The investigation of edge-localized modes on the Globus-M2 tokamak using Doppler backscattering

Abstract

The first results of investigation of edge localized modes (ELMs) in the Globus-M2 tokamak using the Doppler backscattering method are presented in this paper. Specifically, ELMs that are initiated by sawtooth crashes in the H-mode are discussed. The goal of this paper is study plasma turbulence behaviour during ELMs and to showcase what ELM characteristics can be obtained using Doppler backscattering (DBS). An increase of the poloidal rotation velocity during an ELM burst and a decrease in the inter-ELM periods was observed. The effect of ELMs on the plasma turbulence was investigated and estimated to span around 6 cm inside the separatrix. This is to do with the fact that the sawtooth crashes which are responsible for initiating the ELMs take place in the core plasma. Additional experiments with standard reflectometry indicate that ELMs develop 3 cm inside the separatrix where the pedestal region is believed to be in Globus-M2. The direction of the expansion of the ELMs from the inner plasma region to the edge was determined and the velocity was estimated to be around 8 km s−1. During a single ELM burst a series of filament structures were found in the peripheral DBS channels. In an attempt to understand the processes involved modelling of the reaction of the DBS signals to filaments was done using the BOUT ++ and IPF-FD3D full-wave codes, and the cases for both linear and nonlinear scattering were considered. The results show that the presence of nonlinear scattering during ELMs can lead to an overestimation of the measured velocity values in the region of filament existence near the separatrix.