Convective Transport Suppression in the Scrape-Off Layer Using Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating on the ASDEX Upgrade Tokamak

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.105.165001· OSTI ID:21467027

Antar, G ^[1]; Assas, S; Bobkov, V; Noterdaeme, J -M; Wolfrum, E; Herrmann, A; Rohde, V ^[2]

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1. American University of Beirut, Riad el-Solh, Beirut 1107-2020 (Lebanon)
2. Max-Planck Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstrasse 2, 85748 Garching (Germany)

Turbulence properties in the scrape-off layer (SOL) in the presence of ion cyclotron frequency heating (ICRH) are compared to instances where it is absent. The discharges are all in a high-confinement mode (H-mode) regime. During ICRH, the SOL plasma density increases whereas turbulence large-scale and convective structures are shown to be suppressed. The probability distribution function is thus recorded to be closer to a Gaussian, and a net decrease in the low-frequency density fluctuations is reflected in the power spectra. Consequently, the level of turbulent fluctuations decreases significantly. Turbulence suppression is also reported during edge localized modes (ELMs) where both the ELMs-induced transport and duration are strongly affected. The increase of neutrals by gas puffing did not alter this behavior. We deduce that ICRH can be used as to suppress convective transport and reduce the ELM's amplitude.

• OSTI ID: 21467027
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 16; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.165001; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASDEX TOKAMAK
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
EDGE LOCALIZED MODES
FLUCTUATIONS
H-MODE PLASMA CONFINEMENT
ICR HEATING
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA SCRAPE-OFF LAYER
TURBULENCE
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFINEMENT
FUNCTIONS
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
INSTABILITY
LAYERS
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
VARIATIONS