Study of nonlinear mode–mode couplings between Alfvénic modes by the Fourier bicoherence and Lissajous-curve technique in HL-2A

Nonlinear couplings of various Alfvén modes driven by energetic particles in HL-2 A are addressed by employing the Fourier bicoherence and Lissajous-curve technique. Long-lived modes and high-frequency coherent modes are presented. Then the squared bicoherence of three waves establishes the existence of three-wave coupling. Lissajous-curves of those waves manifest that their phases are locked, which again confirms that they are nonlinearly coupled to each other. Moreover, coupled modes triggered by supersonic molecular beam injection are investigated. The phase evolution of them is given by the Lissajous-curve. Further details of phase-flip and phase-slip are presented and discussed.

Favourable scenarios established by SMBI for the realization of the ELMy H-mode at HL-2A

The ELMy H-mode plasmas realized with the supersonic molecular beam injection（SMBI） are studied in relation to the energy confinement and the heating power for the L–H transition（P_（L-H） ） in the HL-2A tokamak. A database is assembled for this study based on the ELMy H-mode discharges during the experimental campaigns in the period 2009–2013at the HL-2A tokamak. The statistical results show that the SMBI is favourable for reaching the H-mode by reducing the heating power at the L–H transition and for the H-mode performance by improving the energy confinement compared with the ordinary gas puffing（GP）. The reduction of P_（L-H） is about 20% when the density is low, and the energy confinement enhancement factor of H_（H98y2）= τ_E/τ_（th,98y2） ≈ 1.5 is achieved with the SMBI. Note that in the database the density dependence of P_（L-H） is non-monotonic with the ˉne,min≈ 3×10^（19） m^（-3） at which the P_（L-H） is minimum. Most of P_（L-H） data are on the low density branch where the P_（L-H） increases with the decrease in density. The minimum of the P_（L-H） in HL-2A is comparable to the ITPA multi-machine threshold power scaling P_（thr_scal08）. The physics behind the reduction of the P_（L-H） with the SMBI is also investigated in relation to the change of the density gradient at the plasma edge, the gas fuelling efficiency, and the recycling.

Characterization of plasma current quench during disruptions at HL-2A

The most essential assumptions of physics for the evaluation of electromagnetic forces on the plasma-facing components due to a disruption-induced eddy current are characteristics of plasma current quenches including the current quench rate or its waveforms. The characteristics of plasma current quenches at HL-2A have been analyzed during spontaneous disruptions. Both linear decay and exponential decay are found in the disruptions with the fastest current quenches.However, there are two stages of current quench in the slow current quench case. The first stage with an exponential decay and the second stage followed by a rapid linear decay. The faster current quench rate corresponds to the faster movement of plasma displacement. The parameter regimes on the current quench time and the current quench rates have been obtained from disruption statistics at HL-2A. There exists no remarkable difference for distributions obtained between the limiter and the divertor configuration. This data from HL-2A provides basic data of the derivation of design criteria for a large-sized machine during the current decay phase of the disruptions.

Multi-scale interaction between tearing modes and micro-turbulence in the HL-2A plasmas

The influence of m/n=2/1(m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers)tearing modes on plasma perpendicular flows and micro-fluctuations has been investigated in HL-2A neutral beam injection heated L-mode plasmas.It is found that the local perpendicular rotation velocity and turbulence energy are modulated by the alternation between the island X-point and O-point of the naturally rotating tearing modes.Cross-correlation analysis indicates that the modulation of density fluctuations by the tearing mode is not only limited to the island region,but also occurs in the edge region near the last closed flux surface.The turbulence exhibits distinct spectral characteristics inside and outside the island region.In addition,it is observed that the particle flux near the strike point is also significantly impacted by the tearing modes.The experimental evidence reveals that there are strong core-edge interactions between the core tearing modes and the edge transport.

Application of the Magnetic Surface Based PARK-Matrix Method in the HCOOH Laser Interferometry System on HL-2A

A new electron density profile reconstruction procedure based on the PARK-matrix method has been firstly exploited for the multi-chord formic acid（HCOOH, λ=432.5 μm） laser interferometry system on the HL-2A tokamak. According to the geometric coordinates of the magnetic surfaces reconstructed by the CF（current fitting） code and the assumption that the electron density between two adjacent magnetic surfaces is a constant, the local electron density is calculated layer by layer, and the electron density profile n_e（Z） can be determined, as well as the density profile n_e（R）. The simulation result indicates that the error of the PARK-matrix method is acceptable for the four-chord HCOOH laser interferometer. In the applications, it shows that the reconstructed electron density profile agrees well with the microwave reflectometry measurement,and the sawtooth reversion radius is consistent with that deduced from the soft X-ray signals.Meanwhile, the electron density profiles with electron cyclotron resonance heating（ECRH） and supersonic molecular beam injection（SMBI） are also reconstructed and analyzed.