicating that the edge plasma magnetohydrodynamic stability is linked with the transport mechanisms that lead to the loss of energy by conduction during type I ELMs. Measurements of the ELM energy fluxes on the divertor target show that their time scale is linked to the ion transport along the field and the formation of a high energy sheath, in agreement with kinetic modeling of ELMs. Higher density ELMs, of a convective nature, lead to overall much longer time scales for the ELM energy flux, with more than 80% of the ELM energy flux arriving after the surface divertor temperature has reached its maximum value. On the contrary, for low density ELMs, of a conductive nature, up to 40% of the energy flux arrives at the divertor target before the surface divertor temperature has reached its maximum value. These large and more conductive ELMs may lead to up to ∼50% of the ELM energy reaching the main wall plasma facing components instead of the divertor target. The extrapolation to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor of the obtained results is described and the main uncertainties discussed.

͑2000͔͒ reveal the commonalities of resistive wall mode ͑RWM͒ stabilization by sufficiently fast toroidal plasma rotation in devices of different size and aspect ratio. In each device the weakly damped n = 1 RWM manifests itself by resonant field amplification ͑RFA͒ of externally applied n = 1 magnetic fields, which increases with the plasma pressure. Probing DIII-D and JET plasmas with similar ideal magnetohydrodynamic ͑MHD͒ stability properties with externally applied magnetic n = 1 fields, shows that the resulting RFA is independent of the machine size. In each device the drag resulting from RFA slows the toroidal plasma rotation and can lead to the onset of an unstable RWM. The critical plasma rotation required for stable operation in the plasma center decreases with increasing q 95 , which is explained by the inward shift of q surfaces where the critical rotation remains constant. The quantitative agreement of the critical rotation normalized to the inverse Alfvén time at the q = 2 surface in similar DIII-D and JET plasmas supports the independence of the RWM stabilization mechanism of machine size and indicates the importance of the q = 2 surface. At low aspect ratio the required fraction of the Alfvén velocity increases significantly. The ratio of the critical rotation in similar NSTX and DIII-D plasmas can be explained by trapped particles not contributing to the RWM stabilization, which is consistent with stabilization mechanisms that are based on ion Landau damping. Alternatively, the ratio of the required rotation to the sound wave velocity remains independent of aspect ratio.

In 2003, the performance of the ‘hybrid’ regime was successfully validated in JET experiments up to βN = 2.8 at low toroidal field (1.7 T), with plasma triangularity and normalized Larmor radius (ρ*) corresponding to identical ASDEX Upgrade discharges. Stationary conditions have been achieved with the fusion figure of merit ( ) reaching 0.42 at q95 = 3.9. The JET discharges show similar MHD, edge and current profile behaviour, when compared with the ASDEX Upgrade. In addition, the JET experiments have extended the hybrid scenario operation at higher toroidal field of 2.4 T and lower ρ* towards the projected ITER values. Using this database, transport and confinement properties are characterized with respect to the standard H-mode regime. Moreover, trace tritium has been injected to assess the diffusion and convective coefficients of the fusion fuel. The maximization of confinement and stability properties provides, to this scenario, a good probability of achieving a high fusion gain at reduced plasma current for durations of up to 2000 s in ITER.

Third-harmonic ion-cyclotron-resonance heating of 4He-beam ions has produced for the first time on the JET tokamak high-energy populations of 4He ions to simulate 3.5 MeV fusion-born alpha (alpha) particles. Acceleration of 4He ions to the MeV energy range is confirmed by gamma-ray emission from the nuclear reaction 9Be(alpha,ngamma) 12C and excitation of Alfvén eigenmodes. Concomitant electron heating and sawtooth stabilization are observed. The scheme could be used in next-step tokamaks to gain information on trapped alpha particles and to test alpha diagnostics in the early nonactivated phase of operation.

Experiments have established the regions of parameter space in JET that lead to runaway generation in disruptions. Previous measurements on the structure of the runaway beam have been confirmed. The delay in runaway generation following temperature collapse is found to be caused by the very high density generated by the disruption. It is shown that runaway generation in JET can be best modelled and understood by including avalanche processes.