Suppression of m=2 islands by electron cyclotron heating in the Texas Experimental Tokamak: Experiment and theory

D. C. Sing, M. E. Austin, D. L. Brower, J. Y. Chen, R. F. Gandy, C. X. Yu, X. H. Wang, A. Bhattacharjee, D. D. Schnack

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Abstract

Electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is used to suppress m = 2 magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillations in the Texas Experimental Tokamak (TEXT) [Nucl. Technol. Fusion 1, 479 ( 1981 )]. The location of ECH power deposition is controlled by a movable antenna. The MHD activity is suppressed when the ECH beam is directed close to the q=2 surface. The experiment is simulated using a three-dimensional resistive MHD code in cylindrical geometry. For fixed plasma current, the saturated m = 2 island width is found to depend on the value of the safety factor at the magnetic axis (q0). The simulation suggests that the observed saturated m=2 island in the pre-ECH plasma, which typically occupies 25% of the minor radius, corresponds to q0∼ 1.3. The suppression of the island in the presence of ECH is attributed to current profile modification. In some discharges, the m = 2 activity does not resume even after the ECH pulse is turned off.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3239-3245
Number of pages7
JournalPhysics of Fluids B
Volume5
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 1993
Externally publishedYes

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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