Kinetic equilibrium reconstruction with internal safety factor profile constraints on EAST tokamak

Reconstruction of plasma equilibrium plays an important role in the analysis and simulation of plasma experiments. The kinetic equilibrium reconstruction with pressure and edge current constraints has been employed on EAST tokamak. However, the internal safety factor(q) profile is not accurate. This paper proposes a new way of incorporating q profile constraints into kinetic equilibrium reconstruction. The q profile is yielded from the Polarimeter Interferometer(POINT)reconstruction. Virtual probes containing information on q profile constraints are added to inputs of the kinetic equilibrium reconstruction program to obtain the final equilibrium. The new equilibrium produces a more accurate internal q profile. This improved method would help analyze EAST experiments.

Deep learning approaches to recover the plasma current density profile from the safety factor based on Grad–Shafranov solutions across multiple tokamaks

Many magnetohydrodynamic stability analyses require generation of a set of equilibria with a fixed safety factor q-profile while varying other plasma parameters.A neural network(NN)-based approach is investigated that facilitates such a process.Both multilayer perceptron(MLP)-based NN and convolutional neural network(CNN)models are trained to map the q-profile to the plasma current density J-profile,and vice versa,while satisfying the Grad–Shafranov radial force balance constraint.When the initial target models are trained,using a database of semianalytically constructed numerical equilibria,an initial CNN with one convolutional layer is found to perform better than an initial MLP model.In particular,a trained initial CNN model can also predict the q-or J-profile for experimental tokamak equilibria.The performance of both initial target models is further improved by fine-tuning the training database,i.e.by adding realistic experimental equilibria with Gaussian noise.The fine-tuned target models,referred to as fine-tuned MLP and fine-tuned CNN,well reproduce the target q-or J-profile across multiple tokamak devices.As an important application,these NN-based equilibrium profile convertors can be utilized to provide a good initial guess for iterative equilibrium solvers,where the desired input quantity is the safety factor instead of the plasma current density.

Ion heat transport in electron cyclotron resonance heated L-mode plasma on the T-10 tokamak

Anomalous ion heat transport is analyzed in the T-10 tokamak plasma heated with electron cyclotron resonance heating(ECRH) in second-harmonic extra-ordinary mode. Predictive modeling with empirical scaling for Ohmical heat conductivity shows that in ECRH plasmas the calculated ion temperature could be overestimated, so an increase of anomalous ion heat transport is required. To study this effect two scans are presented: over the EC resonance position and over the ECRH power. The EC resonance position varies from the high-field side to the low-field side by variation of the toroidal magnetic field. The scan over the heating power is presented with on-axis and mixed ECRH regimes. Discharges with high anomalous ion heat transport are obtained in all considered regimes. In these discharges the power balance ion heat conductivity exceeds the neoclassical level by up to 10 times. The high ion heat transport regimes are distinguished by three parameters: the ratio Te/Ti, the normalized electron density gradient R/■, and the ion–ion collisionality νii~*. The combination of high Te/Ti, high νii~*, and R/■=6-10 results in values of normalized anomalous ion heat fluxes up to 10 times higher than in the low transport scenario.

Numerical analysis for the free-boundary current reversal equilibrium in the AC plasma current operation in a tokamak

In recent decades, tokamak discharges with zero total toroidal current have been reported in tokamak experiments, and this is one of the key problems in alternating current(AC) operations.An efficient free-boundary equilibrium code is developed to investigate such advanced tokamak discharges with current reversal equilibrium configuration. The calculation results show that the reversal current equilibrium can maintain finite pressure and also has considerable effects on the position of the X-point and the magnetic separatrix shape, and hence also on the position of the strike point on the divertor plates, which is extremely useful for magnetic design, MHD stability analysis, and experimental data analysis etc. for the AC plasma current operation on tokamaks.

A dual-route optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic with wide spectral range and high wavelength resolution on HL-2A tokamak

A dual-route optical emission spectroscopy(D-OES)diagnostic is newly developed to monitor the optical emission from the X-point plasma region on the HL-2 A tokamak.This diagnostic is composed of an imaging system,a beam-splitting system for dual-route measurements,fiber bundles,a spectrometer system,and a control and acquisition system.One route is used to obtain wide-spectral-range spectra,and the other route is used to acquire high-wavelengthresolution line shapes.The spectral resolution of the wide-range spectrometers is 0.8 nm with a coverage of 800 nm(@200-1000 nm).The spectral resolution of the high-resolution spectrometer is 0.01 nm with a coverage of 6 nm(@200-660 nm).The spatial resolution of each route of D-OES is about 4 cm with 11 channels.The temporal resolution is 16 ms at maximum in the single-channel mode.Wide-range spectra(containing Balmer series and a Fulcher band)and highly resolved Ha line shapes are obtained by D-OES in the hydrogen glow discharge in the lab.D-OES measurements are carried out in the high-density deuterium experiments of HL-2A.The electron density n_(e)and deuterium temperature T_(D) in the X-point multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge(MARFE)region are derived simultaneously by fitting the measured D_(a) shape.The density n_(e)is observed to increase from~8.7×10^(18)m^(-3)to~7.8×10^(19)m^(-3),and the temperature T_(D)drops from~14.4 eV to~2.3 eV after the onset of MARFE in the discharge#38260.

A synthetic diagnostics platform for microwave imaging diagnostics in tokamaks

Interpreting experimental diagnostics data in tokamaks,while considering non-ideal effects,is challenging due to the complexity of plasmas.To address this challenge,a general synthetic diagnostics(GSD)platform has been established that facilitates microwave imaging reflectometry and electron cyclotron emission imaging.This platform utilizes plasma profiles as input and incorporates the finite-difference time domain,ray tracing and the radiative transfer equation to calculate the propagation of plasma spontaneous radiation and the external electromagnetic field in plasmas.Benchmark tests for classical cases have been conducted to verify the accuracy of every core module in the GSD platform.Finally,2D imaging of a typical electron temperature distribution is reproduced by this platform and the results are consistent with the given real experimental data.This platform also has the potential to be extended to 3D electromagnetic field simulations and other microwave diagnostics such as cross-polarization scattering.

Simulation of ion cyclotron wave heating in the EXL-50U spherical tokamak based on dispersion relations

This study investigates the single-pass absorption(SPA) of ion cyclotron range of frequency(ICRF) heating in hydrogen plasma of the EXL-50U spherical tokamak,which is an upgraded EXL-50 device with a central solenoid and a stronger magnetic field.The reliability of the kinetic dispersion equation is confirmed by the one-dimensional full-wave code,and the applicability of Porkolab's simplified theoretical SPA model is discussed based on the kinetic dispersion equation.Simulations are conducted to investigate the heating effects of the fundamental and second harmonic frequencies.The results indicate that with the design parameters of the EXL-50U device,the SPA for second harmonic heating is 63%,while the SPA for fundamental heating is 13%.Additionally,the optimal injection frequencies are 23 MHz at 0.9 T and 31 MHz at 1.2 T.The wave vector of the antenna parallel to the magnetic field,with a value of k_‖=7.5 m^(-1),falls within the optimal heating region.Simulations reveal that the ICRF heating system can play an important role in the ion heating of the EXL-50U.

First results of CO_(2) dispersion interferometer on EAST tokamak

A dispersion interferometer(DI)has been installed and operates on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak(EAST).This DI system utilizes a continuous-wave 9.3μm CO_(2)laser source to measure line-averaged electron densities accurately.In contrast to conventional interferometers,the DI does not require substantial vibration isolations or compensating systems to reduce the impact of vibrations in the optical path.It also employs a ratio of modulation amplitudes,ensuring it remains immune to the variations in detected intensities.Without a variation compensation system,the DI system on EAST reaches a density resolution of less than1.8×10^(-2)πrad and a temporal resolution of 20μs.The measurements made by the POlarimeterINTerferometer(POINT)system and the far-infrared hydrogen cyanide(HCN)interferometer are remarkably consistent with the DI’s results.The possibility of fringe jumps and the impact of refraction in high-density discharge can be significantly decreased using a shorter wavelength laser source.A rapid density change of 3×10^(19)m^(-3)during 0.15 s has been measured accurately in shot No.114755 of EAST.Additionally,the DI system demonstrates dependability and stability under 305 s long-pulse discharges in shot No.122054.

Design and platform testing of the compact torus central fueling device for the EAST tokamak

Compact torus(CT)injection is a highly promising technique for the central fueling of future reactor-grade fusion devices since it features extremely high injection velocity and relatively high plasma mass.Recently,a CT injector for the EAST tokamak,EAST-CTI,was developed and platform-tested.In the first round of experiments conducted with low parameter settings,the maximum velocity and mass of the CT plasma were 150 km·s^(-1)and 90μg,respectively.However,the parameters obtained by EAST-CTI were still very low and were far from the requirements of a device such as EAST that has a strong magnetic field.In future,we plan to solve the spark problem that EAST-CTI currently encounters(that mainly hinders the further development of experiments)through engineering methods,and use greater power to obtain a more stable and suitable CT plasma for EAST.

Detailed analysis and simulation verification for reconstruction of plasma optical boundary with spectrometric technique on HL-2M tokamak

The plasma optical boundary reconstruction technique based on Hommen's theory is promising for future tokamaks with high parameters. In this work, we conduct detailed analysis and simulation verification to estimate the ‘logic loophole' of this technique. The finite-width effect and unpredictable errors reduce the technique's reliability, which leads to this loophole. Based on imaging theory, the photos of a virtual camera are simulated by integrating the assumed luminous intensity of plasma. Based on Hommen's theory, the plasma optical boundary is reconstructed from the photos. Comparing the reconstructed boundary with the one assumed, the logic loophole and its two effects are quantitatively estimated. The finite-width effect is related to the equivalent thickness of the luminous layer, which is generally about 2-4 cm but sometimes larger. The level of unpredictable errors is around 0.65 cm. The technique based on Hommen's theory is generally reliable, but finite-width effect and unpredictable errors have to be taken into consideration in some scenarios. The parameters of HL-2M are applied in this work.

Quasi-coherent mode in core plasma of SUNIST spherical tokamak

A quasi-coherent(QC)mode was observed in the core region of low-density ohmic plasmas in Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak.In experiments on the QC mode,two sets of moveable Langmuir probes(LPs)were used to measure the local parameters including floating potential,electron temperature,electron density,and so on,as well as their profiles.To monitor the magnetohydrodynamic activities,a Mirnov probe was used to measure the poloidal magnetic fluctuation.The QC mode can be seen in the spectra of floating potential,but there is no similar peak in the spectra of magnetic fluctuation.Thus,the QC mode is probably electrostatic.By analyzing the electrostatic potential fluctuations from the LPs,the features of the QC mode including frequency,wavenumber,propagation direction,and dependence on collisionality are identified,which are consistent with the characteristics of dissipative trapped electron mode.

Recent progress on deep learning-based disruption prediction algorithm in HL-2A tokamak

Disruption prediction and mitigation is a crucial topic,especially for future large-scale tokamaks,due to disruption’sconcomitant harmful effects on the devices.On this topic,disruption prediction algorithm takes the responsibility to giveaccurate trigger signal in advance of disruptions,therefore the disruption mitigation system can effectively alleviate theharmful effects.In the past 5 years,a deep learning-based algorithm is developed in HL-2A tokamak.It reaches a truepositive rate of 92.2%,a false positive rate of 2.5%and a total accuracy of 96.1%.Further research is implementedon the basis of this algorithm to solve three key problems,i.e.,the algorithm’s interpretability,real-time capability andtransferability.For the interpretability,HL-2A’s algorithm gives saliency maps indicating the correlation between thealgorithm’s input and output by perturbation analysis.The distribution of correlations shows good coherence with thedisruption causes.For the transferability,a preliminary disruption predictor is successfully developed in HL-2M,a newlybuilt tokamak in China.Although only 44 shots are used as the training set of this algorithm,it gives reasonable outputswith the help of data from HL-2A and J-TEXT.For the real-time capacity,the algorithm is accelerated to deal with an inputslice within 0.3 ms with the help of some adjustments on it and TFLite framework.It is also implemented into the plasmacontrol system and gets an accuracy of 89.0%during online test.This paper gives a global perspective on these results anddiscusses the possible pathways to make HL-2A’s algorithm a more comprehensive solution for future tokamaks.

Screening effect of plasma flow on the resonant magnetic perturbation penetration in tokamaks based on two-fluid model

Numerical simulation on the resonant magnetic perturbation penetration is carried out by the newly-updated initial value code MDC(MHD@Dalian Code).Based on a set of two-fluid fourfield equations,the bootstrap current,parallel,and perpendicular transport effects are included appropriately.Taking into account the bootstrap current,a mode penetration-like phenomenon is found,which is essentially different from the classical tearing mode model.To reveal the influence of the plasma flow on the mode penetration process,E×B drift flow and diamagnetic drift flow are separately applied to compare their effects.Numerical results show that a sufficiently large diamagnetic drift flow can drive a strong stabilizing effect on the neoclassical tearing mode.Furthermore,an oscillation phenomenon of island width is discovered.By analyzing it in depth,it is found that this oscillation phenomenon is due to the negative feedback regulation of pressure on the magnetic island.This physical mechanism is verified again by key parameter scanning.

Preparation of a beam emission spectroscopy diagnostic based on a Lyman-alpha line to diagnose core and edge-plasma density fluctuation on the HL-2A tokamak

In this article,the design of a Lyman-alpha-based beam emission spectroscopy(LAB)diagnostic on the HL-2A tokamak has been proposed for the first time.The purpose of this novel diagnostic is to measure density fluctuations of tokamak plasma.The light-collection system of LAB,which consists of the first mirror and two groups of coaxial double-mirror telescopes,can realize a twosegmented viewing field ofρ=0–0.2 andρ=0.75–1,which is optimized to measure plasma density fluctuation,not only in the edge transport barrier region but also in the internal transport barrier region,to investigate the underlying physics of turbulence in tokamaks.Spectrometers are developed to separate out the Doppler-shifted target line(122.03 and 122.17 nm)from the background Lyman-alpha line(121.53 nm).Here,30 Core-LAB channels and 30 Edge-LAB channels are under development on the HL-2A tokamak.It has high radial spatial resolutions of about 2.7 mm and 3.3 mm for the core and edge channels,respectively.Taking the high light intensity of this Lyman-alpha line into account,temporal resolution of 200 k Hz can be ensured by broad bandwidth amplifiers.This high spatio-temporal resolution makes LAB a potential keen tool to experimentally investigate tokamak plasma physics.

Initial testing of ohmic heating through double flux swing during electron cyclotron start-up in the QUEST spherical tokamak

A power-supply system was developed for Ohmic heating(OH)to double×10^(18)the amount of change magnetic flux in the primary central solenoid(CS)on the QUEST spherical tokamak.Two power supplies are connected with stacks of insulated-gate bipolar transistors,and sequentially operated to generate positive and negative CS currents.This bipolar power-supply system is controlled via a field-programmable gate array,which guarantees the safety of the entire system operation.The new OH system,assisted by electron cyclotron heating,enables the stable generation of plasma currents exceeding 100 k A.Moreover,the achieved electron density over the wide range in the major radial direction exceeds the cut-off density for one of the highpower microwave sources in QUEST.This strategy yields target plasmas for future experiments with the electron Bernstein wave.

A systematic investigation of radiation collapse for disruption avoidance and prevention on JET tokamak

To produce fusion reactions efficiently,thermonuclear plasmas have to reach extremely high temperatures,which is incompatible with their coming into contact with material surfaces.Confinement of plasmas using magnetic fields has progressed significantly in the last years,particularly in the tokamak configuration.Unfortunately,all tokamak devices,and particularly metallic ones,are plagued by catastrophic events called disruptions.Many disruptions are preceded by anomalies in the radiation patterns,particularly in ITER-relevant scenarios.These specific forms of radiation emission either directly cause or reveal the approaching collapse of the configuration.Detecting the localization of these radiation anomalies in real time requires an innovative and specific elaboration of bolometric measurements,confirmed by visible cameras and the inversion of sophisticated tomographic algorithms.The information derived from these measurements can be interpreted in terms of local power balances,which suggest a new quantity,the radiated power divided by the plasma internal energy,to determine the criticality of the plasma state.Combined with robust indicators of the temperature profile shape,the identified anomalous radiation patterns allow determination of the sequence of macroscopic events leading to disruptions.A systematic analysis of JET campaigns at high power in deuterium,full tritium,and DT,for a total of almost 2000 discharges,proves the effectiveness of the approach.The warning times are such that,depending on the radiation anomaly and the available actuators,the control system of future devices is expected to provide enough notice to enable deployment of effective prevention and avoidance strategies.

Effect of tearing modes on the confinement of runaway electrons in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

The effect of tearing modes on the confinement of runaway electrons is studied in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak(EAST).The general tendency of the radial diffusion coefficient of runaway electrons(REs)Dr is derived based on the time response relation between the tearing modes and runaway electrons.The results indicate that,the magnetic fluctuations of tearing modes will enhance the radial diffusion of runaway electrons when the magnetic island is small.Following the increasing of the magnetic fluctuations of the tearing modes,the formed large magnetic island may weaken the radial diffusion of runaway electrons.The results can be important to understand the confinement of runaway electrons when large magnetic islands exist in the plasma.

Evolution of edge turbulent transport induced by L-mode detachment in the HL-2A tokamak

This paper presents the characteristics of L-mode detachment,together with the behavior of edge turbulent transport and plasma confinement on the HL-2A tokamak.Partially detached and pronounced detached states have been achieved in L-mode plasma.Stored energy was maintained before and after detachment.Edge turbulence and its transport have increased obviously in the partially detached state.In the pronounced detached state,redistribution of the density and temperature profiles due to detachment leads to low amplitude of electron temperature and pressure,as well as very weak edge turbulence and transport.Despite strong plasma radiation in the pronounced detached state,reduced edge turbulent transport contributes to maintaining stored energy in detached L-mode plasma in HL-2A.Different detachment states play an important role in the redistribution of density and temperature profiles,which requires further study.

Gyrokinetic simulation of low-n Alfvénic modes in tokamak HL-2A plasmas

The turbulence characteristics of plasmas with internal transport barriers in the HL-2A tokamak are analyzed by means of linear gyrokinetic simulations. It is found that turbulence is dominated by the ion temperature gradient(ITG)mode together with large-scale modes characterized by high-frequency electromagnetic fluctuation, which are destabilized by the steep ion temperature gradient in the weak magnetic shear regime. Comparison with solutions of analytical dispersion relations shows that their linear features match well with the beta-induced Alfvén eigenmode branch of the shear Alfvénic spectrum. It is further clarified that the large population of fast ions in these plasmas plays a stabilization role through the dilution mechanism in high-n ITG mode regimes.

Hybrid simulation of q=1 high-order harmonics driven by passing energetic particles in tokamak plasmas

High-order harmonics q(ψ_(s))=1 energetic particle modes(EPMs)have been observed in toroidal plasmas experiments with neutral beam injection.To investigate these phenomena,linear properties and nonlinear dynamics of these EPMs driven by passing energetic particles(EPs)are studied via the global hybrid kinetic-magnetohydrodynamic code M3D-K.Simulation results demonstrate that passing EPs'effects on high mode-number harmonics(q(ψ_(s))=m/n=2/2,3/3,4/4)instability are more obvious than the q(ψ_(s))=1/1 mode,especially when q-profile is sufficiently flat in the core region.Furthermore,the effects of the pitch angleΛ_0 and beam ion pressure P_(hot)/P_(total)on the features of high n components are also analyzed specifically.It is found that there exists only one resonant condition for these EPMs.In the nonlinear phase,these high mode-number harmonics can induce significant energetic ions redistribution and chirping up phenomena,which differs from the classical fishbone excited by passing EPs.These discoveries are conducive to better apprehend the underlying physical mechanisms of the highorder harmonics driven by passing EPs.