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1. A Reduced Resistive Wall Mode Kinetic Stability Model for Disruption Forecasting

Author(s):
Berkery, J.W.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Bell, R.E.; Gerhardt, S.P.; LeBlanc, B.P.
Abstract:
Kinetic modification of ideal stability theory from stabilizing resonances of mode-particle interaction has had success in explaining resistive wall mode (RWM) stability limits in tokamaks. With the goal of real-time stability forecasting, a reduced kinetic stability model has been implemented in the new Disruption Event Characterization and Forecasting (DECAF) code, which has been written to analyze disruptions in tokamaks. The reduced model incorporates parameterized models for ideal limits on beta, a ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure, which are shown to be in good agreement with DCON code calculations. Increased beta between these ideal limits causes a shift in the unstable region of delta W_K space, where delta W_K is the change in potential energy due to kinetic effects that is solved for by the reduced model, such that it is possible for plasmas to be unstable at intermediate beta but stable at higher beta. Gaussian functions for delta W_K are defined as functions of E cross B frequency and collisionality, with parameters reflecting the experience of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The reduced model was tested on a database of discharges from NSTX and experimentally stable and unstable discharges were separated noticeably on a stability map in E cross B frequency, collisionality space. The reduced model only failed to predict an unstable RWM in 15.6% of cases with an experimentally unstable RWM and performed well on predicting stability for experimentally stable discharges as well.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
May 2017

2. A Riccati Solution for the Ideal MHD Plasma Response with Applications to Real-time Stability Control

Author(s):
Glasser, A.; Kolemen, E.; Glasser, A.H.
Abstract:
To effectuate near real-time feedback control of ideal MHD instabilities in a tokamak geometry, a rapid solution for stability analysis is a prerequisite. Toward this end, we reformulate the δW stability method with a Hamilton-Jacobi theory, elucidating analytical and numerical features of the generic tokamak ideal MHD stability problem. The plasma response matrix is demonstrated to be the solution of an ideal MHD matrix Riccati differential equation (MRDE). Since Riccati equations are prevalent in the control theory literature, such a shift in perspective brings to bear a range of numerical methods that are well-suited to the robust, fast solution of control problems. We discuss the usefulness of Riccati techniques in solving the stiff ODEs often encountered in ideal MHD stability analyses-—for example, in tokamak edge and stellarator physics. We then demonstrate the applicability of such methods to an existing 2D ideal MHD stability code—DCON—enabling its parallel operation in near real-time. Output is shown to match with high accuracy, and with wall-clock time ≪ 1s. Such speed may help enable active feedback ideal MHD stability control, especially in tokamak plasmas whose ideal MHD equilibria evolve with inductive timescale τ > 1s-—as in ITER.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
March 2018

3. A multi-machine scaling of halo current rotation

Author(s):
Myers, C.E.; Eidietis, N.W.; Gerasimov, S.N.; Gerhardt, S.Pl.; Granetz, R.S.; Hender, T.C.; Pautasso, G.
Abstract:
Halo currents generated during unmitigated tokamak disruptions are known to develop rotating asymmetric features that are of great concern to ITER because they can dynamically amplify the mechanical stresses on the machine. This paper presents a multi-machine analysis of these phenomena. More specifically, data from C-Mod, NSTX, ASDEX Upgrade, DIII-D, and JET are used to develop empirical scalings of three key quantities: (1) the machine-specific minimum current quench time, tauCQ; (2) the halo current rotation duration, trot; and (3) the average halo current rotation frequency, <fh>. These data reveal that the normalized rotation duration, trot/tauCQ, and the average rotation velocity, <vh>, are surprisingly consistent from machine to machine. Furthermore, comparisons between carbon and metal wall machines show that metal walls have minimal impact on the behavior of rotating halo currents. Finally, upon projecting to ITER, the empirical scalings indicate that substantial halo current rotation above <fh> = 20 Hz is to be expected. More importantly, depending on the projected value of tauCQ in ITER, substantial rotation could also occur in the resonant frequency range of 6-20 Hz. As such, the possibility of damaging halo current rotation during unmitigated disruptions in ITER cannot be ruled out.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
October 2017

4. Advances in boronization on NSTX-Upgrade

Author(s):
Skinner, C.H.; Bedoya, F.; Scotti, F.; Allain, J.P.; Blanchard, W.; Cai, D.; Jaworski, M.; Koel, B.E.
Abstract:
Boronization has been effective in reducing plasma impurities and enabling access to higher density, higher confinement plasmas in many magnetic fusion devices. The National Spherical Torus eXperiment, NSTX, has recently undergone a major upgrade to NSTX-U in order to develop the physics basis for a ST-based Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) with capability for double the toroidal field, plasma current, and NBI heating power and increased pulse duration from 1–1.5 s to 5–8 s. A new deuterated tri-methyl boron conditioning system was implemented together with a novel surface analysis diagnostic. We report on the spatial distribution of the boron deposition versus discharge pressure, gas injection and electrode location. The oxygen concentration of the plasma facing surface was measured by in-vacuo XPS and increased both with plasma exposure and with exposure to trace residual gases. This increase correlated with the rise of oxygen emission from the plasma.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
January 2017

5. Amplification of local changes along the timescale processing hierarchy

Author(s):
Yeshurun, Yaara; Nguyen, Mai; Hasson, Uri
Abstract:
Small changes in word choice can lead to dramatically different interpretations of narratives. How does the brain accumulate and integrate such local changes to construct unique neural representations for different stories? In this study we created two distinct narratives by changing only a few words in each sentence (e.g. “he” to “she” or “sobbing” to “laughing”) while preserving the grammatical structure across stories. We then measured changes in neural responses between the two stories. We found that the differences in neural responses between the two stories gradually increased along the hierarchy of processing timescales. For areas with short integration windows, such as early auditory cortex, the differences in neural responses between the two stories were relatively small. In contrast, in areas with the longest integration windows at the top of the hierarchy, such as the precuneus, temporal parietal junction, and medial frontal cortices, there were large differences in neural responses between stories. Furthermore, this gradual increase in neural difference between the stories was highly correlated with an area’s ability to integrate information over time. Amplification of neural differences did not occur when changes in words did not alter the interpretation of the story (e.g. “sobbing” to “crying”). Our results demonstrate how subtle differences in words are gradually accumulated and amplified along the cortical hierarchy as the brain constructs a narrative over time.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
August 2017

6. Application of Benchmarked Kinetic Resistive Wall Mode Stability Codes to ITER, Including Additional Physics

Author(s):
Berkery, J.W.; Wang, Z.R.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Liu, Y.Q.; Betti, R.; Guazotto, L.
Abstract:
Leading resistive wall mode (RWM) stability codes MARS-K [Y. Liu, et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 112503 (2008)] and MISK [B. Hu, et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 057301 (2005)] have been previously benchmarked. The benchmarking has now been extended to include additional physics, and used to project the stability of ITER in a realistic operating space. Due to ITER's relatively low plasma rotation and collisionality, collisions and non-resonance rotational effects were both found to have little impact on stability, and these non-resonance rotational effects also will not self-consistently affect the ITER RWM eigenfunction. Resonances between thermal ions and electrons and the expected level of ITER toroidal rotation were found to be important to stability, as were alpha particles, which are not in rotational resonance. MISK calculations show that without alpha particles, ITER is projected to be unstable to the RWM, but the expected level of alphas is calculated to provide a sufficient level of stability.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
October 2017

7. Application of IR imaging for free-surface velocity measurement in liquid-metal systems

Author(s):
Hvasta, M.H.; Kolemen, E.; Fisher, A.
Abstract:
Measuring free-surface, liquid-metal flow velocity is challenging to do in a reliable and accurate manner. This paper presents a non-invasive, easily-calibrated method of measuring the surface velocities of open-channel liquid-metal flows using an IR camera. Unlike other spatially-limited methods, this IR camera particle tracking technique provides full field-of-view data that can be used to better understand open-channel flows and determine surface boundary conditions. This method could be implemented and automated for a wide range of liquid-metal experiments, even if they operate at high-temperatures or within strong magnetic fields.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
January 2017

8. Application of IR imaging for free-surface velocity measurement in liquid-metal systems

Author(s):
Hvasta, M. G.; Kolemen, E.; Fisher, A.
Abstract:
Measuring free-surface, liquid-metal flow velocity is challenging to do in a reliable and accurate manner. This paper presents a non-invasive, easily-calibrated method of measuring the surface velocities of open-channel liquid-metal flows using an IR camera. Unlike other spatially-limited methods, this IR camera particle tracking technique provides full field-of-view data that can be used to better understand open-channel flows and determine surface boundary conditions. This method could be implemented and automated for a wide range of liquid-metal experiments, even if they operate at high-temperatures or within strong magnetic fields.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
January 2017

9. Application of Townsend avalanche theory to tokamak startup by coaxial helicity injection

Author(s):
Hammond, K.C.; Raman, R.; Volpe, F.A.
Abstract:
Townsend avalanche theory is employed to model and interpret plasma initiation in NSTX by Ohmic heating and coaxial helicity injection (CHI). The model is informed by spatially resolved vacuum calculations of electric field and magnetic field line connection length in the poloidal cross-section. The model is shown to explain observations of Ohmic startup including the duration and location of breakdown. Adapting the model to discharges initiated by CHI offers insight into the causes of upper divertor (absorber) arcs in cases where the discharge fails to initiate in the lower divertor gap. Finally, upper and lower limits are established for vessel gas fill based on requirements for breakdown and radiation. It is predicted that CHI experiments on NSTX-U should be able to use as much as four times the amount of prefill gas employed in CHI experiments in NSTX. This should provide greater flexibility for plasma start-up, as the injector flux is projected to be increased in NSTX-U.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
September 2017

10. Computation of Alfvèn eigenmode stability and saturation through a reduced fast ion transport model in the TRANSP tokamak transport code

Author(s):
Podesta, M.; Gorelenkova, M.; Gorelenkov, N.N.; White, R.B.
Abstract:
Alfvénic instabilities (AEs) are well known as a potential cause of enhanced fast ion transport in fusion devices. Given a specific plasma scenario, quantitative predictions of (i) expected unstable AE spectrum and (ii) resulting fast ion transport are required to prevent or mitigate the AE- induced degradation in fusion performance. Reduced models are becoming an attractive tool to analyze existing scenarios as well as for scenario prediction in time-dependent simulations. In this work, a neutral beam heated NSTX discharge is used as reference to illustrate the potential of a reduced fast ion transport model, known as kick model, that has been recently implemented for interpretive and predictive analysis within the framework of the time-dependent tokamak transport code TRANSP. Predictive capabilities for AE stability and saturation amplitude are first assessed, based on given thermal plasma profiles only. Predictions are then compared to experimental results, and the interpretive capabilities of the model further discussed. Overall, the reduced model captures the main properties of the instabilities and associated effects on the fast ion population. Additional information from the actual experiment enables further tuning of the model’s parameters to achieve a close match with measurements.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
September 2017

11. Data for Nature Climate Change article 'Regional dry-season climate changes due to three decades of Amazonian deforestation'

Author(s):
Khanna, Jaya; Medvigy, David; Fueglistaler, Stephan; Walko, Robert
Abstract:
More than 20% Amazon rainforest has been cleared in the past three decades triggering important hydroclimatic changes. Small-scale (~few kilometers) deforestation in the 1980s has caused thermally-triggered atmospheric circulations that increase regional cloudiness and precipitation frequency. However, these circulations are predicted to diminish as deforestation increases. Here we use multi-decadal satellite records and numerical model simulations to show a regime shift in the regional hydroclimate accompanying increasing deforestation in Rondônia, Brazil. Compared to the 1980s, present-day deforested areas in downwind western Rondônia are found to be wetter than upwind eastern deforested areas during the local dry season. The resultant precipitation change in the two regions is approximately ±25% of the deforested area mean. Meso-resolution simulations robustly reproduce this transition when forced with increasing deforestation alone, showing a negligible role of large-scale climate variability. Furthermore, deforestation-induced surface roughness reduction is found to play an essential role in the present-day dry season hydroclimate. Our study illustrates the strong scale-sensitivity of the climatic response to Amazonian deforestation and suggests that deforestation is sufficiently advanced to have caused a shift from a thermally- to a dynamically-driven hydroclimatic regime.
Type:
Dataset and Software
Issue Date:
2017

12. Density perturbation mode structure of high frequency compressional and global Alfvén eigenmodes in the National Spherical Torus Experiment using a novel reflectometer analysis technique

Author(s):
Crocker, N.A.; Kubota, S.; Peebles, W.A.; Rhodes, T.L.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Belova, E.; Diallo, A.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Sabbagh, S.A.
Abstract:
Reflectometry measurements of compressional (CAE) and global (GAE) Alfvén eigenmodes are analyzed to obtain the amplitude and spatial structure of the density perturbations associated with the modes. A novel analysis technique developed for this purpose is presented. The analysis also naturally yields the amplitude and spatial structure of the density contour radial displacement, which is found to be 2–4 times larger than the value estimated directly from the reflectometer measurements using the much simpler ‘mirror approximation’. The modes were driven by beam ions in a high power (6 MW) neutral beam heated H-mode discharge (#141398) in the National Spherical Torus Experiment. The results of the analysis are used to assess the contribution of the modes to core energy transport and ion heating. The total displacement amplitude of the modes, which is shown to be larger than previously estimated (Crocker et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 43017), is compared to the predicted threshold (Gorelenkov et al 2010 Nucl. Fusion 50 84012) for the anomalously high heat diffusion inferred from transport modeling in similar NSTX discharges. The results of the analysis also have strong implications for the energy transport via coupling of CAEs to kinetic Alfvén waves seen in simulations with the Hybrid MHD code (Belova et al 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 115 15001). Finally, the amplitudes of the observed CAEs fall well below the threshold for causing significant ion heating by stochastic velocity space diffusion (Gates et al 2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 205003).
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
November 2017

13. Design of Faraday cup ion detectors built by thin film deposition

Author(s):
Szalkowski, G.A.; Darrow, D.S.; Cecil, F.E.
Abstract:
Thin film Faraday cup detectors can provide measurements of fast ion loss from magnetically confined fusion plasmas. These multilayer detectors can resolve the energy distribution of the lost ions in addition to giving the total loss rate. Prior detectors were assembled from discrete foils and insulating sheets. Outlined here is a design methodology for creating detectors using thin film deposition that are suited to particular scientific goals. The intention is to use detectors created by this method on JET and NSTX-U. The detectors will consist of alternating layers of aluminum and silicon dioxide, with layer thicknesses chosen to isolate energies of interest. Thin film deposition offers the advantage of relatively simple and more mechanically robust construction compared to other methods, as well as allowing precise control of film thickness. Furthermore, this depositional fabrication technique places the layers in intimate thermal contact, providing for three-dimensional conduction and dissipation of the ion-produced heating in the layers, rather than the essentially two-dimensional heat conduction in the discrete foil stack implementation.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
January 2017

14. Drift kinetic effects on the plasma response in high beta spherical tokamak experiments

Author(s):
Wang, Z.R.; Park, J.-K.; Menard, J.E.; Liu, Y.Q.; Kaye, S.M.; Gerhardt, S.
Abstract:
High $\beta$ plasma response to the rotating n=1 external magnetic perturbations is numerically studied and compared with National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX). The hybrid magnetohydrodynamic(MHD)-kinetic modeling shows the drift kinetic effects are important to resolve the disagreement of plasma response between the ideal MHD prediction and the NSTX experimental observation when plasma pressure reaches and exceeds the no-wall limit [F. Troyon et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion \textbf{26}, 209 (1984)]. Since the external rotating fields and high plasma rotation are presented in NSTX experiments, the importance of resistive wall effect and plasma rotation on determining the plasma response is also identified, where the resistive wall suppresses the plasma response through the wall eddy current. The inertial energy, due to plasma rotation, destabilizes the plasma. The complexity of plasma response, in this study, indicates that MHD modeling, including comprehensive physics e.g. the drift kinetic effects, resistive wall and plasma rotation, is essential to reliably predict the plasma behavior in high beta spherical tokamak device.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
September 2017

15. ELM elimination with Li powder injection in EAST discharges using the tungsten upper divertor

Author(s):
Maingi, R.; Hu, J.S.; Sun, Z.; Tritz, K.; Zuo, G.Z.; Xu, W.; Huang, M.; Meng, X.C.; Canik, J.M.; Diallo, A.; Lunsford, R.; Mansfield, D.K.; Osborne, T.H.; Gong, X.Z.; Wang, Y.F.; Li, Y.Y.
Abstract:
We report the first successful use of lithium (Li) to eliminate edge-localized modes (ELMs) with tungsten divertor plasma-facing components in the EAST device. Li powder injected into the scrape-off layer of the tungsten upper divertor successfully eliminated ELMs for 3-5 sec in EAST. The ELM elimination became progressively more effective in consecutive discharges at constant lithium delivery rates, and the divertor D-alpha baseline emission was reduced, both signatures of improved wall conditioning. A modest decrease in stored energy and normalized energy confinement was also observed, but the confinement relative to H98 remained well above 1, extending the previous ELM elimination results via Li injection into the lower carbon divertor in EAST [J.S. Hu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 (2015) 055001]. These results can be compared with recent observations with lithium pellets in ASDEX-Upgrade that failed to mitigate ELMs [P.T. Lang et al., Nucl. Fusion 57 (2017) 016030], highlighting one comparative advantage of continuous powder injection for real-time ELM elimination.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
December 2017

16. Electron heating and energy inventory during asymmetric reconnection in a laboratory plasma

Author(s):
Yoo, Jongsoo; Na, Byungkeun; Jara-Almonte, Jonathan; Yamada, Maasaki; Ji, Hantao; Roytershteyn, V.; Argall, M. R.; Fox, W.; Chen, Li-Jen
Abstract:
Electron heating and the energy inventory during asymmetric reconnection are studied in the laboratory plasma with a density ratio of about 8 across the current sheet. Features of asymmetric reconnection such as the large density gradients near the low-density-side separatrices, asymmetric in-plane electric field, and bipolar out-of-plane magnetic field are observed. Unlike the symmetric case, electrons are also heated near the low-density-side separatrices. The measured parallel electric field may explain the observed electron heating. Although large fluctuations driven by lower-hybrid drift instabilities are also observed near the low-density-side separatrices, laboratory measurements and numerical simulations reported here suggest that they do not play a major role in electron energization. The average electron temperature increase in the exhaust region is proportional to the incoming magnetic energy per an electron/ion pair but exceeds scalings of the previous space observations. This discrepancy is explained by differences in the boundary condition and system size. The profile of electron energy gain from the electric field shows that there is additional electron energy gain associated with the electron diamagnetic current besides a large energy gain near the X-line. This additional energy gain increases electron enthalpy, not the electron temperature. Finally, a quantitative analysis of the energy inventory during asymmetric reconnection is conducted. Unlike the symmetric case where the ion energy gain is about twice more than the electron energy gain, electrons and ions obtain a similar amount of energy during asymmetric reconnection.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
August 2017

17. Energetic-particle-modified global Alfven eigenmodes

Author(s):
Lestz, J.B.; Belova, E.V.; Gorelenkov, N.N.
Abstract:
Fully self-consistent hybrid MHD/particle simulations reveal strong energetic particle modifications to sub-cyclotron global Alfven eigenmodes (GAE) in low-aspect ratio, NSTX-like conditions. Key parameters defining the fast ion distribution function -- the normalized injection velocity v_0/v_A and central pitch -- are varied in order to study their influence on the characteristics of the excited modes. It is found that the frequency of the most unstable mode changes significantly and continuously with beam parameters, in accordance with the Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonances which drive the modes, and depending most substantially on v_0/v_A. This unexpected result is present for both counter-propagating GAEs, which are routinely excited in NSTX, and high frequency co-GAEs, which have not been previously studied. Large changes in frequency without clear corresponding changes in mode structure could indicate the existence of a new energetic particle mode, referred to here as an energetic-particle-modified GAE (EP-GAE). Additional simulations conducted for a fixed MHD equilibrium demonstrate that the GAE frequency shift cannot be explained by the equilibrium changes due to energetic particle effects.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
December 2017

18. Energy Exchange Dynamics across L-H Transitions in NSTX

Author(s):
Diallo, A.; Banerjee, S.; Zweben, S.; Stoltzfus-Dueck, T.
Abstract:
We studied the energy exchange dynamics across the low-to-high-confinement (L-H) in NSTX discharges using the gas-puff imaging (GPI) diagnotic. The investigation focused on the energy exchange between flows and turbulence, to help clarify the mechanism of the L-H transition. We apply this study to three type of heating schemes, including a total of 17 shots from the NSTX 2010 campaign run. Results show that the edge fluctuation characteristics (fluctuation levels, radial and poloidal correlation lengths) measured using GPI do not vary just prior to the H-mode transition, but change after the transition. Using a velocimetry approach (orthogonal-programming decomposition), velocity fields of a 24 $\times$ 30 cm GPI view during the L-H transition were obtained with good spatial ($\sim$1 cm) and temporal ($\sim$2.5 $\mu$s) resolutions. Analysis using these velocity fields shows that the production term is systematically negative just prior to the L-H transition indicating transfer from mean flows to turbulence, which is inconsistent with the predator-prey paradigm. Moreover, using the inferred absolute value of the production term, an estimate of the L-H transition duration is found to be 25 ms, which is much larger than the measured duration. These discrepancies are further reinforced by consideration of the ratio between the kinetic energy in the mean flow to the thermal free energy, which is estimated to be much less than 1, suggesting again that turbulence depletion mechanism may not be playing an important role in the transition to the H-mode. Although the Reynolds work is too small to directly deplete the turbulent free energy reservoir, order-of-magnitude analysis shows that the Reynolds stress may still make a non-negligible contribution to the observed poloidal flows.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
June 2017

19. Experimental calibration procedures for rotating Lorentz-force flowmeters

Author(s):
Hvasta, M. G.; Slighton, N. T.; Kolemen, E.; Fisher, A. E.
Abstract:
Rotating Lorentz-force flowmeters are a novel and useful technology with a range of applications in a variety of different industries. However, calibrating these flowmeters can be challenging, time-consuming, and expensive. In this paper, simple calibration procedures for rotating Lorentz-force flowmeters are presented. These procedures eliminate the need for expensive equipment, numerical modeling, redundant flowmeters, and system down-time. The calibration processes are explained in a step-by-step manner and compared to experimental results.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
2017

20. Feedback control design for non-inductively sustained scenarios in NSTX-U using TRANSP

Author(s):
Boyer, M.D.; Andre, R.G.; Gates, D.A.; Gerhardt, S.P.; Menard, J.E.; Poli, F.M.
Abstract:
This paper examines a method for real-time control of non-inductively sustained scenarios in NSTX-U by using TRANSP, a time-dependent integrated modeling code for prediction and interpretive analysis of tokamak experimental data, as a simulator. The actuators considered for control in this work are the six neutral beam sources and the plasma boundary shape. To understand the response of the plasma current, stored energy, and central safety factor to these actuators and to enable systematic design of control algorithms, simulations were run in which the actuators were modulated and a linearized dynamic response model was generated. A multi-variable model-based control scheme that accounts for the coupling and slow dynamics of the system while mitigating the effect of actuator limitations was designed and simulated. Simulations show that modest changes in the outer gap and heating power can improve the response time of the system, reject perturbations, and track target values of the controlled values.
Type:
Dataset
Issue Date:
June 2017

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