Investigation of fast pitch angle scattering of runaway electrons in the EAST tokamak

This paper reports that an experimental investigation of fast pitch angle scattering （FPAS） of runaway electrons in the EAST tokamak has been performed. From the newly developed infrared detector （HgCdTe） diagnostic system, the infrared synchrotron radiation emitted by relativistic electrons can be obtained as a function of time. The FPAS is analysed by means of the infrared detector diagnostic system and the other correlative diagnostic systems （including electron-cyclotron emission, hard x-ray, neutrons）. It is found that the intensity of infrared synchrotron radiation and the electron-cyclotron emission signal increase rapidly at the time of FPAS because of the fast increase of pitch angle and the perpendicular velocity of the energetic runaway electrons. The Parail and Pogutse instability is a possible mechanism for the FPAS.

Investigating the occurrence and predictability of pitch angle scattering events at ADITYA-Upgrade tokamak with the electron cyclotron emission radiometer

This paper describes the experimental analysis and preliminary investigation of the predictability of pitch angle scattering(PAS) events through the electron cyclotron emission(ECE)radiometer signals at the ADITYA-Upgrade(ADITYA-U) tokamak. For low-density discharges at ADITYA-U, a sudden abnormal rise is observed in the ECE signature while other plasma parameters are unchanged. Investigations are done to understand this abrupt rise that is expected to occur due to PAS. The rise time is as fast as 100 μs with a single step and/or multiple step rise in ECE radiometer measurements. This event is known to limit the on-axis energy of runaway electrons. Being a repetitive event, the conditions of its repetitive occurrence can be investigated, thereby exploring the possibility of it being triggered and surveyed as an alternate runaway electron mitigation plan. Functional parameterization of such events with other discharge parameters is obtained and the possibility to trigger these events is discussed.PREDICT code is used to investigate the possible interpretations for the PAS occurrence through modeling and supporting the ECE observations. The trigger values so obtained experimentally are set as input criteria for PAS occurrence. Preliminary modeling investigations provide reliable consistency with the findings.