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The optical thickness of the plasma is often insufficient to fully absorb the microwaves during heating at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency. An analysis of the experiments to the T-10 tokamak allows us to find the criteria for the full absorption, and to construct a canonical profile transport model for the full and partial absorptions of microwaves. The conditions to the equivalence of discharges in different tokamaks, and in a pair of tokamaks with the optimized W7-X stellarator are formulated. For equivalent discharges, calculations to the T-15MD tokamak under construction with the obtained model coincide with measurements of electron and ion temperatures in the W7-X over a wide range of plasma densities. The validated model is used to analyze future shots of T-15MD.

The goals of this paper are to compare the results of electron particle transport measurements in ohmic (OH) plasmas by means of a small perturbation technique, high-level gas puff and gas switch off, investigate the phenomenon of ‘density pump out’ during electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and to correlate density behaviour with turbulence. Two approaches for plasma particle transport studies were compared: the low perturbation technique of periodic puff (δn/ne = 0.3%) and strong density variations (δn/ne < 50%), including density ramp-up by gas puff and ramp-down with gas switch off. The model with constant in time diffusion coefficients and pinch velocities could describe the core density perturbations but failed at the edge. In the case of strong puff three stages were distinguished. Degraded energy confinement and, respectively, low turbulence frequencies were observed during density ramp-up and ramp-down, while enhanced confinement and higher turbulence frequencies were typical for the intermediate stage. Density profile variation during this intermediate phase could be described in the framework of the transport model with constant in time coefficients. The application of ECRH at the density ramp-up phase provided the possibility of postponing the ‘density pump out’. The increase in the low-frequency modes in turbulence spectra was observed at the ‘density pump out’ phase during central ECRH. Although the high- and low-frequency bands of turbulence spectra behaved as trapped electron mode and ion temperature gradient, respectively, they both rotated at the same angular velocity as a rigid body together with magnetohydrodynamic mode m/n = 2/1 and [E × B] plasma rotation.

Placing a magnetometer on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) seems to be an easy task as the sensor is rather lightweight in comparison with other geophysical sensors. But, the realization of an unmanned aeromagnetic system (UAMS) faces multiple technical complications, and, as a result, very few of many attempts to build a UAMS have succeeded. Even less projects have produced results of real magnetic survey. Different platforms (helicopters, multirotor, and fixed wing UAVs) and different kinds of magnetometers for UAMS have different pros and cons for the purpose. For the quality of magnetic survey, the most important is the issue of a platform's (UAV) magnetic noise and its influence on a magnetic sensor. Workbench experimental studies as well as results of magnetic surveys with multirotor UAMS in Leningrad region, Republic Sakha-Yakutia, and Kazakhstan demonstrate solutions facilitating state-of-the-art high-quality measurements of magnetic anomalies for geological, archeological, and other purposes.

This article provides new insight into previous and new experimental data regarding behaviour of small-scale density fluctuations in T-10 ohmic and electron cyclotron resonance heated (ECRH) discharges. The experiments demonstrate the existence of certain peaked-'marginal' normalized plasma pressure profiles in both ohmic and discharges with on-axis ECRH. Strong particle confinement degradation occurred when the normalized plasma pressure gradient exceeded this marginal profile gradient (fast density decay in ohmic, 'density pump out' in ECRH). The marginal profile could be achieved either with a flat density and peaked temperature profile or vice versa. Minimal turbulence level did not depend on heating power and was observed with the 'optimal' pressure profile, which was slightly broader than the marginal profile. The density fluctuations did not significantly contribute to the heat transport but determined particle fluxes to maintain the pressure profile. The experimental density behaviour could be reasonably described with the modified model of canonical profiles, which includes particle confinement deterioration under marginal pressure profile conditions.