Beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (BAEs) during strong tearing modes are investigated on the EAST tokamak systematically, and the relation between the BAE frequencies and plasma parameters such as electron density ne , ion temperature T i , the profile of safety factor q(ρ) or the intensity of Ḃθ (the width of the magnetic island w) is given in detail during the injection of the power of lower hybrid wave (LHW) (or is also accompanied by the injection of ion cyclotron resonance frequency) comprehensively. All the conditions show that the values of BAE frequencies f BAE ∝ (T e + 7 4 T i ) 1/2 are in agreement with the generalized fishbone-like dispersion relation, and the activities of the BAEs have a strong interaction with the process of magnetic reconnection.The BAEs are formed during the injection of the power of LHW, and disappear immediately when the power of LHW is turned off on the EAST tokamak. The LHW plasmas or the runaway discharge in Ohmic plasmas can increase the population of fast electrons, which plays a role in the activities of BAEs and a possible excitation mechanism for the BAEs during the strong tearing mode activities.

In HL-2A, the characteristics of the edge plasma instabilities and their effects on the dynamical evolution of the pedestal in H-mode plasmas have been investigated. In the edge pedestal region with steep pressure gradient, a quasi-coherent mode (QCM) has been observed in density fluctuations with a frequency range of 50-100 kHz. It appears during the edge localized mode (ELM)-free period after the L-H transition and prior to the first ELM. A threshold in the pedestal density gradient has been identified for the excitation of this mode. The QCM can also be observed during inter-ELM periods. It is excited early in the inter-ELM period, and disappears when the ELM onset starts. The radial wave-number of the mode is estimated with two radially separated reflectometers. It shows that the mode is radially propagating inward. The poloidal wave number estimated with the Langmuir probes is k θ ~ 0.43 cm −1 . The mode propagates poloidally in the electron diamagnetic direction in the plasma frame. The toroidal mode number, deduced from Mirnov signals, is n ~ 7. The corresponding poloidal mode number is m ~ 21 according to the local safety factor value. The analysis for the dynamical evolution of the pedestal during the ELM cycle clearly shows that the mode is excited before the ELM onset. During and after the ELM crash, the mode disappears. It suggests that the QCM is driven by the pedestal density gradient, and the mode in return regulates the pedestal density evolution.

In recent experiments at the HL-2A tokamak, dynamic features across the low-intermediatehigh (L-I-H) confinement transition have been investigated in detail. Experimental evidence shows two types of opposite limit cycles (dubbed type-Y and type-J) between the radial electric field (E r ) and turbulence evolution during the intermediate I-phase. Whereas for type-Y the turbulence grows prior to the change in E r , for type-J the oscillation in E r leads turbulence. It has been found that the type-Y usually appears first after an L-I transition, followed by type-J before the transition to the H-mode phase. Possible roles played by zonal flows and the enhanced pressure-gradient-induced flow shear in suppressing turbulence, respectively, in the type-Y and type-J periods have been identified. In addition, during the I-phase of the L-I-H discharges a kink-type MHD mode routinely occurs and crashes rapidly just prior to the I → H transition. The mode crash evokes substantial energy release from the core to plasma boundary and further increases the edge pressure gradient and E r shear, which eventually results in confinement improvement into the H-mode.

A solid state terahertz interferometer has been developed on the recent commissioned HL-2M tokamak. It can work in a wide frequency region of 220–325 GHz, and the terahertz wave is generated from a low frequency phase locked voltage controlled oscillator with the frequency multiplying technique. A phase processor based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology is designed for the heterodyne interferometer, and it contributes to real-time display of electron density. To extract phase information, a novel numerical algorithm related to fast Fourier transform is written on the FPGA chip and enables one to obtain phase shift without being affected by amplitude variation induced by plasma absorption or frequency modulation from the outer electromagnetic environment. The interferometer achieves minimum measurable electron density in the order of 1016 m−3. With the plasma diagnosis, electron density and low frequency tearing mode have been measured during the first experimental campaign.