• Energy Research

Tritium (T) distributions on tungsten (W)-coated plasma-facing tiles used in the third ITER-like wall campaign (2015–2016) of the Joint European Torus (JET) were examined by means of an imaging plate technique and β-ray induced x-ray spectrometry, and they were compared with the distributions after the second (2013–2014) campaign. Strong enrichment of T in beryllium (Be) deposition layers was observed after the second campaign. In contrast, T distributions after the third campaign was more uniform though Be deposition layers were visually recognized. The one of the possible explanations is enhanced desorption of T from Be deposition layers due to higher tile temperatures caused by higher energy input in the third campaign.

Abstract Reconnection events in high current reversed field pinch plasmas are often associated to the partial or total loss of the helical magnetic topology. The electron temperature collapse during these phenomena is investigated in RFX-mod thanks to high time resolution soft-x-ray diagnostics; these data are used, together with magnetic energy reconstructions, for energy balance analysis. The paper shows that the energy released during reconnection events, similarly to astrophysical plasmas, might be involved in ion heating, the latter being estimated by the energy distribution function of neutral atoms, a rather interesting feature in a reactorial perspective. These issues will be further investigated in RFX-mod2 , an upgrade of the present device starting its operations from 2022, where the modified boundary conditions are expected to increase the helical states duration and reduce the frequency of reconnection events.

The main goal of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) is to explore alternative power exhaust solutions for DEMO. The principal objective is to mitigate the risk of a difficult extrapolation to fusion reactor of the conventional divertor based on detached conditions under test on ITER. The task includes several issues, as: (i) demonstrating a heat exhaust system capable of withstanding the large load of DEMO in case of inadequate radiated power fraction; (ii) closing the gaps in the exhaust area that cannot be addressed by present devices; (iii) demonstrating how the possible implemented solutions (e.g., advanced divertor configurations or liquid metals) can be integrated in a DEMO device.In view of these goals, the basic physical DTT parameters have been selected according to the following guidelines: (i) edge conditions as close as possible to DEMO in terms of dimensionless parameters; (ii) flexibility to test a wide set of divertor concepts and techniques; (iii) compatibility with bulk plasma performance; (iv) an upper bound of 500 M€ for the investment costs.

In the RFX reversed field pinch (R = 2 m, n = 0.45 m) the plasma-wall interaction has been characterised in all of the discharges by the presence of the locking both in phase and in the laboratory frame of unstable MHD modes, These locked modes cause a helical deformation of the magnetic surfaces driving large power fluxes onto the wall. The plasma edge is severely perturbed: a power density loading as high as 100 MW m(-2) may locally be exceeded, the surface of the plasma facing components reach the sublimation temperature, the impurity release and the power radiated locally increase by a factor of similar to 100, large fluctuations in the electron density develop and halo currents flow in the inconel vacuum vessel. It is estimated that the locked modes are responsible for losses that may amount to up to about 30% of the total power input.

Effects of the spatial chanelling (SC) of the energy of fusion-produced alpha particles - the spatial transfer of the energy of fast ions by destabilized eigenmodes and delivering this energy to bulk plasma particles (Kolesnichenko et al 2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 075001) - on the plasma performance is studied. Analysis is carried out in the assumption that alpha particles located in the peripheral region of the plasma destabilize multiple fast magnetoacoustic modes (FMM) having global radial structure. The FMM with the frequencies close to cyclotron harmonics of alpha particles are considered. It is found that these FMM can be in resonance with the bulk plasma ions and electrons located in the central region of the plasma, delivering the alpha energy to this region. This improves the overall plasma confinement. In addition, it leads to anomalous ion heating when the ion damping of FMM exceeds the electron one. The damping rates of the considered waves are calculated. It is shown that reasonably small amplitude waves can receive and transfer across the flux surfaces as large power density as that required for spatial channelling of a considerable part of fusion energy. The developed theory of the inward spatial channelling is applied to JET experiments carried out during the deuterium-tritium-experiment campaign (DTE1), where presumably anomalous ion heating and improvement of the plasma confinement took place.