skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: High confinement mode and edge localized mode characteristics in a near-unity aspect ratio tokamak

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters

Tokamak experiments at near-unity aspect ratio A ≲ 1.2 offer new insights into the self-organized H-mode plasma confinement regime. In contrast to conventional A ~ 3 plasmas, the L–H power threshold PLH is ~15× higher than scaling predictions, and it is insensitive to magnetic topology, consistent with modeling. Edge localized mode (ELM) instabilities shift to lower toroidal mode numbers as A decreases. Furthermore, these ultralow-A operations enable heretofore inaccessible Jedge(R,t) measurements through an ELM that show a complex multimodal collapse and the ejection of a current-carrying filament.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-96ER54375
OSTI ID:
1253176
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1249936
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 116, Issue 17; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 8 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (47)

Observation of the L H Confinement Bifurcation Triggered by a Turbulence-Driven Shear Flow in a Tokamak Plasma journal March 2014
Measurement of Peeling Mode Edge Current Profile Dynamics journal July 2011
Characterization of peeling modes in a low aspect ratio tokamak journal November 2014
Edge-localized-modes in tokamaks journal September 2014
Progress in understanding the physics of the H-mode pedestal and ELM dynamics journal May 2010
Edge localized modes (ELMs) journal February 1996
ELM control strategies and tools: status and potential for ITER journal March 2013
Nonlinear MHD simulations of edge-localized-modes in JET journal April 2011
Roles of aspect ratio, absolute B and effective Z of the H-mode power threshold in tokamaks of the ITPA database journal April 2004
Pedestal stability comparison and ITER pedestal prediction journal July 2009
Characteristics of type I and type III ELM precursors in ASDEX upgrade journal January 1998
A new look at density limits in tokamaks journal December 1988
Current carrying blob filaments and edge-localized-mode dynamics journal October 2007
Type-I ELM precursor modes in JET journal April 2004
Confinement physics of H-mode discharges in DIII-D journal August 1989
Analysis of current drive using MSE polarimetry without equilibrium reconstruction journal August 2002
Modelling of edge localised modes and edge localised mode control journal February 2015
A quarter-century of H-mode studies journal November 2007
A review of theories of the L-H transition journal December 1999
Features of spherical torus plasmas journal June 1986
H-mode physics of near double null plasmas in MAST and its applications to other tokamaks journal December 2005
Non-linear MHD simulation of ELM energy deposition journal July 2013
Scaling of H-mode energy confinement with I p and B T in the MAST spherical tokamak journal June 2009
Overview of L–H power threshold studies in NSTX journal May 2010
Overview of physics results from MAST journal September 2009
Critical edge parameters for H-mode transition in DIII-D journal May 1998
Scaling of H-mode threshold power and L–H edge conditions with favourable ion grad- B drift in Alcator C-Mod tokamak journal January 2012
A Hall sensor array for internal current profile constraint journal October 2010
Evolution of Filament Structures during Edge-Localized Modes in the MAST Tokamak journal May 2006
Edge-localized modes - physics and theory journal May 1998
H-mode pedestal, ELM and power threshold studies in NSTX journal August 2005
A new model of the L–H transition in tokamaks journal April 2012
Power requirement for accessing the H-mode in ITER journal July 2008
The influence of gas fuelling location on H-mode access in the MAST spherical tokamak journal May 2004
Public Data Set: High Confinement Mode and Edge Localized Mode Characteristics in a Near-Unity Aspect Ratio Tokamak dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: H-mode Plasmas at Very Low Aspect Ratio on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: On Virial Analysis at Low Aspect Ratio
  • Bongard, Michael; Barr, Jayson; Fonck, Raymond
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.4959808, 1 file (440 KB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1240359
dataset July 2016
Public Data Set: A Novel, Cost-Effective, Multi-Point Thomson Scattering System on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment dataset September 2016
Public Data Set: Control and Automation of the Pegasus Multi-point Thomson Scattering System dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: Erratum: "Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment" [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012)] dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: Continuous, Edge Localized Ion Heating During Non-Solenoidal Plasma Startup and Sustainment in a Low Aspect Ratio Tokamak dataset January 2017
Public Data Set: A Power-Balance Model for Local Helicity Injection Startup in a Spherical Tokamak dataset May 2018
Public Data Set: Non-inductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity βt in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment
  • Reusch, Joshua; Bodner, Grant; Bongard, Michael
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.5017966, 1 file (5.1 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1410490
dataset March 2018
Public Data Set: Initiation and Sustainment of Tokamak Plasmas with Local Helicity Injection as the Majority Current Drive
  • Perry, Justin; Bodner, Grant; Bongard, Michael
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/aac72e, 1 file (17.1 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1419641
dataset July 2018
Public Data Set: Radially Scanning Magnetic Probes to Study Local Helicity Injection Dynamics
  • Richner, Nathan; Bongard, Michael; Fonck, Raymond
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.5036527, 1 file (9.4 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1432455
dataset July 2018
Public Data Set: Advancing Local Helicity Injection for Non-Solenoidal Tokamak Startup dataset January 2019
Non-linear MHD simulation of ELM energy deposition journal November 2013

Cited By (14)

A novel, cost-effective, multi-point Thomson scattering system on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment (invited) journal September 2016
Public Data Set: High Confinement Mode and Edge Localized Mode Characteristics in a Near-Unity Aspect Ratio Tokamak dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: H-mode Plasmas at Very Low Aspect Ratio on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: On Virial Analysis at Low Aspect Ratio
  • Bongard, Michael; Barr, Jayson; Fonck, Raymond
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.4959808, 1 file (440 KB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1240359
dataset July 2016
Public Data Set: A Novel, Cost-Effective, Multi-Point Thomson Scattering System on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment dataset September 2016
Public Data Set: Control and Automation of the Pegasus Multi-point Thomson Scattering System dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: Erratum: "Multi-point, high-speed passive ion velocity distribution diagnostic on the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment" [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10D516 (2012)] dataset January 2016
Public Data Set: Continuous, Edge Localized Ion Heating During Non-Solenoidal Plasma Startup and Sustainment in a Low Aspect Ratio Tokamak dataset January 2017
Public Data Set: A Power-Balance Model for Local Helicity Injection Startup in a Spherical Tokamak dataset May 2018
Public Data Set: Non-inductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity βt in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment
  • Reusch, Joshua; Bodner, Grant; Bongard, Michael
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.5017966, 1 file (5.1 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1410490
dataset March 2018
Public Data Set: Initiation and Sustainment of Tokamak Plasmas with Local Helicity Injection as the Majority Current Drive
  • Perry, Justin; Bodner, Grant; Bongard, Michael
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/aac72e, 1 file (17.1 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1419641
dataset July 2018
Public Data Set: Radially Scanning Magnetic Probes to Study Local Helicity Injection Dynamics
  • Richner, Nathan; Bongard, Michael; Fonck, Raymond
  • Pegasus-Supplementary information for journal article at DOI: 10.1063/1.5036527, 1 file (9.4 MB) https://doi.org/10.18138/1432455
dataset July 2018
Public Data Set: Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy for High Speed Measurements of Stark Split Neutral Beam Emission in a High Temperature Plasma dataset January 2018
Public Data Set: Advancing Local Helicity Injection for Non-Solenoidal Tokamak Startup dataset January 2019

Figures / Tables (6)