High-beta operation and magnetohydrodynamic activity on the TFTR tokamak

K. McGuire, V. Arunasalam, C. W. Barnes, M. G. Bell, M. Bitter, R. Boivin, N. L. Bretz, R. Budny, C. E. Bush, A. Cavallo, T. K. Chu, Samuel A. Cohen, P. Colestock, S. L. Davis, D. L. Dimock, H. F. Dylla, P. C. Efthimion, A. B. Ehrhardt, R. J. Fonck, E. FredricksonH. P. Furth, G. Gammel, Robert James Goldston, G. Greene, B. Grek, L. R. Grisham, G. Hammett, R. J. Hawryluk, H. W. Hendel, K. W. Hill, E. Hinnov, D. J. Hoffman, J. Hosea, R. B. Howell, H. Hsuan, R. A. Hulse, A. C. Janos, D. Jassby, F. Jobes, D. W. Johnson, L. C. Johnson, R. Kaita, C. Kieras-Phillips, S. J. Kilpatrick, P. H. LaMarche, B. LeBlanc, D. M. Manos, D. K. Mansfield, E. Mazzucato, M. P. McCarthy, M. C. McCune, D. H. McNeill, D. M. Meade, S. S. Medley, D. R. Mikkelsen, D. Monticello, R. Motley, D. Mueller, J. A. Murphy, Y. Nagayama, D. R. Nazakian, E. B. Neischmidt, D. K. Owens, H. Park, W. Park, S. Pitcher, A. T. Ramsey, M. H. Redi, A. L. Roquemore, P. H. Rutherford, G. Schilling, J. Schivell, G. L. Schmidt, S. D. Scott, J. C. Sinnis, J. Stevens, B. C. Stratton, W. Stodiek, E. J. Synakowski, W. M. Tang, G. Taylor, J. R. Timberlake, H. H. Towner, M. Ulrickson, S. Von Goeler, R. Wieland, M. Williams, J. R. Wilson, K. L. Wong, M. Yamada, S. Yoshikawa, K. M. Young, M. C. Zarnstorff, S. J. Zweben

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28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity within three zones (core, half-radius, and edge) of TFTR [Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (IAEA, Vienna, 1987), Vol. 1, p. 51 ] tokamak plasmas are discussed. Near the core of the plasma column, sawteeth are often observed. Two types of sawteeth are studied in detail; one with complete, and the other with incomplete, magnetic reconnection. Their characteristics are determined by the shape of the q profile. Near the half-radius the m/n = 3/2 and 2/1 resistive ballooning modes are found to correlate with a beta collapse. The pressure and the pressure gradient at the mode rational surface are found to play an important role in stability. MHD activity is also studied at the plasma edge during limiter H modes. The edge localized modes (ELM's) are found to have a precursor mode with a frequency between 50-500 kHz and a mode number m/n = 1/0. The mode does not show a ballooning structure. While these instabilities have been studied on many other machines, on TFTR the studies have been extended to high pressure (plasma pressure greater than 4x105 Pa) and low collisionality [v *i(a/2)<0.002,v* e(a/2)<0.01].

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1287-1290
Number of pages4
JournalPhysics of Fluids B
Volume2
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computational Mechanics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

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