Characteristics of the SOL ion-to-electron temperature ratio on the J-TEXT tokamak with different plasma configurations

Accurate measurement of the average plasma parameters in the edge region,including the temperature and density of electrons and ions,is critical for understanding the characteristics of the scrape-off layer(SOL) and divertor plasma transport in magnetically confined fusion research.On the J-TEXT tokamak,a multi-channel retarding field analyzer(RFA) probe has been developed to study average plasma parameters in the edge region under various poloidal divertor and island divertor configurations.The edge radial profile of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio,τ_(i/e),has been determined,which gradually decreases as the SOL ion self-collisionality,v_(SOL)*,increases.This is broadly consistent with what has been observed previously from various tokamak experiments.However,the comparison of experimental results under different configurations shows that in the poloidal divertor configuration,even under the same v_(SOL)*,τ_(i/e) in the SOL region becomes smaller as the distance from the X-point to the target plate increases.In the island divertor configuration,τ_(i/e) near the O-point is higher than that near the X-point at the same v_(SOL)*,and both are higher than those in the limiter configuration.These results suggest that the magnetic configuration plays a critical role in the energy distributions between electrons and ions at the plasma boundary.

Development of a toroidal soft x-ray imaging system and application for investigating three-dimensional plasma on J-TEXT

A toroidal soft x-ray imaging(T-SXRI)system has been developed to investigate threedimensional(3D)plasma physics on J-TEXT.This T-SXRI system consists of three sets of SXR arrays.Two sets are newly developed and located on the vacuum chamber wall at toroidal positionsφof 126.4°and 272.6°,respectively,while one set was established previously atφ=65.50.Each set of SXR arrays consists of three arrays viewing the plasma poloidally,and hence can be used separately to obtain SXR images via the tomographic method.The sawtooth precursor oscillations are measured by T-SXRI,and the corresponding images of perturbative SXR signals are successfully reconstructed at these three toroidal positions,hence providing measurement of the 3D structure of precursor oscillations.The observed 3D structure is consistent with the helical structure of the m/n=1/1 mode.The experimental observation confirms that the T-SXRI system is able to observe 3D structures in the J-TEXT plasma.

Suppression of the m/n=2/1 tearing mode by electron cyclotron resonance heating on J-TEXT

Stabilization of tearing modes and neoclassical tearing modes is of great importance for tokamak operation.Electron cyclotron waves(ECWs)have been extensively used to stabilize the tearing modes with the virtue of highly localized power deposition.Complete suppression of the m/n=2/1 tearing mode(TM)by electron cyclotron resonance heating(ECRH)has been achieved successfully on the J-TEXT tokamak.The effects of ECW deposition location and power amplitude on the 2/1 TM suppression have been investigated.It is found that the suppression is more effective when the ECW power is deposited closer to the rational surface.As the ECW power increases to approximately 230 k W,the 2/1 TM can be completely suppressed.The island rotation frequency is increased when the island width is reduced.The experimental results show that the local heating inside the magnetic island and the resulting temperature perturbation increase at the O-point of the island play dominant roles in TM suppression.As the ECW power increases,the 2/1 island is suppressed to smaller island width,and the flow shear also plays a stabilizing effect on small magnetic islands.With the stabilizing contribution of heating and flow shear,the 2/1 TM can be completely suppressed.

Investigation of the J-TEXT plasma events by k-means clustering algorithm

Various types of plasma events emerge in specific parameter ranges and exhibit similar characteristics in diagnostic signals,which can be applied to identify these events.A semisupervised machine learning algorithm,the k-means clustering algorithm,is utilized to investigate and identify plasma events in the J-TEXT plasma.This method can cluster diverse plasma events with homogeneous features,and then these events can be identified if given few manually labeled examples based on physical understanding.A survey of clustered events reveals that the k-means algorithm can make plasma events(rotating tearing mode,sawtooth oscillations,and locked mode)gathering in Euclidean space composed of multi-dimensional diagnostic data,like soft x-ray emission intensity,edge toroidal rotation velocity,the Mirnov signal amplitude and so on.Based on the cluster analysis results,an approximate analytical model is proposed to rapidly identify plasma events in the J-TEXT plasma.The cluster analysis method is conducive to data markers of massive diagnostic data.

Quasi-static magnetic compression of field-reversed configuration plasma:amended scalings and limits from two-dimensional MHD equilibrium

In this work,several key scaling laws of the quasi-static magnetic compression of field reversed configuration(FRC)plasma(Spencer et al 1983 Phys.Fluids 261564)are amended from a series of two-dimensional FRC MHD equilibriums numerically obtained using the Grad–Shafranov equation solver NIMEQ.Based on the new scaling for the elongation and the magnetic fields at the separatrix and the wall,the empirically stable limits for the compression ratio,the fusion gain,and the neutron yield are evaluated,which may serve as a more accurate estimate for the upper ceiling of performance from the magnetic compression of FRC plasma as a potential fusion energy as well as neutron source devices.

Disruption prediction based on fusion feature extractor on J-TEXT

Predicting disruptions across different tokamaks is necessary for next generation device.Future large-scale tokamaks can hardly tolerate disruptions at high performance discharge,which makes it difficult for current data-driven methods to obtain an acceptable result.A machine learning method capable of transferring a disruption prediction model trained on one tokamak to another is required to solve the problem.The key is a feature extractor which is able to extract common disruption precursor traces in tokamak diagnostic data,and can be easily transferred to other tokamaks.Based on the concerns above,this paper presents a deep feature extractor,namely,the fusion feature extractor(FFE),which is designed specifically for extracting disruption precursor features from common diagnostics on tokamaks.Furthermore,an FFE-based disruption predictor on J-TEXT is demonstrated.The feature extractor is aimed to extracting disruption-related precursors and is designed according to the precursors of disruption and their representations in common tokamak diagnostics.Strong inductive bias on tokamak diagnostics data is introduced.The paper presents the evolution of the neural network feature extractor and its comparison against general deep neural networks,as well as a physics-based feature extraction with a traditional machine learning method.Results demonstrate that the FFE may reach a similar effect with physics-guided manual feature extraction,and obtain a better result compared with other deep learning methods.

Design of new resonant magnetic perturbation coils on the J-TEXT tokamak

The resonant magnetic perturbation(RMP)system is a powerful auxiliary system on tokamaks.On the J-TEXT tokamak,a set of new in-vessel coils is designed to enhance the amplitude of the RMP.The new coils are designed to be two-turn saddle coils.These two-turn saddle coils have been optimized in terms of their structure,support,and protection components to overcome the limitations of the narrow in-vessel space,resulting in a compact coil module that can be accommodated in the vessel.To verify the feasibility of this design,an electromagnetic simulation is performed to investigate the electrical parameters and the generated field of the coils.A multi-field coupled simulation is performed to investigate the capacity of heat dissipation.As a result of these efforts,the new RMP coils have been successfully installed on the J-TEXT tokamak.It has significantly enhanced the RMP amplitude and been widely applied in experiments.

An application of the shortest path algorithm for the identification of weak MHD mode

The identification of magnetohydrodynamic(MHD)modes is a crucial issue in the control of magnetically confined plasmas.This paper proposes a novel method for identifying the evolution of MHD modes from a signal with a low signal-to-noise ratio.The proposed method generates a weighted directed graph from the time-frequency spectrum and calculates the evolution of the mode frequency by solving the shortest path.This method addresses the limitations posed by the lack of data channels and the disturbance of noise in the estimation of mode frequency and yields much better results compared to traditional methods.It is demonstrated that,using this method,the evolution of an unlocked tearing mode was more accurately calculated on the J-TEXT tokamak.This method remains feasible even with a low signal-to-noise ratio of 0.5,as shown by its uncertainty.Furthermore,with appropriate parameters,this method can be applied to not only signals with MHD modes,but also to general signals with continuous modes.

Overview of the J-TEXT progress on RMP and disruption physics

The J-TEXT tokamak has been operated for ten years since its first plasma obtained at the end of 2007. The diagnostics development and main modulation systems, i.e. resonant magnetic perturbation （RMP） systems and massive gas injection （MGI） systems, will be introduced in this paper. Supported by these efforts, J-TEXT has contributed to research on several topics, especially on RMP physics and disruption mitigation. Both experimental and theoretical research show that RMP could lock, suppress or excite the tearing modes, depending on the RMP amplitude, frequency difference between RMP and rational surface rotation, and initial stabilities. The plasma rotation, particle transport and operation region are influenced by the RMP. Utilizing the MGI valves, disruptions have been mitigated with pure He, pure Ne, and a mixture of He and Ar （9：1）. A significant runaway current plateau could be generated with moderate amounts of Ar injection. The RMP has been shown to suppress the generation of runaway current during disruptions.

Recent progress of the ECRH system and initial experimental results on the J-TEXT tokamak

In order to broaden the range of the plasma parameters and provide experimental conditions for physical research into high-performance plasma,the development of the electron cyclotron resonance heating(ECRH) system for the J-TEXT tokamak was initiated in 2017.For the first stage,the ECRH system operated successfully with one 105 GHz/500 kW/1 s gyrotron in 2019.More than 400 kW electron cyclotron(EC) wave power has been injected into the plasma successfully,raising the core electron temperature to 1.5 keV.In 2022,another 105 GHz/500 kW/1 s gyrotron completed commissioning tests which signifies that the ECRH system could generate an EC wave power of 1 MW in total.Under the support of the ECRH system,various physical experiments have been carried out on J-TEXT.The electron thermal transport in ECRH plasmas has been investigated.When ECRH is turned on,the electron thermal diffusivity significantly increases.The runaway current is elevated when a disruption occurs during ECRH heating.When the injected EC wave power is 400 kW,the conversion efficiency of runaway current increases from 35% to 75%.Fast electron behavior is observed in electron cyclotron current drive(ECCD) plasma by the fast electron bremsstrahlung diagnostic(FEB).The increase in the FEB intensity implies that ECCD could generate fast electrons.A successful startup with a 200 kW ECW is achieved.With the upgrade of the ECRH system,the J-TEXT operational range could be expanded and further relevant research could be conducted.

Toroidal component of velocity for geodesic acoustic modes in the edge plasmas of the J-TEXT tokamak

The toroidal component of the velocity for geodesic acoustic modes(GAMs)is first demonstrated.Multiple Langmuir probe arrays set up near the top tokamak of the J-TEXT were utilized for this study.A significant peak at the GAM frequency is observed in Mach number fluctuations.The toroidal velocity for the GAMs is estimated as 10–100 ms-1 and increases with the poloidal velocity.The ratio of toroidal component to the poloidal one of the velocity is mainly located in the interval between 0.3 and 1.0.With higher safety factors q,the ratio almost does not change with decreasing the safety factor,whereas it goes up sharply at low q.The coherencies between poloidal electric fields and Mach number fluctuations in turbulence frequency bands are also evaluated,and are higher than those between radial electric fields and Mach number fluctuations.

Design and first result of combined Langmuir-magnetic probe on J-TEXT tokamak

In order to measure boundary electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations simultaneously,a combined Langmuir-magnetic probe(CLMP)has been designed and built on joint-Texas experimental tokamak.The probe consists of 8 graphite probe pins and a 3D magnetic probe,driven by a mechanical pneumatic device.By means of simulation,the shielding effect of the graphite sleeve on the magnetic fluctuation signal is explored,and the influence of the eddy current was reduced by cutting the graphite sleeve.In the experiment,it has been verified that the mutual inductance of electromagnetic signals can be ignored,and a 70–90 k Hz electromagnetic mode is observed around the last closed magnetic surface.The establishment of CLMP provides data for the exploration of the coupling of electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations.

Study of the spectrum effect on the threshold of resonant magnetic perturbation penetration on J-TEXT

The spectrum effect on the penetration of resonant magnetic perturbation(RMP) is studied with upgraded in-vessel RMP coils on J-TEXT.The poloidal spectrum of the RMP field,especially the amplitudes of 2/1 and 3/1 components,can be varied by the phase difference between the upper and lower coil rows,ΔΦ=Φ_(top)-Φ_(bottom),where Φ_(top)and Φ_(bottom)are the toroidal phases of the n=1 field of each coil row.The type of RMP penetration is found to be related to ΔΦ,including the RMP penetration of either 2/1 or 3/1 RMP and the successive penetrations of 3/1 RMP followed by the 2/1 RMP.For cases with penetration of only one RMP component,the penetration thresholds measured by the corresponding resonant component are close for variousΔΦ.However,the 2/1 RMP penetration threshold is significantly reduced if the 3/1 locked island is formed in advance.The changes in the rotation profile due to 3/1 locked island formation could partially contribute to the reduction of the 2/1 thresholds.

A brief review of the development and optimization of the three-dimensional magnetic configuration system in the J-TEXT tokamak

The three-dimensional(3D) magnetic configuration system in the J-TEXT tokamak has featured in many experimental studies.The system mainly consists of three subsystems:the static resonant magnetic perturbation(SRMP) system,the dynamic resonant magnetic perturbation(DRMP) system and the helical coil system.The SRMP coil system consist of two kinds of coils,i.e.three six-loop coils and two five-loop coils.It can suppress tearing modes with a moderate strength,and may also cause mode locking with larger amplitude.The DRMP coil system consists of 12 single-turn saddle coils(DRMP1) and 12 double-turn saddle coils(DRMP2).Its magnetic field can be rotated at a few kHz,leading to either acceleration or deceleration of the tearing mode velocity and the plasma rotation.The helical coil system consists of two closed coils,and is currently under construction to provide external rotational transform in J-TEXT.The 3D magnetic configuration system can suppress tearing modes,preventing and avoiding the occurrence of major disruption.

Effect of edge magnetic island on carbon screening in the J-TEXT tokamak

The effect of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation(RMP)on carbon impurity behavior is investigated in the J-TEXT tokamak.It is found that the m/n=3/1 islands have an impurity screening effect,which becomes obvious while the edge magnetic island is generated via RMP field penetration.The impurity screening effect shows a dependence on the RMP phase with the field penetration,which is strongest if the O point of the magnetic island is near the low-field-side(LFS)limiter plate.By combining a methane injection experimental study and STRAHL impurity transport analysis,we found that the variation of the impurity transport dominates the impurity screening effect.The impurity diffusion at the inner plasma region(r/a<0.8)is enhanced with a significant increase in outward convection velocity at the edge region in the case of the magnetic island’s O point near the LFS limiter plate.The impurity transport coefficient varies by a much lower level for the case with the magnetic island’s X point near the LFS limiter plate.The interaction of the magnetic island and the LFS limiter plate is thought to contribute to the impurity transport variation with the dependence on the RMP phase.A possible reason is the interaction between the magnetic island and the LFS limiter.

Power supply for generating frequency-variable resonant magnetic perturbations on the J-TEXT tokamak

To further research the response of the tearing mode（TM） to dynamic resonant magnetic perturbation（DRMP） on the J-TEXT tokamak, a modified series resonant inverter power supply（MSRIPS） with a function of discrete variable frequency is designed for DRMP coils in this study. The MSRIPS is an AC–DC–AC converter, including a phase-controlled rectifier, an LC filter, an insulated gate bipolar transistor（IGBT） full bridge, a matching transformer, three resonant capacitors with different capacitance values, and three corresponding silicon controlled rectifier（SCR） switches. The function of discrete variable frequency is realized by switching over different resonant capacitors with corresponding SCR switches while matching the corresponding driving frequency of the IGBT full bridge. A detailed switching strategy of the SCR switch is put forward to obtain sinusoidal current waveform and realize current waveform smooth transition during frequency conversion. In addition, a resistor and thyristor bleeder is designed to protect the SCR switch from overvoltage. Manufacturing of the MSRIPS is completed, and the MSRIPS equipment can output current with an amplitude of 1.5 kA when its working frequency jumps among different frequencies. Moreover, the current waveform is sinusoidal and can smoothly transition during frequency conversion. Furthermore, the transition time when the current amplitude rises from zero to a steady state is less than 2 ms during frequency conversion. By using the MSRIPS, the expected discrete variable frequency DRMP is generated, and the phenomenon of the TM being locked to the discrete variable frequency DRMP is observed on the J-TEXT tokamak.

Study of the fast electron behavior in electron cyclotron current driven plasma on J-TEXT

In J-TEXT tokamak,fast electron bremsstrahlung diagnostic with 9 chords equipped with multichannel analyzer enables detailed studies of the generation and transport of fast electrons.The spatial profiles and energy spectrum of the fast electrons have been measured in two ECCD cases with either on-axis or off-axis injection,and the profiles processed by Abel-inversion are consistent with the calculated power deposition locations.Moreover,it is observed that the energy of fast electrons increases rapidly after turning off the ECCD,which may be attributed to the acceleration by the recovered loop voltage at low electron density.

Overview of machine learning applications in fusion plasma experiments on J-TEXT tokamak

Machine learning research and applications in fusion plasma experiments are one of the main subjects on J-TEXT.Since 2013,various kinds of traditional machine learning,as well as deep learning methods have been applied to fusion plasma experiments.Further applications in the real-time experimental environment have proved the feasibility and effectiveness of the methods.For disruption prediction,we started by predicting disruptions of limited classes with a short warning time that could not meet the requirements of the mitigation system.After years of study,nowadays disruption prediction methods on J-TEXT are able to predict all kinds of disruptions with a high success rate and long enough warning time.Furthermore,cross-device disruption prediction methods have obtained promising results.Interpretable analysis of the models are studied.For diagnostics data processing,efforts have been made to reduce manual work in processing and to increase the robustness of the diagnostic system.Models based on both traditional machine learning and deep learning have been applied to real-time experimental environments.The models have been cooperating with the plasma control system and other systems,to make joint decisions to further support the experiments.

Realization of divertor configuration discharge in J-TEXT tokamak

To extend the operation region of the Joint-Texas Experimental tokamak(J-TEXT) to the divertor configuration and even the H-mode,the divertor configuration discharge has been realized for the first time in the J-TEXT tokamak.Along with the establishment of a power supply for the divertor configuration,the construction of relevant diagnostics,and the installation of the divertor target on the high-field side,divertor discharge has been tested.Through the equilibrium calculation and position stability analysis,the control strategy has evolved to be more stable.High-density experiments and auxiliary heating experiments have been carried out on the divertor configuration.The special midplane single-null(MSN) divertor configuration is shown to be more stable than the limiter configuration in the density limit condition and can reach a higher density in the experiment.In the ECRH experiment,the power injection enhances the electron temperature and density,while more heat outflux is loaded on the divertor target tiles and causes more intensive recycling and impurity release.The future plan for the divertor configuration operation in the J-TEXT tokamak is also included.

Suppression of runaway current by electrode biasing and limiter biasing on J-TEXT

The avoidance of runaway electrons(REs) generated during plasma disruption is of great concern for the safe operation of tokamak devices.Experimental study on the suppression of runaway current by electrode biasing(EB) and limiter biasing(LB) has been performed on the J-TEXT tokamak,which could be an alternative way to suppress the runaway current.The experimental results show that the higher the voltage value,the smaller the runaway current in both EB and LB experiments.The runaway current can be completely suppressed at an electrode biased voltage of +450 V and a limiter biased voltage of +300 V.The comparison of the energy spectra during the runaway plateau phase shows that the maximum energy max(E_(RE)) and radiation temperature T_(HXR)hard x-rays(HXRs)are significantly reduced after the application of +200 V limiter biased voltage.The electric field generated by the biased voltage may be the key factor to suppress the runaway current,and the measured radial electric field increases obviously after the voltage is applied.This may result in an increase in the loss of REs to realize the suppression of runaway current.