Review of Divertor Studies in LHD

In the Large Helical Device （LHD）, two different divertor configurations, i.e. helical divertor （HD） and local island divertor （LID）, are utilized to control the edge plasma. The HD with two X-points is an intrinsic divertor for heliotron devices, accompanied with a relatively thick ergodic layer outside the confinement region. Edge and divertor plasma behavior from low density to high density regimes is presented, referring to the divertor detachment. The effect of the ergodic layer on the edge transport is also discussed. On the other hand, the LID is an advanced divertor concept which realizes a high pumping efficiency by the combination of an externally induced magnetic island and a closed pumping system. Experimental results to confirm the fundamental divertor performance of the LID are presented.     

HL-2A托卡马克上等离子体环电流、环电压测量系统研制

详细描述了HL-2A托卡马克装置上等离子体环电流、环电压诊断系统,其中包括测量原理、诊断安排、实验等方面的内容。对实验中出现的杂散场干扰问题,及补偿技术做了全面的研究和探讨。并结合HL-2A的实验数据对诊断系统进行了验证。     

Experimental Observation of the Edge and Divertor Plasma in HL-2A

Edge plasma characteristics were studied by a fast-scanning 4-probe array and a Much/Reynolds stress/Langmuir 10-probe movable array in the boundary region. These probes could measure the edge plasma temperature, density, poloidal electric field, radial electric field, Reynolds stress, poloidal rotation velocities and their profiles, which could be obtained by changing the radial positions of the probe array shot by shot. The measured results were used to analyse plasma confinement, turbulent fluctuations and correlations. The fixed flush 3-probe arrays were mounted on the 4-divertor neutralization plates at the same toroidal cross-section in the divertor chamber. These probes were used to measure the profiles of the electron temperature, density and float potential in the divertor chamber. Edge plasma behaviours in both limiter configuration and divertor configuration are compared. The decay lengths of the edge temperature and density were measured and is emphasized for plasma behaviours of the supersonic molecular beam injection and lower hybrid current drive. The dependence of the radial gradient of Reynolds stress on the poloidal flow and the radial gradient of the electric field on turbulent loss are discussed.     

Space-Resolved VUV and EUV Spectrometers in HL-2A

A normal incidence vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and a grazing incidence extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometers have been developed for the edge and core impurity measure- ments in HL-2A tokamak. The VUV and the EUV spectrometers cover wavelength ranges of 300～3200 A and 50～500 A, respectively. A spatial resolution of 2 mm has been achieved for the VUV spectrometer when a space-resolved slit 50 μm in width is used. The space-resolved slit is placed between the entrance slit and the grating of the spectrometer. The spectral resolutions of 0.15 A for the VUV spectrometer in the wavelength coverage of the concave 1200 grooves/mm grating and of 0.22 A for the EUV spectrometer at λ=200 A with a flat-field laminar-type holo- graphic grating are obtained. The sensitivity of the VUV spectrometer was calibrated in situ with the plasma bremsstrahlung radiation. The experimental results from both spectrometers are presented, especially the line intensity radial profiles measured by the VUV spectrometer.     

Divertor Experiments with MBI and Strong Gas Puffing on HL-2A

In the HL-2A 2004 experiment campaign, pulsed molecular beam injection （MBI） and strong hydrogen gas puffing under the divertor configuration were used for gas fueling. The experimental results show that the MBI of hydrogen can reduce the heat flux to the divertor target plate. The electron temperature measured by the Langmuir probe array decreases significantly during the injection of the molecular beam whereas the electron density increases. This indicates that the plasma pressure near the target plates tends to be constant at a new equilibrium level. In the divertor plasmas with strong hydrogen gas puffing a high plasma density up to 4.4 × 10^19 m^-3 was achieved. In addition, a phenomenon similar to the partially detached divertor regime was observed, which is being studied in open divertor tokamaks such as DIII-D to reduce the peak heat flux on the target plates near the separatrix. After a strong gas puffing the electron temperature measured on the outer divertor target plate near the separatrix decreases till below 5 eV or even lower, but that of the farther outer divertor target plate does not change obviously; and the CIII and the Ha emissions at the plasma edge decrease as expected, but the Ha emission near the Xpoint increases. These results reflects some interesting characteristics, which needs to be studied by further modeling and experiments.     

Identification of Plasma Boundary and Position for HL-2A Tokamak

Using the virtual-case principle, the plasma boundary, the plasma current center, and the x-point are identified for the HL-2A tokamak. The plasma current is represented by the current center and the virtual multipole moments which produce a magnetic flux in a form of polynomial. Adaptive parameters in the polynomial are determined by the least-square fit of the poloidal magnetic fields. The measurement of the magnetic field is performed using pick-up coils. The virtual-case principle is applied outside the plasma boundary. The virtual-case currents decide the position of the current center and produce a negative confinement magnetic field inside the plasma and the magnetic field generated by the plasma current outside the plasma boundary. The convergence is fast enough to get a picture between the sequent shots. The configuration reconstructed is in good agreement with the TV image taken by camera with a tangential view.     

Experimental Observation of the Pulsed High Pressure Gas Puffing on HL-2A Tokamak

The pulse propagations of both the electron temperature and the electron density have been observed during pulse-modulated molecular beam injection experiments on HL-2A. The propagation depth of the cold pulse in the low field side is much longer than that in the high field side. The cold pulses cannot propagate to the plasma center from either the low field side or the high field side. The electron temperature in the plasma center does not change during MBI, but the electron density pulse perturbations can be observed in the plasma center.     

Measurement of Turbulence Propagation Velocity Using Doppler Reflectometer on HL-2A Tokamak

O-mode Doppler reflectometer has been successfully developed as an important diagnostic system on HL-2A. It can be used to measure the turbulence propagation in both plasma edge and confinement zone. The Doppler reflectometer system consists of two fixed frequency homodyne receivers： 15 GHz （corresponding to cutoff density of 0.3×10^19 m^-3） and 33 GHz （corresponding to cutoff density of 1.35× 10^19 m^-3）. The Doppler reflectometry principle and the experimental arrangements on HL-2A are presented. Meanwhile, the experimental Doppler reflectometric spectra under different discharge conditions, with and without ECRH, were obtained. Furthermore, the turbulence propagation velocity change and the profile were also observed in different discharge conditions.