First plasmas have been successfully achieved in the TJ-II stellarator using electron cyclotron resonance heating (f = 53.2 GHz, P ECRH = 250 kW). Initial experiments have explored the TJ-II flexibility in a wide range of plasma volumes, different rotational transform and magnetic well values. In this paper, the main results of this campaign are presented and, in particular, the influence of plasma wall interaction phenomena on TJ-II operation is discussed briefly.

The results of an experimental study of the magnetic structure in the H-1 heliac are presented. Electron beam magnetic mapping has confirmed the existence of closed nested flux surfaces, in good agreement with a computer model. Measurements over a wide range of helical winding currents demonstrated a variety of attainable magnetic configurations within a rotational transform range of 0.6 5 to 5 1.8. The observed islands can be attributed to deduced small errors in the coil alignment in H-1. A magnetic island study and a correction in the model to fit the experimental observations revealed the error sources in the magnetic field.

Transitions to the regime with better confinement in the L-2M stellarator are presented. Transitions are indicated only at sufficiently high plasma densities, and for a given value of average density they appear only at higher heating powers. Each transition is easily identified by a sudden fast (<200 µs) small drop of total plasma energy fixed by diamagnetic measurements. After that plasma energy steeply regains its value and then slowly monotonically increases up to the end of the active heating phase (just as the line average plasma density n e ). In the bulk of the plasma parameters evolve slowly. Drastic changes are observed in the region close to the plasma boundary where two moderate order rational magnetic surfaces are located with the rotational transform µ taking the values 2/3 and 3/4. Relative values of plasma parameters' fluctuations and their spectrum widths decrease significantly in this region. The region has a definite sandwich structure being subdivided by the above-named moderate order rational magnetic surfaces into three smaller zones with different plasma parameter dynamics. Transition is triggered by local disturbances of plasma parameters that are caused by instabilities in the vicinity of magnetic surfaces where µ is equal to 2/3 or 3/4. Different hypotheses on the nature of the phenomenon are discussed.

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This paper describes a series of experiments performed in TJ-II stellarator with the aim of studying the influence of magnetic configuration on stability and transport properties of TJ-II plasmas. Plasma potential profiles have been measured in several configurations up to the plasma core with the heavy ion beam probe diagnostic. Low-order rational surfaces have been positioned at different plasma radii observing the effect on transport features. Plasma edge turbulent transport has been studied in configurations that are marginally stable due to decreased magnetic well. Results show a dynamical coupling between gradients and turbulent transport. Experiments on the influence of magnetic shear on confinement are reported. Global confinement issues as well as enhanced confinement regimes found in TJ-II are discussed as well.