ABSTRACT A new experimental technique is presented for the study of zonal flows in tokamak plasma... more ABSTRACT A new experimental technique is presented for the study of zonal flows in tokamak plasmas—upper hybrid resonance Doppler backscattering. The feasibility of the diagnostics is demonstrated allowing a complete characterization of the temporal and spatial behaviour of geodesic acoustic modes. The experimental results are obtained at the FT-2 tokamak.
ABSTRACT The effect of variations in the key parameter of short-wavelength turbulence—the ion-aco... more ABSTRACT The effect of variations in the key parameter of short-wavelength turbulence—the ion-acoustic Larmor radius ρs , which determines the position of the maximum of the drift instability growth rate over poloidal wavenumbers—was studied experimentally at the FT-2 tokamak. For this purpose, helium was injected to hydrogen plasma, which resulted in a change in the electron temperature at the plasma edge. The universality of the exponential shape of the turbulence spectra over radial wavenumbers q and a substantial excess of the characteristic turbulence scale L over the ion-acoustic Larmor radius was confirmed with the help of correlative diagnostics of enhanced scattering. This excess at the discharge periphery reaches a value of 3–5 at a low electron temperature, apparently, due to an increase in the dissipation of drift waves upon their cascade transfer toward short scale-lengths.
ABSTRACT The new diagnostic technique for investigation of ETG mode-scale tokamak turbulence–corr... more ABSTRACT The new diagnostic technique for investigation of ETG mode-scale tokamak turbulence–correlative enhanced scattering is developed at the FT-2 tokamak. Fine scale drift wave modes possessing unusually high frequency are observed using this technique in the ohmic discharge under conditions when the ETG mode should be unstable.
ABSTRACT A fine scale drift wave mode possessing unusually high frequency 2–3 MHz and radial wave... more ABSTRACT A fine scale drift wave mode possessing unusually high frequency 2–3 MHz and radial wave number is observed using the correlative upper hybrid resonance backscattering technique at the FT-2 tokamak under conditions when the ETG mode should be unstable. The radial wave number spectrum of turbulence is measured and shown to be maximal at values 120–170 cm−1 corresponding to the largest ETG instability growth rate.
ABSTRACT The elementary process of turbulence control by Geodesic Acoustic Modes (GAMs) leading t... more ABSTRACT The elementary process of turbulence control by Geodesic Acoustic Modes (GAMs) leading to modulation of its level at the GAM frequency is for the first time supported by experimental observations at the FT-2 tokamak. The modulation effect is confirmed by the global total-distribution-function gyrokinetic modelling of the tokamak discharge, predicting strong modulation of the electron thermal diffusivity induced by GAMs, which propagates inward and possesses the GAM temporal and spatial structure.
ABSTRACT Quantitative reproduction of selected micro-, meso- and macro-scale transport phenomena ... more ABSTRACT Quantitative reproduction of selected micro-, meso- and macro-scale transport phenomena as measured in the FT-2 tokamak is reached by Elmfire global full-f nonlinear gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation predictions. A detailed agreement with mean equilibrium flows, oscillating fine-scale zonal flows and turbulence radial correlation length observed by a set of sophisticated microwave backscattering techniques, as well as a good fit of the thermal diffusivity data in the central and gradient region of discharge are demonstrated. Both the shift and the broadening of the power spectrum of synthetic and experimental Doppler reflectometry diagnostics have been found to overlap perfectly at various radial positions, indicating similar rotation and spreading of the selected density fluctuations. At the same time similar radial electric field dynamics, spatial structure and outward geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) propagation have been observed by comparisons of the probability distribution function, the dominant frequency, the coherence and the cross-phase of the simulated and experimentally measured radial electric field fluctuations, identifying the turbulent driven GAM as a key contributor to the observed strong temporal variation of the radial electric field affected by impurity ions.
ABSTRACT Implementation of the correlative enhanced scattering technique in the FT-2 tokamak has ... more ABSTRACT Implementation of the correlative enhanced scattering technique in the FT-2 tokamak has resulted in measurements of both frequency and wave number spectra of a small-scale microturbulence. It is found that during the dynamic current ramp-up discharge the turbulence possesses a wide wave number spectrum which could be described by universal exponential dependence in the range of 3–4 orders of amplitude characterized by two parameters—the turbulence level and scale length. Both parameters are found to decrease substantially when the shear of the poloidal plasma rotation estimated from Doppler frequency shift of the enhanced scattering signal increases at plasma periphery. Simultaneously transition to an improved confinement resulting in the suppression of anomalous electron transport and decrease in the electron energy confinement time is observed in the experiment.
ABSTRACT Fine scale turbulence is considered nowadays as a possible candidate for the explanation... more ABSTRACT Fine scale turbulence is considered nowadays as a possible candidate for the explanation of anomalous ion and electron energy transport in magnetized fusion plasmas. The unique correlative upper hybrid resonance backscattering (UHR BS) technique is applied at the FT-2 tokamak for investigation of density fluctuations excited in this turbulence. The measurements are carried out in Ohmic discharge at several values of plasma current and density and during current ramp up experiment. The moveable focusing antennas set have been used in experiments allowing probing out of equatorial plane. The radial wave number spectra of the small-scale component of tokamak turbulence are determined from the correlation data with high spatial resolution. Two small-scale modes possessing substantially different phase velocities are observed in plasma under conditions when the threshold for the electron temperature gradient mode excitation is overcome. The possibility of plasma poloidal velocity profile determination using the UHR BS signal is demonstrated.
ABSTRACT Results of comparative experimental studies of the efficiency of lower hybrid current dr... more ABSTRACT Results of comparative experimental studies of the efficiency of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) and lower hybrid heating (LHH) in the FT-2 tokamak in hydrogen and deuterium plasmas are presented. In the new comparative experimental runs in deuterium/hydrogen plasmas suppression of the LHCD and beginning of the interaction of LH waves with ions is controlled by the plasma density rise. Role of parametric instabilities in CD switch-off is considered. In order to analyze the experimentally observed effect of LHCD the GRILL3D and FRTC codes has been used.
ABSTRACT The paper pays the main attention to the LHCD efficiency in experiments on the FT-2 toka... more ABSTRACT The paper pays the main attention to the LHCD efficiency in experiments on the FT-2 tokamak. LH wave spectra P(Nz) excited by the grill computed by GRILL3D code are presented. Physical processes responsible for termination of the CD with density rise are discussed for lower and higher plasma currents that are for relatively cold and relatively hot plasmas. A role of parametric processes and additional impurity influx for CD switching-off in the plasma are considered for those conditions.
ABSTRACT A new experimental technique is presented for the study of zonal flows in tokamak plasma... more ABSTRACT A new experimental technique is presented for the study of zonal flows in tokamak plasmas—upper hybrid resonance Doppler backscattering. The feasibility of the diagnostics is demonstrated allowing a complete characterization of the temporal and spatial behaviour of geodesic acoustic modes. The experimental results are obtained at the FT-2 tokamak.
ABSTRACT The effect of variations in the key parameter of short-wavelength turbulence—the ion-aco... more ABSTRACT The effect of variations in the key parameter of short-wavelength turbulence—the ion-acoustic Larmor radius ρs , which determines the position of the maximum of the drift instability growth rate over poloidal wavenumbers—was studied experimentally at the FT-2 tokamak. For this purpose, helium was injected to hydrogen plasma, which resulted in a change in the electron temperature at the plasma edge. The universality of the exponential shape of the turbulence spectra over radial wavenumbers q and a substantial excess of the characteristic turbulence scale L over the ion-acoustic Larmor radius was confirmed with the help of correlative diagnostics of enhanced scattering. This excess at the discharge periphery reaches a value of 3–5 at a low electron temperature, apparently, due to an increase in the dissipation of drift waves upon their cascade transfer toward short scale-lengths.
ABSTRACT The new diagnostic technique for investigation of ETG mode-scale tokamak turbulence–corr... more ABSTRACT The new diagnostic technique for investigation of ETG mode-scale tokamak turbulence–correlative enhanced scattering is developed at the FT-2 tokamak. Fine scale drift wave modes possessing unusually high frequency are observed using this technique in the ohmic discharge under conditions when the ETG mode should be unstable.
ABSTRACT A fine scale drift wave mode possessing unusually high frequency 2–3 MHz and radial wave... more ABSTRACT A fine scale drift wave mode possessing unusually high frequency 2–3 MHz and radial wave number is observed using the correlative upper hybrid resonance backscattering technique at the FT-2 tokamak under conditions when the ETG mode should be unstable. The radial wave number spectrum of turbulence is measured and shown to be maximal at values 120–170 cm−1 corresponding to the largest ETG instability growth rate.
ABSTRACT The elementary process of turbulence control by Geodesic Acoustic Modes (GAMs) leading t... more ABSTRACT The elementary process of turbulence control by Geodesic Acoustic Modes (GAMs) leading to modulation of its level at the GAM frequency is for the first time supported by experimental observations at the FT-2 tokamak. The modulation effect is confirmed by the global total-distribution-function gyrokinetic modelling of the tokamak discharge, predicting strong modulation of the electron thermal diffusivity induced by GAMs, which propagates inward and possesses the GAM temporal and spatial structure.
ABSTRACT Quantitative reproduction of selected micro-, meso- and macro-scale transport phenomena ... more ABSTRACT Quantitative reproduction of selected micro-, meso- and macro-scale transport phenomena as measured in the FT-2 tokamak is reached by Elmfire global full-f nonlinear gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation predictions. A detailed agreement with mean equilibrium flows, oscillating fine-scale zonal flows and turbulence radial correlation length observed by a set of sophisticated microwave backscattering techniques, as well as a good fit of the thermal diffusivity data in the central and gradient region of discharge are demonstrated. Both the shift and the broadening of the power spectrum of synthetic and experimental Doppler reflectometry diagnostics have been found to overlap perfectly at various radial positions, indicating similar rotation and spreading of the selected density fluctuations. At the same time similar radial electric field dynamics, spatial structure and outward geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) propagation have been observed by comparisons of the probability distribution function, the dominant frequency, the coherence and the cross-phase of the simulated and experimentally measured radial electric field fluctuations, identifying the turbulent driven GAM as a key contributor to the observed strong temporal variation of the radial electric field affected by impurity ions.
ABSTRACT Implementation of the correlative enhanced scattering technique in the FT-2 tokamak has ... more ABSTRACT Implementation of the correlative enhanced scattering technique in the FT-2 tokamak has resulted in measurements of both frequency and wave number spectra of a small-scale microturbulence. It is found that during the dynamic current ramp-up discharge the turbulence possesses a wide wave number spectrum which could be described by universal exponential dependence in the range of 3–4 orders of amplitude characterized by two parameters—the turbulence level and scale length. Both parameters are found to decrease substantially when the shear of the poloidal plasma rotation estimated from Doppler frequency shift of the enhanced scattering signal increases at plasma periphery. Simultaneously transition to an improved confinement resulting in the suppression of anomalous electron transport and decrease in the electron energy confinement time is observed in the experiment.
ABSTRACT Fine scale turbulence is considered nowadays as a possible candidate for the explanation... more ABSTRACT Fine scale turbulence is considered nowadays as a possible candidate for the explanation of anomalous ion and electron energy transport in magnetized fusion plasmas. The unique correlative upper hybrid resonance backscattering (UHR BS) technique is applied at the FT-2 tokamak for investigation of density fluctuations excited in this turbulence. The measurements are carried out in Ohmic discharge at several values of plasma current and density and during current ramp up experiment. The moveable focusing antennas set have been used in experiments allowing probing out of equatorial plane. The radial wave number spectra of the small-scale component of tokamak turbulence are determined from the correlation data with high spatial resolution. Two small-scale modes possessing substantially different phase velocities are observed in plasma under conditions when the threshold for the electron temperature gradient mode excitation is overcome. The possibility of plasma poloidal velocity profile determination using the UHR BS signal is demonstrated.
ABSTRACT Results of comparative experimental studies of the efficiency of lower hybrid current dr... more ABSTRACT Results of comparative experimental studies of the efficiency of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) and lower hybrid heating (LHH) in the FT-2 tokamak in hydrogen and deuterium plasmas are presented. In the new comparative experimental runs in deuterium/hydrogen plasmas suppression of the LHCD and beginning of the interaction of LH waves with ions is controlled by the plasma density rise. Role of parametric instabilities in CD switch-off is considered. In order to analyze the experimentally observed effect of LHCD the GRILL3D and FRTC codes has been used.
ABSTRACT The paper pays the main attention to the LHCD efficiency in experiments on the FT-2 toka... more ABSTRACT The paper pays the main attention to the LHCD efficiency in experiments on the FT-2 tokamak. LH wave spectra P(Nz) excited by the grill computed by GRILL3D code are presented. Physical processes responsible for termination of the CD with density rise are discussed for lower and higher plasma currents that are for relatively cold and relatively hot plasmas. A role of parametric processes and additional impurity influx for CD switching-off in the plasma are considered for those conditions.
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Papers by Denis Kouprienko