Choi, W.; Poli, F. M.; Li, M. H.; Baek, S. G.; Gorelenkova, M.; Ding, B. J.; Gong, X. Z.; Chan, A.; Duan, Y. M.; Hu, J. H.; Lian, H.; Lin, S. Y.; Liu, H. Q.; Qian, J. P.; Wallace, G.; Wang, Y. M.; Zang, Q.; Zhao, H. L.
Linear stability analysis of the national spherical torus experiment (NSTX) Li-conditioned
ELM-free H-mode equilibria is carried out in the context of the extended
magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) model in NIMROD. The purpose is to investigate the physical
cause behind edge localized mode (ELM) suppression in experiment after the Li-coating of
the divertor and the first wall of the NSTX tokamak. Besides ideal MHD modeling, including
finite-Larmor radius effect and two-fluid Hall and electron diamagnetic drift contributions,
a non-ideal resistivity model is employed, taking into account the increase of Z eff after
Li-conditioning in ELM-free H-mode. Unlike an earlier conclusion from an eigenvalue code
analysis of these equilibria, NIMROD results find that after reduced recycling from divertor
plates, profile modification is necessary but insufficient to explain the mechanism behind
complete ELMs suppression in ideal two-fluid MHD. After considering the higher plasma
resistivity due to higher Z eff , the complete stabilization could be explained. A thorough
analysis of both pre-lithium ELMy and with-lithium ELM-free cases using ideal and
non-ideal MHD models is presented, after accurately including a vacuum-like cold halo
region in NIMROD to investigate ELMs.
