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At least 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

From minimum-viable-products to full models: a step-wise development of diagnostic forward models in support of design, analysis and modelling on the ST40 tokamak

Like most magnetic confined fusion experiments, the ST40 tokamak started off with a small subset of diagnostics and gradually increased the diagnostic set to include more complex and comprehensive systems. To make the most of each operational phase, forward models of various diagnostics are used and developed to aid design, provide consistency-checks during commissioning, test analysis methods, and build workflows to constrain high-level parameters to inform interpretation, theory and modelling. For new models and new analysis workflows, minimum-viable-products are released early, and their complexity is increased in a step-wise manner, facilitating the support of all programme phases on multiple parallel applications, while enabling learning opportunities and feedback loops. In this contribution we review the philosophy, scope and architecture of the framework under development. We discuss the details of some forward models, with examples on how they are used to aid diagnostic design, to investigate analysis methodologies through synthetic data, and how they are embedded in experimental analysis workflows. We compare previously published experimental results with new, more advanced analysis workflows employing more recent, detailed models and new diagnostic data, providing confirmation of the published material from the 2021–22 experimental campaign.

integrated data analysis↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impurity transport in PISCES-RF

Linear plasma devices (LPD) utilizing a helicon plasma source, a high density light ion source, can generate impurities due to progressive erosion of the radio frequency (RF) transmission window caused by rectified sheath voltage. These source-born impurities can entrain and be transported by the plasma toward a target, affecting plasma-material interaction studies. Earlier work on material testing in Prototype-Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment at ORNL revealed significant source impurity deposition on downstream targets. However, using a similar RF source, no target impurity deposition is observed in Plasma Interaction Surface Component Experimental Station (PISCES)-RF despite evidence of RF window erosion in the source region, thereby motivating the present work. Experimentally, using various magnetic field configurations upstream of the PISCES-RF plasma source and seeding titanium (Ti) impurities at various axial locations, impurity transport and deposition along the machine axis were investigated. It was found that Ti deposition was localized to the side of the plasma source where the Ti impurity was seeded. In contrast, aluminum (Al) deposition, originating from the sputtering of the helicon window, occurred predominantly upstream of the plasma source, suggesting an asymmetry in the axial transport of eroded RF window material. These observations suggest a stagnation of the parallel plasma flow immediately downstream of the plasma source, with impurity ions remaining unmagnetized near the source upstream. Al deposition in magnetic field-free regions in PISCES-RF indicates that sputtered Al impurities likely remained neutral due to their large ionization mean-free path under PISCES-RF conditions. Plasma modeling and simulation supported this, indicating that Al-neutrals transport toward the helicon source upstream for low electron density cases. It was found that the Larmor radius of the Al ions was greater than the plasma radius towards the source upstream and remained weakly magnetized in PISCES-RF, meaning that plasma source-born impurities are not efficiently entrained in the plasma flow. These findings provide critical insights into impurity transport in helicon plasma-based LPDs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Linearised Fokker–Planck collision model for gyrokinetic simulations

We introduce a gyrokinetic, linearised Fokker–Planck collision model that satisfies conservation laws and is accurate at arbitrary collisionalities. The differential test-particle component of the operator is exact; the integral field-particle component is approximated using a spherical harmonic and a modified Laguerre polynomial expansion developed by Hirshman and Sigmar (1976 Phys. Fluids 19 1532). The numerical methods of the implementation in the δf-gyrokinetic code stella (Barnes et al 2019 J. Comput. Phys. 391 365–80) are discussed, and conservation properties of the operator are demonstrated. The collision model is then benchmarked against the collision model of the gyrokinetic solver GS2 in the limiting cases of a reduced test-particle collision operator and energy- and momentum-conserving operator. The accuracy of the full collision model is investigated by solving the parallel Spitzer-Härm problem for the transport coefficients. It is shown that retaining collisional energy flux and higher-order terms in the field-particle operator reduces errors in the transport coefficients from 10%–25% for a simple momentum- and energy-conserving model to under 1%.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sheath constraints on turbulent magnetised plasmas

Abstract A solid target in contact with a plasma charges (negatively) to reflect the more mobile species (electrons) and thus keep the bulk plasma quasineutral. To shield the bulk plasma from the charged target, there is an oppositely (positively) charged sheath with a sharp electrostatic potential variation on the Debye length scale λ D . In magnetised plasmas where the magnetic field is inclined at an oblique angle α with the target, some of the sheath potential variation occurs also on the ion sound gyroradius length scale ρ S cos ⁡ α , caused by finite ion gyro-orbit distortion and losses. We consider a collisionless and steady-state magnetised plasma sheath whose thickness l ms ∼ max ( λ D , ρ S cos ⁡ α ) is smaller than the characteristic length scale L of spatial fluctuations in the bulk plasma, such that the limit l ms / L → 0 is appropriate. Spatial structures are assumed to be magnetic field-aligned. In the case of small magnetic field angle α ∼ δ ≡ ρ S / L ≪ 1 , electric fields tangential to the target transport ions towards the target via E × B drifts at a rate comparable to the one from parallel streaming. A generalised form of the kinetic Bohm–Chodura criterion at the sheath entrance is derived by requiring that the sheath electric field have a monotonic spatial decay far from the target. The criterion depends on tangential gradients of potential and ion distribution function, with additional nontrivial conditions.

kinetic Bohm–Chodura condition↗
DOE OSTI2025

Divertor characterization and access to dissipative divertor conditions in negative triangularity discharges in DIII-D

Reduced radial transport, short midplane-to-target parallel connection lengths, and a strong effect of cross-field drifts were responsible for the high densities required for detachment in strong negative triangularity (NT) configurations in DIII-D. Dissipative divertor conditions were achieved in NT discharges at different triangularity, injected power, plasma current, and toroidal field direction. Differences between negative and positive triangularity (PT) discharges are analyzed in this paper to understand the requirements for access to detached divertor conditions: power balance, geometry, radial transport and effect of cross-field particle drifts. Parametric dependencies of access to detachment on plasma current and power flowing into the scrape-off layer remained similar in negative and PT and impurity seeding was observed to reduce the density needed to detach by up to 30% at the expense of core impurity dilution. The impact of triangularity on core-edge integration was tested varying bottom triangularity at fixed top triangularity. The high density needed to detach was not intrinsic to the NT edge as shapes with positive lower triangularity and negative upper triangularity were able to detach at lower upstream densities while maintaining an ELM-free NT edge. Confinement degradation at deeper detachment levels was however observed in all NT shapes, often associated with radiation instabilities.

detachment↗
DOE OSTI2025

Centrifugal-mirror confinement with strong azimuthal magnetic field

One practical challenge for the centrifugal-mirror confinement concept is the large radial voltage necessary to drive supersonic azimuthal rotation. In principle, the addition of a strong azimuthal field could reduce the required voltage, since the simple azimuthal E x B drift would be replaced by more rapid azimuthal trapped-particle precession. Also, if the mirror ratio is large enough, newly ionized ions are accelerated to the necessary parallel velocities in their first bounce orbit, both confining and significantly heating them. Unfortunately, MHD analysis shows that the centrifugal-force-confining plasma current is purely azimuthal. This implies that only the axial magnetic field contributes to the confining magnetic pressure, severely limiting the usefulness of the azimuthal magnetic field in a beta-limited plasma scenario.

Grad-Shafranov↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stability analysis of Alfvén eigenmodes excited by ion cyclotron resonance heating on EAST

Alfvén wave instabilities driven by energetic particles are common in fusion devices. Understanding their behavior is essential for the good confinement of fusion plasma. For this purpose, a series of experiments are performed on EAST to investigate the excitation of toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs). Experimentally, it was found that AEs with frequencies around 80, 134, 157 kHz are excited by ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) hydrogen minority heating scenario. Moreover, the excitation of AEs is independent of the wall-coating materials, but determined with the generation and confinement of the fast ions. Statistical analysis suggests that the TAEs can only be excited when the ICRH power is larger than 2 MW and the H 98 factor is larger than 1.15. In line with the experiments, a set of simulations using TORIC, ASCOT, and NOVA-C is performed. The simulation results show that with the experimental density profile and safety factor, the measured TAE with frequency of 134 kHz is well reproduced by taking into account the plasma toroidal rotation frequency. However, the appearance of the 80 kHz mode cannot be captured in the simulations. The ICRH-generated fast hydrogen ions mainly have banana orbits and that their perpendicular velocity is much larger than that of the parallel ions. The stability analysis with NOVA-C suggests that the radial gradient of the fast H ion distribution is the only driving source of TAEs. For TAEs locate in the center of Alfvén continuum, the D ion Landau damping is the dominant damping term; For most other TAEs which have intersections with the continuum boundary, the continuum damping becomes the dominant damping mechanism.

Alfvén eigenmodes↗
DOE OSTI2026

Statistical inference of anomalous thermal transport with uncertainty quantification for interpretive 2D SOL models

The critical task of inferring anomalous cross-field transport coefficients is addressed in simulations of boundary plasmas with fluid models. A workflow for parameter inference in the UEDGE fluid code is developed using Bayesian optimization with parallelized sampling and integrated uncertainty quantification. In this workflow, transport coefficients are inferred by maximizing their posterior probability distribution, which is generally multidimensional and non-Gaussian. Uncertainty quantification is integrated throughout the optimization within the Bayesian framework that combines diagnostic uncertainties and model limitations. As a concrete example, we infer the anomalous electron thermal diffusivity $\chi_\perp$ from an interpretive 2D model describing electron heat transport in the conduction-limited region with radiative power loss. The workflow is first benchmarked against synthetic data and then tested on H-, L-, and I-mode discharges to match their midplane temperature and divertor heat flux profiles. We demonstrate that the workflow efficiently infers diffusivity and its associated uncertainty, generating 2D profiles that match 1D measurements. Future efforts will focus on incorporating more complicated fluid models and analyzing transport coefficients inferred from a large database of experimental results.

Bayesian optimization↗
DOE OSTI2026

Analysis and modeling of tungsten emission and net erosion in the DIII-D divertor using updated atomic data

Tungsten (W) is one of the leading candidate materials for plasma-facing components. However, its main drawback is its high radiative efficiency; if W penetrates the plasma, it can lead to core degradation or even collapse. Since eroded tungsten tends to ionize in the sheath and redeposit promptly, the net erosion flux that escapes prompt redeposition can differ significantly from the gross erosion. This work presents a modeling framework to estimate net erosion and photon emission from W coatings exposed to the lower divertor of DIII-D using the DiMES material exposure probe. The approach couples RustBCA for sputtering yields with a Monte Carlo transport code (LPTMC) that models redeposition and W emission. Computation is carried out with new atomic data, based on R-matrix and Mons calculations, leading to lower ionization probabilities and a twofold increase in net erosion estimates compared to calculations done with OPEN-ADAS atomic data. The model results are benchmarked against experimental measurements, showing quantitative agreement for erosion, although the trends in W emission are reproduced only qualitatively. The model is also used to assess whether W II emission can serve as a direct measurement of the net erosion of W in the lower divertor of DIII-D. Simulations show that this is not valid if the electron pressure is above ~120 Pa or if the toroidal length of the eroded material is smaller than the parallel-to-B distance traveled by impurity ions before steady-state conditions are reached. Finally, simulations suggest that when W is sputtered by carbon ions with high impact energies (≳300 eV) in DIII-D, W net erosion scales with W gross erosion and can be numerically approximated using W I flux alone as input.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Post-puff SOL broadening on MAST-U under high-recycling conditions: evidence consistent with cross-field transport changes

Transient broadening of the scrape-off layer (SOL) density profile can modify main-chamber first-wall particle fluxes and divertor loading, yet its control parameters remain debated between divertor-regime transitions, neutral dynamics and changes in cross-field transport. We investigate fueling-driven SOL density-profile evolution and post-fueling relaxation on MAST-Upgrade (MAST-U) in ohmic L-mode, using two otherwise similar double-null Conventional Divertor discharges (I p = 450 kA, B T = 0.33 T) with identical 50 ms low-field side gas puffs; the only intentional difference is the puff start time. Upstream Thomson scattering shows that both discharges develop a transient far-SOL density profile modification, expressed as an increased SOL-width metric λ n e and a far-SOL enhancement consistent with a shoulder-like signature. In the earlier-puff case, the SOL-width metric remains elevated after puff termination and the post-puff decay time scales are systematically longer across the analysed radii. Outer-target Langmuir probes indicate high-recycling conditions during the analysed window (few-eV T e with radially peaked j sat,∥ and q ∥ profiles, without signatures of deep detachment). The outer-divertor collisionality proxy Λ div is elevated in both cases and does not discriminate between the different post-puff persistence. The target-integrated ion flux proxy ∫ J sat dA evolves nearly identically in both discharges when aligned to the puff start. Taken together, these observations suggest that the late/post-puff upstream SOL evolution is not set by parallel exhaust to the outer targetalone and is more consistent with upstream cross-field redistribution, with a possible role for plasma–neutral coupling and fueling geometry.

MAST-U↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electron density measurements and calculations in a helium capacitively-coupled radio-frequency plasma

We report a comparison of inferred electron density (n e ) in a He capacitively-coupled plasma, deduced from laser-collision induced fluorescence measurements, with values computed using a hybrid simulation framework based on particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions simulations and a fluid model for excited He atoms. The studies were carried out for gas pressures between 50 mTorr and 1000 mTorr and peak-to-peak radio-frequency (13.56 MHz) voltages between 150 V and 350 V, in a highly symmetric source equipped with plane-parallel electrodes. A good agreement is found between the experimental and modeling results for n e except at the lowest operating voltages and gas pressures. The (effective) electron temperature (T e ) values derived by the two methods agree as well reasonably within the plasma bulk. The simulation results are used to compare the density distributions of He + and various He excited levels and their major populating and de-populating channels at 100 mTorr and 1000 mTorr.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Low-cost sensor-based damage localization for large-area monitoring of FRP composites

Abstract In recent years, there has been growing interest in self-sensing structural materials across research and industry sectors. Detecting and locating structural damage typically requires numerous sensors wired to a data acquisition (DAQ) circuit, rendering implementation impractical in real structures. This paper proposes an innovative, cost-effective sensor network for damage detection and localization in fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The innovation encompasses three key elements: (1) utilizing carbon fiber tows within the composite as piezoresistive sensors, eliminating the need for additional foreign sensor devices; (2) introducing a novel sensor layout wherein sensor tow branches with varied resistance values are connected in parallel, reducing the number of connections to the DAQ circuit and cutting manufacturing costs significantly; (3) developing a practical sensor terminal fabrication technique to minimize manufacturing expenses. The proposed design methodology for the branch resistance values is first validated using a demonstration panel. Subsequently, the overall strategy is assessed by conducting impact tests on carbon and glass fiber-reinforced composite specimens. Results validate the sensor’s ability to accurately detect and locate structural damage.

Demo, Luke B. (ORCID:0000000208806522)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reversible to irreversible transitions for ac driven skyrmions on periodic substrates

Abstract Using atomistic simulations, we investigate the dynamical behavior of magnetic skyrmions in dimer and trimer molecular crystal arrangements, as well as bipartite lattices at 3/2 and 5/2 fillings, under ac driving over a square array of anisotropy defects. For low ac amplitudes, at all fillings reversible motion appears in which the skyrmions return to their original positions at the end of each ac drive cycle and the diffusion is zero. We also identify two distinct irreversible regimes. The first is a translating regime in which the skyrmions form channels of flow in opposing directions and translate by one substrate lattice constant per ac drive cycle. The translating state appears in the dimer and trimer arrangements, and produces pronounced peaks in the diffusivity in the direction perpendicular to the external drive. For larger ac amplitudes, we find chaotic irreversible motion in which the skyrmions can randomly exchange places with each other over time, producing long-time diffusive behavior both parallel and perpendicular to the ac driving direction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of midplane density gradient in the propagation of high-harmonic fast waves considering high temperature anisotropy in the scrape-off layer of NSTX-U

High-Harmonic Fast Wave (HHFW) heating experiments in NSTX have shown that up to 60% of the injected power can be lost in the Scrape-Off Layer (SOL) when the density is above the fast wave cutoff density in front of the antenna, for which the fast wave is able to propagate into the plasma. This work models HHFW propagation in the SOL plasmas of NSTX-U using a 2D divertor SOL profile derived from the pressure assumption and the finite element temperature solution, which accounts for the high anisotropy of heat conduction in a 2D axisymmetric geometry. In this work, the two-dimensional axisymmetric SOL temperature profile is first evaluated by solving the steady-state non-linear heat conduction equation, in which thermal conductivity depends on temperature, using a finite element approach in the Petra-M workbench. A 2D density profile is then obtained from a prescribed density profile at the outer midplane assuming pressure is uniform along a flux tube in the SOL. This approach results in density and temperature profiles in which the strong asymmetric nature of heat conduction between the parallel and perpendicular background magnetic field is successfully captured. Furthermore, this work focuses on investigating the effect of the SOL plasma density profile on parasitic HHFW propagation in the SOL. The simulation results show that the radial gradient of the density profile affects the wavefield propagation in the SOL. As the density profile broadens, the wavefield intensity and its poloidal extent are reduced in the SOL, and the core coupling increases. Similarly, as shown by collisional power deposition, a proxy for power absorption, the fraction of power deposited in the SOL decreases with a broadening profile.

HHFW↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of DESI fiber assignment incompleteness effect on 2-point clustering and mitigation methods for DR1 analysis

We present an in-depth analysis of the fiber assignment incompleteness in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 (DR1). This incompleteness is caused by the restricted mobility of the robotic fiber positioner in the DESI focal plane, which limits the number of galaxies that can be observed at the same time, especially at small angular separations. As a result, the observed clustering amplitude is suppressed in a scale-dependent manner, which, if not addressed, can severely impact the inference of cosmological parameters. We discuss the methods adopted for simulating fiber assignment on mocks and data. In particular, we introduce the fast fiber assignment (FFA) emulator, which was employed to obtain the power spectrum covariance adopted for the DR1 full-shape analysis. We present the mitigation techniques, organised in two classes: measurement stage and model stage. We then use high fidelity mocks as a reference to quantify both the accuracy of the FFA emulator and the effectiveness of the different measurement-stage mitigation techniques. This complements the studies conducted in a parallel paper for the model-stage techniques, namely the θ-cut approach. We find that pairwise inverse probability (PIP) weights with angular upweighting recover the “true” clustering in all the cases considered, in both Fourier and configuration space. Notably, we present the first ever power spectrum measurement with PIP weights from real data.

cosmological simulations↗
DOE OSTI2024

The FRB-searching Pipeline of the Tianlai Cylinder Pathfinder Array

This paper presents the design, calibration, and survey strategy of the Fast Radio Burst (FRB) digital backend and its real-time data processing pipeline employed in the Tianlai Cylinder Pathfinder Array. The array, consisting of three parallel cylindrical reflectors and equipped with 96 dual-polarization feeds, is a radio interferometer array designed for conducting drift scans of the northern celestial semi-sphere. The FRB digital backend enables the formation of 96 digital beams, effectively covering an area of approximately 40 square degrees with the 3 dB beam. Our pipeline demonstrates the capability to conduct an automatic search of FRBs, detecting at quasi-real-time and classifying FRB candidates automatically. The current FRB searching pipeline has an overall recall rate of 88%. During the commissioning phase, we successfully detected signals emitted by four well-known pulsars: PSR B0329+54, B2021+51, B0823+26, and B2020+28. We report the first discovery of an FRB by our array, designated as FRB 20220414A. We also investigate the optimal arrangement for the digitally formed beams to achieve maximum detection rate by numerical simulation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the Primary Beam of the Tianlai Cylindrical Antenna Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The Tianlai Cylinder Pathfinder Array consists of three adjacent cylindrical reflectors fixed on the ground, each 40 m long and 15 m wide, with the cylinder axis oriented along the North–South (N–S) direction. Dual linear polarization feeds are distributed along the focus line, parallel to the cylinder axis. Measurement of the primary beam profile of these cylindrical reflectors is difficult, as they are too large to be placed in an anechoic chamber. While the beam profile along the East–West (E–W) direction can be measured with the transit observations of bright astronomical radio sources, the beam profile along the N–S direction remains very uncertain. Here, we present a preliminary measurement of the beam profile of the Tianlai cylindrical antenna along both the N–S direction and E–W direction in the frequency range of 700–800 MHz, using a calibrator source carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying in the far field. The beam profile of the Tianlai cylindrical antenna is determined from the analysis of the auto-correlation signals from the cylinder array correlator, taking into account the emitter antenna beam profile, itself measured with a dipole antenna on the ground. The accuracy of the UAV-based determination of the cylinder beam profiles is validated by comparing the results with the one derived from bright astronomical source transits, and with simulated beams.

Li, Jixia [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beij↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of ASDEX upgrade results in view of ITER and DEMO

Experiments on ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) in 2021 and 2022 have addressed a number of critical issues for ITER and EU DEMO. A major objective of the AUG programme is to shed light on the underlying physics of confinement, stability, and plasma exhaust in order to allow reliable extrapolation of results obtained on present day machines to these reactor-grade devices. Concerning pedestal physics, the mitigation of edge localised modes (ELMs) using resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) was found to be consistent with a reduction of the linear peeling-ballooning stability threshold due to the helical deformation of the plasma. Conversely, ELM suppression by RMPs is ascribed to an increased pedestal transport that keeps the plasma away from this boundary. Candidates for this increased transport are locally enhanced turbulence and a locked magnetic island in the pedestal. The enhanced D-alpha (EDA) and quasi-continuous exhaust (QCE) regimes have been established as promising ELM-free scenarios. Here, the pressure gradient at the foot of the H-mode pedestal is reduced by a quasi-coherent mode, consistent with violation of the high-n ballooning mode stability limit there. This is suggestive that the EDA and QCE regimes have a common underlying physics origin. In the area of transport physics, full radius models for both L- and H-modes have been developed. These models predict energy confinement in AUG better than the commonly used global scaling laws, representing a large step towards the goal of predictive capability. A new momentum transport analysis framework has been developed that provides access to the intrinsic torque in the plasma core. In the field of exhaust, the X-Point Radiator (XPR), a cold and dense plasma region on closed flux surfaces close to the X-point, was described by an analytical model that provides an understanding of its formation as well as its stability, i.e., the conditions under which it transitions into a deleterious MARFE with the potential to result in a disruptive termination. With the XPR close to the divertor target, a new detached divertor concept, the compact radiative divertor, was developed. Here, the exhaust power is radiated before reaching the target, allowing close proximity of the X-point to the target. No limitations by the shallow field line angle due to the large flux expansion were observed, and sufficient compression of neutral density was demonstrated. With respect to the pumping of non-recycling impurities, the divertor enrichment was found to mainly depend on the ionisation energy of the impurity under consideration. In the area of MHD physics, analysis of the hot plasma core motion in sawtooth crashes showed good agreement with nonlinear 2-fluid simulations. This indicates that the fast reconnection observed in these events is adequately described including the pressure gradient and the electron inertia in the parallel Ohm’s law. Concerning disruption physics, a shattered pellet injection system was installed in collaboration with the ITER International Organisation. Thanks to the ability to vary the shard size distribution independently of the injection velocity, as well as its impurity admixture, it was possible to tailor the current quench rate, which is an important requirement for future large devices such as ITER. Progress was also made modelling the force reduction of VDEs induced by massive gas injection on AUG. The H-mode density limit was characterised in terms of safe operational space with a newly developed active feedback control method that allowed the stability boundary to be probed several times within a single discharge without inducing a disruptive termination. Regarding integrated operation scenarios, the role of density peaking in the confinement of the ITER baseline scenario (high plasma current) was clarified. The usual energy confinement scaling ITER98(p,y) does not capture this effect, but the more recent H20 scaling does, highlighting again the importance of developing adequate physics based models. Advanced tokamak scenarios, aiming at large non-inductive current fraction due to non-standard profiles of the safety factor in combination with high normalised plasma pressure were studied with a focus on their access conditions. A method to guide the approach of the targeted safety factor profiles was developed, and the conditions for achieving good confinement were clarified. Based on this, two types of advanced scenarios (‘hybrid’ and ‘elevated’

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗