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Title: Physics of High Performance Dueterium-Tritium Plasmas in TFTR

Abstract

During the past two years, deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) have been used to study fusion power production,isotope effects associated with tritium fueling, and alpha-particle physics in several operational regimes. The peak fusion power has been increased to 10.7 MW in the supershot mode through the use of increased plasma current and toroidal magnetic field and extensive lithium wall conditioning. The high-internal-inductance (high -li) regime in TFTR has been extended in plasma current and has achieved 8.7 MW of fusion power. Studies of the effects of tritium on confinement have now been carried out in ohmic, NBI- and ICRF-heated L-mode and reversed-shear plasmas. In general, there is an enhancement in confinement time in D-T plasmas which is most pronounced in supershot and high-li discharges, weaker in L-mode plasmas with NBI and ICRF heating and smaller still in ohmic plasmas. In reversed-shear discharges with sufficient deuterium-NBI heating power, internal transport barriers have been observed to form, leading to enhanced confinement. Large decreases in the ion heat conductivity and particle transport are inferred within the transport barrier.It appears that higher heating power is required to trigger the formation of a transport barrier with D-T NBI and themore » isotope effect on energy confinement is nearly absent in these enhanced reverse-shear plasmas. Many alpha-particle physics issues have been studied in the various operating regimes including confinement of the alpha particles, their redistribution by sawteeth, and their loss due to MHD instabilities with low toroidal mode numbers. In weak-shear plasmas, alpha-particle destabilization of a toroidal Alfven eigenmode has been observed.« less

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
655256
Report Number(s):
CONF-961005-35
ON: DE97009363; BR: AT5010101; TRN: AD-A332 09
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76CH03073; AC05-96OR22464
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 16. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) international conference on plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion research, Montreal (Canada), 7-11 Oct 1996; Other Information: DN: Presented at 16th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, Montreal, Canada, 7-11 Oct96. [540 709900]; PBD: [1996]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY; DEUTERIUM; ALPHA PARTICLES; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; TRITIUM; ISOTOPE EFFECTS; TFTR TOKAMAK; PERFORMANCE; PLASMA

Citation Formats

McGuire, K. M., White, R., Wieland, R. M., Williams, M., Wilson, J. R., Wong, K. L., Wurden, G. A., Batha, S., Lamarche, P., LeBlanc, B., Levinton, F. M., Beer, M., Bell, M. G., Bell, R. E., Belov, A., Fredrickson, E. D., Fu, G. Y., Furth, H. P., Gorelenkov, N. N., Krasilnikov, A. V., Meade, D. M., Medley, S. S., Mika, R., Mikkelsen, D. R., Mirnov, S. V., Schilling, G., Schivell, J., Schmidt, G. L., Scott, S. D., Semenov, I., Berk, H., Bernabei, S., Bitter, M., Breizman, B., Dorland, W., Phillips, P., Bretz, N. L., Budny, R., Bush, C.E., Grek, B., Grisham, L. R., Hammett, G. W., Herrmann, H. W., Herrmann, M., Hill, K. W., Hogan, G. R., Hosea, J. C., and Houlberg, W. A. Physics of High Performance Dueterium-Tritium Plasmas in TFTR. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/304201.
McGuire, K. M., White, R., Wieland, R. M., Williams, M., Wilson, J. R., Wong, K. L., Wurden, G. A., Batha, S., Lamarche, P., LeBlanc, B., Levinton, F. M., Beer, M., Bell, M. G., Bell, R. E., Belov, A., Fredrickson, E. D., Fu, G. Y., Furth, H. P., Gorelenkov, N. N., Krasilnikov, A. V., Meade, D. M., Medley, S. S., Mika, R., Mikkelsen, D. R., Mirnov, S. V., Schilling, G., Schivell, J., Schmidt, G. L., Scott, S. D., Semenov, I., Berk, H., Bernabei, S., Bitter, M., Breizman, B., Dorland, W., Phillips, P., Bretz, N. L., Budny, R., Bush, C.E., Grek, B., Grisham, L. R., Hammett, G. W., Herrmann, H. W., Herrmann, M., Hill, K. W., Hogan, G. R., Hosea, J. C., & Houlberg, W. A. Physics of High Performance Dueterium-Tritium Plasmas in TFTR. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/304201
McGuire, K. M., White, R., Wieland, R. M., Williams, M., Wilson, J. R., Wong, K. L., Wurden, G. A., Batha, S., Lamarche, P., LeBlanc, B., Levinton, F. M., Beer, M., Bell, M. G., Bell, R. E., Belov, A., Fredrickson, E. D., Fu, G. Y., Furth, H. P., Gorelenkov, N. N., Krasilnikov, A. V., Meade, D. M., Medley, S. S., Mika, R., Mikkelsen, D. R., Mirnov, S. V., Schilling, G., Schivell, J., Schmidt, G. L., Scott, S. D., Semenov, I., Berk, H., Bernabei, S., Bitter, M., Breizman, B., Dorland, W., Phillips, P., Bretz, N. L., Budny, R., Bush, C.E., Grek, B., Grisham, L. R., Hammett, G. W., Herrmann, H. W., Herrmann, M., Hill, K. W., Hogan, G. R., Hosea, J. C., and Houlberg, W. A. 1996. "Physics of High Performance Dueterium-Tritium Plasmas in TFTR". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/304201. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/655256.
@article{osti_655256,
title = {Physics of High Performance Dueterium-Tritium Plasmas in TFTR},
author = {McGuire, K. M. and White, R. and Wieland, R. M. and Williams, M. and Wilson, J. R. and Wong, K. L. and Wurden, G. A. and Batha, S. and Lamarche, P. and LeBlanc, B. and Levinton, F. M. and Beer, M. and Bell, M. G. and Bell, R. E. and Belov, A. and Fredrickson, E. D. and Fu, G. Y. and Furth, H. P. and Gorelenkov, N. N. and Krasilnikov, A. V. and Meade, D. M. and Medley, S. S. and Mika, R. and Mikkelsen, D. R. and Mirnov, S. V. and Schilling, G. and Schivell, J. and Schmidt, G. L. and Scott, S. D. and Semenov, I. and Berk, H. and Bernabei, S. and Bitter, M. and Breizman, B. and Dorland, W. and Phillips, P. and Bretz, N. L. and Budny, R. and Bush, C.E. and Grek, B. and Grisham, L. R. and Hammett, G. W. and Herrmann, H. W. and Herrmann, M. and Hill, K. W. and Hogan, G. R. and Hosea, J. C. and Houlberg, W. A.},
abstractNote = {During the past two years, deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) have been used to study fusion power production,isotope effects associated with tritium fueling, and alpha-particle physics in several operational regimes. The peak fusion power has been increased to 10.7 MW in the supershot mode through the use of increased plasma current and toroidal magnetic field and extensive lithium wall conditioning. The high-internal-inductance (high -li) regime in TFTR has been extended in plasma current and has achieved 8.7 MW of fusion power. Studies of the effects of tritium on confinement have now been carried out in ohmic, NBI- and ICRF-heated L-mode and reversed-shear plasmas. In general, there is an enhancement in confinement time in D-T plasmas which is most pronounced in supershot and high-li discharges, weaker in L-mode plasmas with NBI and ICRF heating and smaller still in ohmic plasmas. In reversed-shear discharges with sufficient deuterium-NBI heating power, internal transport barriers have been observed to form, leading to enhanced confinement. Large decreases in the ion heat conductivity and particle transport are inferred within the transport barrier.It appears that higher heating power is required to trigger the formation of a transport barrier with D-T NBI and the isotope effect on energy confinement is nearly absent in these enhanced reverse-shear plasmas. Many alpha-particle physics issues have been studied in the various operating regimes including confinement of the alpha particles, their redistribution by sawteeth, and their loss due to MHD instabilities with low toroidal mode numbers. In weak-shear plasmas, alpha-particle destabilization of a toroidal Alfven eigenmode has been observed.},
doi = {10.2172/304201},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/655256}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}

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