Determination of the noninductive current profile in tokamak plasmas

Observation of instability-induced current redistribution in a spherical-torus plasma

A motional Stark effect diagnostic has been utilized to reconstruct the parallel current density profile in a spherical-torus plasma for the first time. The measured current profile compares favorably with neoclassical theory when no large-scale magnetohydrodynamic instabilities are present in the plasma. However, a current profile anomaly is observed during saturated interchange-type instability activity. This apparent anomaly can be explained by redistribution of neutral beam injection current drive and represents the first observation of interchange-type instabilities causing such redistribution. The associated current profile modifications contribute to sustaining the central safety factor above unity for over five resistive diffusion times, and similar processes may contribute to improved operational scenarios proposed for ITER.

Current clamp at zero level in JT-60U current hole plasmas

It is found that no current is driven in a central region of a tokamak plasma once the central current density becomes nearly zero ("current hole"), in spite of high electric conductivity, at the current drive by a toroidal electric field and a radio-frequency wave in experiments on the JT-60U tokamak. This is a new, stiff, self-organized structure of a magnetic field in an axisymmetric toroidal plasma.

Validation of neoclassical bootstrap current models in the edge of an H-mode plasma

Analysis of the parallel electric field E(parallel) evolution following an L-H transition in the DIII-D tokamak indicates the generation of a large negative pulse near the edge which propagates inward, indicative of the generation of a noninductive edge current. Modeling indicates that the observed E(parallel) evolution is consistent with a narrow current density peak generated in the plasma edge. Very good quantitative agreement is found between the measured E(parallel) evolution and that expected from neoclassical theory predictions of the bootstrap current.

Electron heat transport measured in a stochastic magnetic field

New profile measurements have allowed the electron thermal diffusivity profile to be estimated from power balance in the Madison Symmetric Torus where magnetic islands overlap and field lines are stochastic. The measurements show that (1) the electron energy transport is conductive not convective, (2) the measured thermal diffusivities are in good agreement with numerical simulations of stochastic transport, and (3) transport is greatly reduced near the reversal surface where magnetic diffusion is small.

Evolution of lower-hybrid-driven current during the formation of an internal transport barrier

Evolution of the lower-hybrid(LH)-driven current profile was measured during the formation of an internal transport barrier (ITB) in a reversed magnetic shear discharge. As the ITB developed, the initially centrally peaked LH-driven current profile gradually turned hollow and was sometimes accompanied by an off-axis peak in the electron temperature profile. These observations indicate the concentration of LH power deposition to the ITB for this case as a result of nonlinear coupling between the LH waves and the target plasma.

Quasisteady high-confinement reversed shear plasma with large bootstrap current fraction under full noninductive current drive condition in JT-60U

A quasisteady reversed shear plasma with a large bootstrap current fraction ( approximately 80%) has been obtained for the first time in the JT-60U tokamak. The shrinkage of reversed shear region was suppressed by the bootstrap current peaked at the internal transport barrier (ITB) layer and the ITBs at a large radius were sustained, which, by combination with an H-mode edge pedestal, resulted in a high confinement or 2.2 times the H-mode scaling for 6 times energy confinement time or 2.7 s. Furthermore, a full noninductive current drive was obtained by the bootstrap current and the beam driven current.