Engineering topics
Tsujii, N
Publications and source records attributed to Tsujii, N.
Measurements of ion cyclotron range of frequencies mode converted wave intensity with phase contrast imaging in Alcator C-Mod and comparison with full-wave simulations
Radio frequency waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) are widely used to heat tokamak plasmas. In ICRF heating schemes involving multiple ion species, the launched fast waves convert to ion cyclotron waves or ion Bernstein waves at the two-ion hybrid resonances. Mode converted waves are of interest as actuators to optimise plasma performance through current drive and flow drive. In order to describe these processes accurately in a realistic tokamak geometry, numerical simulations are essential, and it is important that these codes be validated against experiment. In this study, the mode converted waves were measured using a phase contrast imaging technique in D-H and D-{sup 3}He plasmas. The measured mode converted wave intensity in the D-{sup 3}He mode conversion regime was found to be a factor of {approx}50 weaker than the full-wave predictions. The discrepancy was reduced in the hydrogen minority heating regime, where mode conversion is weaker.
Ohmic energy confinement saturation and core toroidal rotation reversal in Alcator C-Mod plasmas
Ohmic energy confinement saturation is found to be closely related to core toroidal rotation reversals in Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasmas. Rotation reversals occur at a critical density, depending on the plasma current and toroidal magnetic field, which coincides with the density separating the linear Ohmic confinement regime from the saturated Ohmic confinement regime. The rotation is directed co-current at low density and abruptly changes direction to counter-current when the energy confinement saturates as the density is increased. Since there is a bifurcation in the direction of the rotation at this critical density, toroidal rotation reversal is a very sensitive indicator in the determination of the regime change. The reversal and confinement saturation results can be unified, since these processes occur in a particular range of the collisionality.
ICRF Mode Conversion Flow Drive Experiments on Alcator C-Mod
We have carried out a detailed study of the dependence of ICRF mode conversion flow drive (MCFD) on plasma and RF parameters. The flow drive efficiency is found to depend strongly on the {sup 3}He concentration in D({sup 3}He) plasmas, a key parameter separating the ICRF minority heating regime and mode conversion regime. At +90 deg. antenna phasing (waves in the co-I{sub p} direction) and dipole phasing, the driven flow is in the co-I{sub p} direction, and the change of the rotation velocity increases with both P{sub RF} and I{sub p}, and scales unfavorably vs. plasma density and antenna frequency. When MCFD is applied to I-mode plasmas, the plasma rotation increases until the onset of MHD modes triggered by large sawtooth crashes. Very high performance I-mode plasmas with H{sub ITER98,y2}{approx}1.4 and T{sub e0}{approx}8 keV have been obtained in these experiments.
ICRF Mode Conversion Studies with Phase Contrast Imaging and Comparisons with Full-Wave Simulations
Waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) are widely used to heat toka-mak plasmas. In a multi-ion-species plasma, the FW converts to ion cyclotron waves (ICW) and ion Bernstein waves (IBW) around the ion-ion hybrid resonance (mode conversion). The mode converted wave is of interest as an actuator to optimise plasma performance through flow drive and current drive. Numerical simulations are essential to describe these processes accurately, and it is important that these simulation codes be validated. On Alcator C-Mod, direct measurements of the mode converted waves have been performed using Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI), which measures the line-integrated electron density fluctuations. The results were compared to full-wave simulations AORSA and TORIC. AORSA is coupled to a Fokker-Planck code CQL3D for self-consistent simulation of the wave electric field and the minority distribution function. The simulation results are compared to PCI measurements using synthetic diagnostic. The experiments were performed in D-H and D-{sup 3}He plasmas over a wide range of ion species concentrations. The simulations agreed well with the measurements in the strong absorption regime. However, the measured fluctuation intensity was smaller by 1-2 orders of magnitudes in the weakly abosorbing regime, and a realistic description of the plasma edge including dissipation and antenna geometry may be required in these cases.
Minority Ion Measurements During ICRF Experiments in Alcator C-Mod
ICRF is the primary auxiliary heating in C-Mod where both H or {sup 3}He minority and mode conversion regimes are utilized. For transport analysis, the power deposition profile is critical and measuring the resulting fast ion distribution provides a direct means to constrain and validate ICRF simulations used to calculate power deposition. In mode conversion, measurement of the minority ion density, temperature, and velocity profiles is critical for the wave physics and may provide some insight into the fundamental physics of flow drive. Using active charge exchange, the He{sup +1} 4686A or H 6563A line is observed to find whether fast ion and relevant thermal ion measurements are practical. Results of these experiments yield fast ion and thermal ion measurements in D(He). A new analysis technique to extract information from high noise fast ion spectra is developed. A development path for improved D({sup 3}He) and D(H) is indicated.
Rotation Reversal Bifurcation and Energy Confinement Saturation in Tokamak Ohmic L-Mode Plasmas
Direction reversals of intrinsic toroidal rotation have been observed in diverted Alcator C-Mod Ohmic L-mode plasmas following electron density ramps. For low density discharges, the core rotation is directed cocurrent, and reverses to countercurrent following an increase in the density above a certain threshold. Such reversals occur together with a decrease in density fluctuations with 2 cm{sup -1}{<=}k{sub {theta}}{<=}11 cm{sup -1} and frequencies above 70 kHz. There is a strong correlation between the reversal density and the density at which the Ohmic L-mode energy confinement changes from the linear to the saturated regime.