Study of plasma heating in discharges with neutral beam injection in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

Results from experimental studies on the injection of high-energy neutral hydrogen beams into the plasma of the Globus-M spherical tokamak are reviewed. In the Introduction, the importance of these studies for implementing the controlled fusion research program and constructing the ITER tokamak is proved. Some problems related to the use of neutral beam injection in small and low-aspect-ratio tokamaks is analyzed. Results are presented from numerical simulations of the experiment by using the ASTRA transport code. It is shown that the use of neutral beam injection in the Globus-M tokamak ensures efficient ion heating and increases the plasma stored energy. The greater part of the review is devoted to the survey of experiments on the injection of 22-to 30-keV hydrogen and deuterium beams with a power of 0.4–0.8 MW into the plasma of the Globus-M spherical tokamak in a wide range of plasma currents and densities. The experimental results are analyzed and compared with the results of numerical simulations. The achievement of top plasma parameters is highlighted.     

Study of fast-ion losses in experiments on neutral beam injection on the Globus-M spherical tokamak

The paper presents a review of the main results on the heating of plasma ions and behavior of fast ions in experiments on neutral beam injection (NBI) carried out in 2003–2010 on the Globus-M spherical tokamak. It is noticed that, along with significant success achieved in NBI plasma heating, there is experimental evidence indicating significant losses of the power injected into the plasma. Most probably, the power is lost due to so-called first-orbit losses, i.e., losses of fast ions that are produced in plasma after ionization of beam atoms and occur in unconfined trajectories. Until recently, the absence of appropriate diagnostic equipment did not allow one to verify this hypothesis. The use of the ACORD-M charge-exchange analyzer directed tangentially to the plasma column made it possible to measure the spectra of fast ions slowed down in plasma and confirm the assumption on the presence of substantial orbit losses of fast particles (～25–50% of the beam power). In addition to the review of the experimental results, the paper presents analysis of orbit losses on the basis of 3D simulations of fast-ion trajectories in plasma. The results of experiments on studying the influence of the magnitude of the tokamak magnetic field on the confinement of fast ions are also presented. Along with computer simulations, these experiments made it possible to formulate recommendations on the reduction of orbit losses in the Globus-M tokamak.     

Analysis of Dynamics of Plasma Current Quench in the Globus-M Spherical Tokamak

Data on the dynamics of the plasma current quench in the Globus-M tokamak are presented. The main current quench characteristics at different toroidal magnetic fields are compared. The distribution of the toroidal current induced in the vessel wall is determined from magnetic measurements, and the electromagnetic loads acting on the vessel wall during the current quench are calculated. By extrapolating the experimental data, the additional pressure on the vessel wall during the current quench in the upgraded Globus-M2 tokamak is estimated. It is shown that the current quench results in the appearance of bending stresses in the vessel domes. Using numerical simulations, it is shown that the best agreement between the measured and calculated plasma current dynamics during the current quench corresponds to the linear (in time) influx of the carbon impurity.     

Particle diagnostics of ion cyclotron resonance plasma heating in the Globus-M tokamak

Basic experimental results on cyclotron heating of the ion plasma component in the Globus-M spherical tokamak obtained by means of the ACORD-12 charge-exchange ion analyzer are presented. A procedure for determining the maximum energy of fast ions confined in the plasma is described. The procedure was applied to estimate the limiting energy of hydrogen minority ions accelerated during ion cyclotron heating in the Globus-M tokamak. The experimental evaluation of the maximum hydrogen ion energy is confirmed by simulations of ion orbits. Recommendations for optimizing experiments on ion cyclotron heating in the Globus-M tokamak are formulated.     

Diagnostics of MHD instability in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

The paper describes a diagnostic system for studying MHD plasma perturbations in the Globus-M spherical tokamak (a major radius of 0.36 m, a minor radius of 0.24 m, and an aspect ratio of 1.5). The system includes a poloidal and a toroidal array consisting of 28 and 16 Mirnov probes, respectively, as well as a 32-channel proportional soft X-ray detector. Methods are described for calculating the poloidal and toroidal numbers of the dominant helical perturbations by using data from probe measurements. Results are presented of processing the experimental data from some tokamak discharges with a plasma current of 150–250 kA, an average electron density of up to 10²⁰ m^?3, and a toroidal magnetic field of 0.4 T. Specific features of MHD perturbations and their influence on the parameters of the plasma column in different stages of a discharge are briefly discussed.     

Studies of runaway electrons in the Globus-M tokamak

Results are presented from experimental studies of runaway electrons in the ohmic heating regime in the Globus-M tokamak. The periodical hard X-ray bursts observed with the help of two hard X-ray spectrometers with high time resolution are attributed to MHD oscillations in the plasma core and at the periphery.     

Characteristics of major plasma discharge disruption in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

The characteristics of the major disruption of plasma discharges in the Globus-M spherical tokamak are analyzed. The process of current quench is accompanied by the loss of the vertical stability of the plasma column. The plasma boundary during the disruption is reconstructed using the algorithm of movable filaments. The plasma current decay is preceded by thermal quench, during which the profiles of the temperature and electron density were measured. The data on the time of disruption, the plasma current quench rate, and the toroidal current induced in the tokamak vessel are compared for hydrogen and deuterium plasmas. It is shown that the disruption characteristics depend weakly on the ion mass and the current induced in the vessel increases with the disruption time. The decay rate of the plasma toroidal magnetic flux during the disruption is determined using diamagnetic measurements. Such a decay is a source of the poloidal current induced in the vessel; it may also cause poloidal halo currents.     

Microwave measurements of the time evolution of electron density in the T-11M tokamak

Unambiguous diagnostics intended for measuring the time behavior of the electron density and monitoring the line-averaged plasma density in the T-11M tokamak are described. The time behavior of the plasma density in the T-11M tokamak is measured by a multichannel phase-jump-free microwave polarization interferometer based on the Cotton-Mouton effect. After increasing the number of simultaneously operating interferometer channels and enhancing the sensitivity of measurements, it became possible to measure the time evolution of the plasma density profile in the T-11M tokamak. The first results from such measurements in various operating regimes of the T-11M tokamak are presented. The measurement and data processing techniques are described, the measurement errors are analyzed, and the results obtained are discussed. We propose using a pulsed time-of-flight refractometer to monitor the average plasma density in the T-11M tokamak. The refractometer emits nanosecond microwave probing pulses with a carrier frequency that is higher than the plasma frequency and, thus, operates in the transmission mode. A version of the instrument has been developed with a carrier frequency of 140 GHz, which allows one to measure the average density in regimes with a nominal T-11M plasma density of (3–5)×10¹³ cm^?3. Results are presented from the first measurements of the average density in the T-11M tokamak with the help of a pulsed time-of-flight refractometer by probing the plasma in the equatorial plane in a regime with the reflection of the probing radiation from the inner wall of the vacuum chamber.     

Correction of the axial asymmetry of the poloidal magnetic field in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

The toroidal inhomogeneity of the poloidal magnetic field—the so-called error fields that arise due to imperfections in manufacturing and assembling of the electromagnetic system-was measured in the Globus-M spherical tokamak. A substantial inhomogeneity corresponding to the n = 1 mode, which gave rise to a locked mode and led to discharge disruption, was revealed. After compensation of this inhomogeneity with the help of special correction coils, the discharge duration increased and the global plasma parameters improved substantially. A technique for determining and compensating the n = 1 mode inhomogeneity is described, the measured dependences of the penetration threshold of the m = 2/n = 1 mode on the plasma parameters are given, and results of experiments in which record parameters for the Globus-M tokamak were achieved after correction of the poloidal magnetic field are presented.     

Impurity radiation from a tokamak plasma

In tokamak operating modes, energy balance is often governed by impurity radiation. This is the case near the divertor plates, during impurity pellet injection, during controlled discharge disruptions, etc. The calculation of impurity radiation is a fairly involved task (it is sometimes the most difficult part of the general problem) because the radiation power is determined by the distribution of ions over the excited states and by the rate constants of elementary processes of radiation and absorption. The objective of this paper is to summarize in one place all the approximate formulas that would help investigators to describe radiation from the most often encountered impurities in a fairly simple way in their calculations accounting for plasma radiation, without reference to special literature. Simple approximating formulas describing ionization, recombination, and charge-exchange processes, as well as radiative losses from ions with a given charge, are presented for five impurity species: beryllium, carbon, oxygen, neon, and argon. Estimating formulas that allow one to take into account plasma opacity for resonant photons in line impurity radiation are also presented.     

Injection of a high-density plasma into the Globus-M spherical tokamak

A new type of plasma source with titanium hydride granules used as a hydrogen accumulator was employed to inject a dense, highly ionized plasma jet into the Globus-M spherical tokamak. The experiments have shown that the jet penetrates through the tokamak magnetic field and increases the plasma density, without disturbing the stability of the plasma column. It is found that, when the plasma jet is injected before a discharge, more favorable conditions (as compared to those during gas puffing) are created for the current ramp-up at a lower MHD activity in the plasma column. Plasma injection at the instant of maximum current results in a more rapid growth in the plasma density in comparison to gas puffing.     

Investigation of the possibility of using correlation reflectometry to determine the parameters of small-scale turbulence in the core of a tokamak plasma

Results are reported from investigating the possibility of using reflectometry to determine the parameters of small-scale turbulence in the core of a tokamak plasma. In particular, the extent to which the reflectometric measurements are local is estimated. Experimental data from reflectometric measurements in the gradient zone, as well as the cross spectra and radial correlation functions, are presented. A turbulence model is constructed that yields spectral, statistical, and correlation turbulent plasma properties close to the measured ones. The model is used to simulate the propagation of electromagnetic radiation in a turbulent plasma.     

Neutral Beam Current Drive in Globus-M Compact Spherical Tokamak

Plasma Physics Reports - The article presents research on neutral beam current drive in Globus-M compact spherical tokamak. The experiments were performed in the plasma current range of...     

Noninductive plasma generation and current drive in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

Experimental results on the generation and maintenance of the toroidal current in the Globus-M spherical tokamak by using waves in the lower hybrid frequency range without applying an inductive vortex electric field are presented. For this purpose, the original ridge guide antennas forming a field distribution similar to that produced by multiwaveguide grills were used. The high-frequency field (900 MHz) was used for both plasma generation and current drive. The magnitude of the generated current reached 21 kA, and its direction depended on the direction of the vertical magnetic field. Analysis of the experimental results indicates that the major fraction of the current is carried by the suprathermal electron beam.     

On estimating the role of diffraction in electron cyclotron absorption at the periphery of the plasma column

The propagation and absorption of microwave radiation at the periphery of a tokamak plasma under ECR conditions are considered. For microwaves propagating in a quasi-transverse direction, the range of plasma parameters is determined in which the effective plasma permittivity can be approximated by a piecewise linear function. With this approximation, it is possible to obtain analytic solutions to the wave equation and to use them to estimate the width of the power deposition region for different modes of microwave launching. A detailed analysis is given of tangential launching—the propagation of microwaves along a tangent to the resonance magnetic surface at which they begin to be absorbed under ECR conditions. Using the ITER tokamak as an example, it is shown that this launching method is most efficient in providing the narrowest power deposition profile at the plasma periphery. The results obtained are of interest for the problems of suppressing tearing-mode instabilities by localized ECR heating.     

Anisotropy of energy losses in high-current Z-pinches produced by the implosion of cylindrical tungsten wire arrays

Results are presented from measurements of the anisotropy of energy losses in high-current Z-pinches produced by the implosion of wire arrays at the ANGARA-5-1 facility at load currents of up to 4MA. The energy losses were measured in the radial direction and along the pinch axis from the anode side. The main diagnostics were time-integrated thermocouple calorimeters, nanosecond X-ray diodes (XRDs) with different filters, and a foil radiation calorimeter with a time resolution of 2 μs. The azimuthal anisotropy of energy losses was measured for different wire array configurations and different shapes of the high-voltage electrode. The presence of strong initial azimuthal inhomogeneity of the wire mass distribution (sectioned arrays), as well as the use of conical electrodes instead of plane ones, does not increase the azimuthal inhomogeneity of the total energy losses. For cylindrical wire arrays, energy losses in the radial direction are compared with those along the pinch axis. According to XRD and calorimetric measurements, the radiation yield per unit solid angle along the pinch axis is two to three times lower than that in the radial direction. In the axial direction, the energy flux density of the expanding plasma is two to three times lower than the radiation intensity. The measured radiation yield across the pinch is 2.5–5 kJ/sr, while that along the pinch axis is 1–2 kJ/sr. The results obtained by means of XRDs agree to within measurement errors with those obtained using the radiation calorimeter. It is found that the energy per unit solid angle carried by the expanding plasma in the radial direction does not exceed 10% of the soft X-ray yield. Analysis of the structure of time-integrated pinhole images and signals from the radial and axial XRDs shows that radiation emitted in the radial direction from the hot central region of the pinch is partially screened by the less dense surrounding plasma halo, whereas radiation emitted in the axial direction is a superposition of the emissions from the hot dense central region of the pinch and the colder less dense peripheral plasma.     

Analysis of electron thermal diffusivity and bootstrap current in ohmically heated discharges after boronization in the HT-7 tokamak

Significant improvements of plasma performance after ICRF boronization have been achieved in the full range of HT-7 operation parameters. Electron power balance is analyzed in the steady state ohmic discharges of the HT-7 tokamak. The ratio of the total radiation power to ohmic input power increases with increasing the central line-averaged electron density, but decreases with plasma current. It is obviously decreased after wall conditioning. Electron heat diffusivity χ_e deduced from the power balance analysis is reduced throughout the main plasma after boronization. χ_e decreases with increasing central line-averaged electron density in the parameter range of our study. After boronization, the plasma current profile is broadened and a higher current can be easily obtained on the HT-7 tokamak experiment. It is expected that the fact that the bootstrap current increases after boronization will explain these phenomena. After boronization, the plasma pressure gradient and the electron temperature near the boundary are larger than before, these factors influencing that the ratio of bootstrap current to total plasma current increases from several percent to above 10%.     

Experimental study of toroidal Alfvén modes in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

In the experiments carried out on the Globus-M tokamak in regimes with injection of 26-keV neutral beams with a power of 0.75–0.85 MW, two branches of instabilities excited by fast ions were observed in the early stage of a discharge: a low-frequency energetic particle mode (EPM) in the frequency range of 5–30 kHz and a high-frequency mode in the range of 50–200 kHz, identified as a toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE). The TAE developed in the initial phase of the discharge at q(0) > 1 and terminated when sawtooth oscillations were excited at q(0) < 1. The spectrum and spatial localization of the mode agree with predictions of the linear theory. The modes observed in the Globus-M tokamak possess both properties common to other tokamaks and their own specific features.     

Nonmonotonic Spatial Distributions of Charge-Exchange Neutral Fluxes and Optical Radiation from Plasma in the DAMAVAND Tokamak

Results are presented from investigations of the nonmonotonic spatial distributions of charge-exchange neutral fluxes and optical radiation from plasma in the DAMAVAND tokamak. It is shown that, during ohmic heating of the plasma, the regions with enhanced confinement of both the background plasma particles and heavy impurity ions arise near rational magnetic surfaces with q = 1 and 2. These regions are characterized by enhanced emission of accelerated charge-exchange neutrals and optical radiation from impurity ions.     

First results obtained with a sweeping pulsed radar reflectometer in the Globus-M tokamak

A weeping pulsed radar reflectometer designed for measuring the spatial electron density distribution in the Globus-M spherical tokamak with a minor plasma radius of a=24 cm, a major radius of R=36 cm, a toroidal field of B _T=0.5 T, a plasma current of I _p=200 kA, and an average density of n=(3–10)×10¹³ cm^?3 is described. The reflectometer operation is based on the reflection of microwaves with a carrier frequency f from a plasma layer with the critical density n=(0.0111f)², where n is the electron density in units of 10¹⁴ cm^?3 and f is the microwave frequency in GHz. By simultaneously probing the plasma at different frequencies, it is possible to recover the electron density profile. Microwave pulses with different frequencies are obtained by frequency sweeping. To increase the range of measured densities, channels with fixed frequencies are also used; as a result, the instrument has eleven frequency channels: a 19.5-GHz channel, eight channels in the 26-to 40-GHz frequency range, a 51.5-GHz channel, and a 60-GHz channel, which corresponds to eleven points in the density profile: 0.47×10¹³ cm^?3, eight points in the (0.8–1.95)×10¹³-cm^?3 range, 3.27×10¹³ cm^?3, and 4.5×10¹³ cm^?3. The reflectometer allows detailed measurements of the density profile with a time resolution of several tens of microseconds, which can be useful, in particular, in studying the processes related to the formation of an internal transport barrier in plasma. The first results obtained using this reflectometer in the Globus-M tokamak under various operating conditions are discussed.