Characterization of enhanced D{alpha} high-confinement modes in Alcator {ital C}-Mod

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873451· OSTI ID:344927

Greenwald, M; Boivin, R; Bonoli, P; Budny, R; Fiore, C; Goetz, J; Granetz, R; Hubbard, A; Hutchinson, I; Irby, J; LaBombard, B; Lin, Y; Lipschultz, B; Marmar, E; Mazurenko, A; Mossessian, D; Sunn Pedersen, T; Pitcher, C S; Porkolab, M; Rice, J ; Rowan, W; Snipes, J; Schilling, G; Takase, Y; Terry, J; Wolfe, S; Weaver, J; Welch, B; Wukitch, S ^[1]

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1. MIT-Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

Regimes of high-confinement mode have been studied in the Alcator {ital C}-Mod tokamak [Hutchinson {ital et al.}, Phys. Plasmas {bold 1}, 1511 (1994)]. Plasmas with no edge localized modes (ELM-free) have been compared in detail to a new regime, enhanced D{alpha} (EDA). EDA discharges have only slightly lower energy confinement than comparable ELM-free ones, but show markedly reduced impurity confinement. Thus EDA discharges do not accumulate impurities and typically have a lower fraction of radiated power. The edge gradients in EDA seem to be relaxed by a continuous process rather than an intermittent one as is the case for standard ELMy discharges and thus do not present the first wall with large periodic heat loads. This process is probably related to fluctuations seen in the plasma edge. EDA plasmas are more likely at low plasma current (q{gt}3.7), for moderate plasma shaping, (triangularity {approximately}0.35{endash}0.55), and for high neutral pressures. As observed in soft x-ray emission, the pedestal width is found to scale with the same parameters that determine the EDA/ELM-free boundary. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 344927
• Report Number(s): CONF-981127--
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 6; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALCATOR DEVICE
FLUCTUATIONS
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA INSTABILITY