Outer midplane neutral density measurements and H-mode fueling studies in NSTX-U

Neutral density profiles are measured on the outboard midplane of the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) using a two dimensional camera (ENDD, edge neutral density diagnostic) filtered for deuterium Balmer Î (D_Î) emission interpreted via simulations using the Monte Carlo neutral transport code DEGAS 2. Deuterium atomic densities n_eare calculated by inverting the line-integrated D_Îbrightness and using local measurements of electron density n_eand temperature T_eto determine atomic rate coefficients. The assumptions used in the derivation of n_Dfrom D_Îemissivity are validated using DEGAS 2 to estimate contributions to emissivity due to electron impact excitation and molecular processes. Experimental measurements and DEGAS 2 simulations are compared over a database of Land H-mode discharges, showing good agreement in D_Îemissivity profiles. Residual disagreement between experiment and simulations is suggestive of the possible role of intermittent transport and uncertainties in the molecular data. DEGAS 2 simulations are further used to complement the ENDD diagnostic, extracting neutral (atomic and molecular) densities at locations where the ENDD measurement are not made or where the assumptions used in the ENDD analysis are not valid. Deuterium atomic densities and ionization profiles on the outer midplane are compared for L-mode and H-mode discharges in NSTX-U. One-way coupling of DEGAS 2 to UEDGE multi-fluid simulations constrained by experimental data is used to study edge fueling and neutral penetration in NSTX-U discharges.