# Presentation: 539434

## FY2004 Research Plan

**FY2004 Research Plan**

- S. M. Kaye for the NSTX Research Team
- PPPL, Princeton Univ.
- NSTX PAC-15 Meeting
- Princeton, N.J.
- 12-14 January 2004

## Outline

- 2004 Goals and Capabilities
- Topical area research program is organized by ETs
- 	and is driven by research milestones
- HHFW/EBW Heating and Current Drive (Taylor, Ryan)
- Non-Solenoidal Startup (M. Bell, Raman)
- MHD (Sabbagh, Gates)
- Transport and Turbulence (Maingi, Stutman)
- Boundary Physics (Kugel, Kaita)
- Integrated Scenario Development (Menard, Wilson)
- Research plan schedule

## Program Planning Steps

- NSTX Research Forum (9/02)
- PAC-13 (9-10/02)
- PAC-14 (1/03)
- Curtailed FY03 run (1-2/03)
- Five Year Plan (6/03)
- NSTX Research Forum (11/03)
- PAC-15 (1/04)
- Plan – 18 run weeks in FY04

****

## Run Plan Addresses Milestones By Exploring Fundamental ST Physics 

- Highest level milestone (FY04-1)
- Assess confinement and stability in NSTX by characterizing high confinement regimes with edge barriers and by obtaining initial results on the avoidance or suppression of plasma pressure limiting modes in high-pressure plasmas
- 	(T&T, MHD, ISD)

## Many Topical Areas Have Specific Milestones

- T&T (FY04-2)
- Measure long-wavelength turbulence in ST plasmas in a range of plasma conditions
- HHFW/EBW, T&T (FY04-3)
- Measure plasma current profile modifications produced by RF, NBI and p techniques
- Solenoid-free startup (FY04-4)
- Conduct initial tests combining available techniques to achieve solenoid-free initiation to substantial currents
- HHFW/EBW (FY04-5)
- Measure EBW emissions to assess heating and current drive requirements

## Run time allocations for FY04 Represent a Balanced Scientific Approach

- 	_# Run Days_	_%     _
- HHFW/EBW	12 days		13%
- Solenoid-free startup	11 days		12%
- Transport & Turbulence	11 days		12%
- MHD	11 days		12%
- ISD	11 days       	12%
- Boundary physics	8 days		9%
- Enabling/cross-cutting	12 days		13%
- Scientific Contingency	14 days		16%
- Total	90 days

## Heating and Current Drive (HHFW/EBW)

- Two FY04 milestones
- Measure plasma current profile modifications produced by RF, ...
- Measure EBW emissions to assess coupling requirements for heating and current drive
- New capabilities in 2004
- Feedback control of antenna loading to be implemented mid-FY04
- MSE (3  10 channels)
- HHFW antenna modified to increase voltage/power limit (FY03)
- CURRAY integrated into TRANSP
- Increased use of CURRAY, CQL3D, AORSA1D for discharge scenario development (also in ISD)

## HHFW FY04 Research Plan

- HHFW coupling, power deposition and heating
- Establish good coupling for electron heating
- DND
- Explore parametric decay mechanism
- Possible source of edge ion heating
- RF modulation/USXR for PRF(r)
- HHFW Current Drive
- Dependence on power, density,
-     temperature and phasing
*Measure j with MSE*
- HHFW-only H-mode
- SN, DN target development
- HHFW + NBI: important for Five Year objectives
- High-t or high-Te (RS) NBI target

- Hot Component

- Cold Component

## EBW FY04 Research Plan 

- FY2004 research focused on establishing basis for high power heating and current drive system
- Demonstrate 80% B-X and/or B-X-O conversion
- Use limiters to reduce Ln and increase conversion efficiency
- Reflectometry to measure Ln
- Local gas feed to ensure adequate density
- Modulate HHFW to suppress edge density fluctuations

## Solenoid-Free Startup

- Milestone FY04-4
- Conduct initial tests combining available techniques to achieve solenoid-free initiation to substantial currents
- New capabilities in 2004
- Co-axial helicity injection
- Capacitor bank for transient CHI (mid-FY04)
- New ceramic insulator (FY03)
- EFIT with open field line current
- 3D modeling of resistive linear and non-linear stability
- PF-only startup
- PF4 power supplies for “outer PF” startup (mid-FY04)
- HHFW to assist plasma formation
- DINA calculations (resistive MHD and transport) for scenario and control system development

## CHI FY04 Research Plan

- Employ transient CHI scenario
- Continue FY03 exp’ts but with cap bank for rapid rate of rise of injector current
- Build on development made in HIT-II
- PF3L to “pinch off” plasma for closed flux
- Add CHI to inductive discharge
- Gained experience and understanding in HIT-II experiments
- Determine need for absorber field nulling coils
- Extended CHI pulse
- Assess new absorber

## PF-Only Startup FY04 Research Plan

- Outer PF startup – additional discharge scenario development required (TSC, DINA)
- Bipolar BV swing (no field null)
- HHFW/ECH plasma source
- Outboard null
- No PF4:  100 kA
- PF4: 100’s kA
- HHFW assist
- Initiate plasma on outboard side
- Drive 50-100 kA with PF ramping
- Use HHFW to heat and drive current
- 	further
- HHFW rampup
- Clamp OH current after Ip=50-100 kA
- Apply HHFW to heat and drive current

## MHD Stability

- MHD stability a critical part of highest level milestone
*...**.obtaining initial results on the avoidance or suppression of plasma pressure limiting modes in high-pressure plasmas...*
- Related research topics
- Influence of shape and rotation on equilibrium and stability
- Effect of error fields
- RWM, ELM, NTM physics
- Fast ion MHD
- New capabilities in 2004
- 6 External EF/RWM control coils (developing)
- Fast power supplies for EF/RWM control (summer 2004)
- MSE (up to 10 channels)
- USXR, FIRETIP upgrades
- Control system upgrade for higher elongation
- Divertor Mirnov arrays, internal RWM sensors (FY03)
- EFIT with rotation, expanded data input; FLOW
- MARS

## Shape and Rotation Influence Strongly Plasma Stability

-  N up to 6 achieved at high elongation
- FY04 Research Plan - High-N
- High-T @ high IN (high ): 2.4 with improved control system
- High-p through Ip ramp down: test effect of rotation, R/a on pressure surface shift
- Effect of boundary shape on high-n stability (need PF4)

## Shape & Rotation – FY04 Research Plan  (cont’d)

*Mode saturation due to shear flow possible (internal and external)*
- Error fields
- Effect of EF correction on plasma rotation, low-n stability*
- RWM physics
- Mode structure (internal coils)
- RWM dissipation, rotation damping physics
- Fast feedback for active control
- NSTX/DIII-D similarity experiments (ITPA priority)
- RWM characteristics, dissipation, etc.
- EF amplification

## Additional MHD Studies

- Fast ion MHD
- Parametric dependence of fast ion losses on Ip, BT, q0
- TAE, CAE, GAE
- Suppression of frequency “chirping” in fishbone instabilities
- Non-linear mechanism
- Similarity exp’t with DIII-D (chirping observed on NSTX but not on DIII-D)
- Neoclassical Tearing Mode Onset
-  -scan
- ELM stability vs shaping (piggyback)

## Transport and Turbulence

- FY04-1
- Assess confinement and stability in NSTX by characterizing high confinement regimes with edge barriers and .......
- FY04-2
- Measure long-wavelength turbulence in ST plasmas in a range of plasma conditions
- FY04-3
- Measure plasma current profile modifications produced by ... p techniques
- Related research topics
- Establish E and transport scalings
- Study electron transport physics
- Determine influence of Er (ExB) and T on turbulence, transport, L-H transitions and pedestals

## Transport and Turbulence

- New capabilities in 2004
- MSE
- 51 channel CHERS (FY03)
- Scanning NPA (FY03)
- Edge Rotation Diagnostic (FY03) - Er
- Prototype neutron collimators
- Upgraded correlation reflectometry – long turbulence
- Fixed frequency reflectometers (4) – long turbulence
- mm-wave interferometer: line-integrated long turbulence
- Upgraded Gas Puff Imaging (GPI), reciprocating probe

## Parametric Scaling Trends Have Been Studied

- L-mode scaling presented to PAC13 (10/02) and PAC14 (1/03)
- Non-linear H-mode power dependence
- Ip, BT, etc parameter ranges too limited to perform meaningful scaling

- ENSTX-L ~ Ip0.76 BT0.27 PL-0.76

## E and Transport Scalings – FY04 Research Plan

- Systematic H-mode and ITB studies in quasi-steady discharges
- DND to connect to international
- 	database
- NSTX/MAST identity exp’ts
- ITPA high priority
- NSTX/DIII-D similarity
- R/a effects at fixed pol, *pol
- Dimensionless scalings
- 	within NSTX
- OH/NBI R/a
- Initial *, T (ITPA high priority)

- -scalings will also be developed from the results of these XPs

**2x**

**1x**

**0.5x**

## Scenarios for these studies require development of reproducible H-modes: L-H threshold studies
DN, LSN
Role of shape, fueling type, fueling location
NSTX/MAST identity (ITPA priority)
ELM characteristics
Pedestal characterization
NSTX/MAST/DIII-D similarity (ITPA priority)

- Scenarios for these studies require development of reproducible H-modes: L-H threshold studies
- DN, LSN
- Role of shape, fueling type, fueling location
- NSTX/MAST identity (ITPA priority)
- ELM characteristics
- Pedestal characterization
- NSTX/MAST/DIII-D similarity (ITPA priority)

- E and Transport Scalings – FY04 Research Plan (cont’d)

## Electrons Dominate Transport Loss

-  Large uncertainties in ’s in center and near edge due to
-   data/equilibrium uncertainties
-  51 point CHERS should help resolve some uncertainties
-      - Better defined gradients

## New diagnostics allow us to investigate the relationship between magnetic shear reversal and improved electron confinement
Electron ITB w/NBI, HHFW
Relation to critical gradient physics
 ’ scan

Comparison of NBI vs HHFW transport
Vary fractions of simultaneous NBI, HHFW power
Need to develop successful synergistic scenario
Momentum transport studies

- Electron ITB w/NBI, HHFW
- Relation to critical gradient physics
-  ’ scan
- Comparison of NBI vs HHFW transport
- Vary fractions of simultaneous NBI, HHFW power
- Need to develop successful synergistic scenario
- Momentum transport studies

- Local Transport – FY04 Research Plan (cont’d)

**GS2 Calculations**

## Core and Edge Turbulence – FY04 Research Plan

- Initially, study L-mode plasmas (low ne NBI & RF)
- Combined edge turbulence study
- GPI: higher spatial/temporal extent, resolution
- Recip. probe: multiple tips to resolve Te, ne and Er, Epol, B, Te, fluctuations
- w/Boundary ET

- FIRETIP

- Reflectometry

- Accessibility

## Boundary Physics 

- Enabling technology
- Develop and evaluate particle control techniques
- Assess fueling and particle pumping needs
- Evaluate power handling needs and solutions
- Science
- Characterize edge power and particle transport regimes
- Measure edge turbulence (with T&T)
- New capabilities in 2004
- Low-Z pellet injector (Li/B/C)
- Supersonic gas injector
- Improved boronization schemes
- Upgraded reciprocating probe
- Edge rotation diagnostic (FY03)

## Fueling and Particle Control – FY04 Research Plan

- Supersonic gas injection to enhance fueling efficiency
- Low-Z pellet injector (Li/B/C)
- 10-400 m/sec (controllable), 1 to 8 pellets/discharge
- Particle control using Li wall coatings
- Characterize low-Z pellet ablation, impurity transport
- Improved boronization techniques
- Daily boronization
- Boronization during high temperature bakeout
- More uniform deposition

*Density control a key issue for long pulse discharges*

## Power and Particle Control – FY04 Research Plan

- Establish heat flux scaling and power accountability
- Parametric scaling (Ip, ne, Pheat)
- H vs non-H, SN/DN configurations
- Detailed edge characterization of edge for SOL transport studies
- NSTX/MAST comparative studies
- Test methods for reducing heat flux
- X-point sweeping
- Detached divertor
- Investigate impurity transport
- Sources/sinks of C under
-     various conditions
- Connect to edge convective
- 	transport theory

## Integrated Scenario Development

- Highest level milestone requires integration of techniques to produce high performance plasmas
- Simultaneous high-t, E for long duration (FT >> E)
- NBI/HHFW compatibility
- New capabilities in 2004
- Control system upgrades
- Decreased latency
- HHFW loading, outer gap control
- GA rtEFIT shape control (continuing)
- Improved wall conditioning
- Improved gas injection/density control

**Time (msec)**

**Data Bits**

**Original System**
** ****(~ 3 msec)**

**New System**
** ****(< 1 msec)**

## ISD 2004 Research Plan

- Control system development
- Shape, vertical control (validate GA MIMO feedback algorithm, TSC models)
- Shape optimization predicted to
- 	improve performance
- High- in DN, LSN ( =2 to 2.4)
- Increased stability limits, higher pulse, E
- Long pulse operation can also be aided by
- Early HHFW heating to raise Te
- Reduce OH flux consumption
- Triggering H-mode during Ip ramp
- Broader p(r)  Higher pol  higher Ip
- Possible shear reversal
- HHFW-only H-mode
- Increased Ibs (fBS ~ 0.40 previously)

## ISD 2004 Research Plan (cont’d)

- HHFW/NBI compatibility desirable for attaining ultimate target objectives
- Couple HHFW into high-T NBI target plasma
- Couple HHFW into low-ne, high-Te (RS) NBI target plasma
- Couple NBI into HHFW-driven H-mode
- Application of density control techniques for long-pulse operation

## FY04 Research Aimed Towards Early Development of High-Performance Plasmas

-    Early Run		     Mid-Run		         Late Run

**H&CD**
**Startup**
**MHD**
**T&T**
**Bdy**
**ISD**

- HHFW conditioning - Decay       B-X-O, B-X EBW		      HHFWCD w/j(r) measurements
- HHFW Power Deposition           HHFW + NBI
-              Thermal Ion Htg, CD,    HHFW Htg Efficiency/Ponderomotive Effects
-               H-mode
- CHI into inductive                       Transient CHI                                          Absorber null assessment
- HHFW startup	              Solenoid-free startup with PF4
- High-t at high       	              NSTX/DIII-D RWM similarity 	    Stability studies with j(r) meas.
- High-pol aspect ratio effects      RWM dissipation, rotation damping	    Effect of boundary on high-n
- RWM passive stabilization         Neoclassical Tearing Modes                   Suppression of fishbone chirping
- Collective fast ion loss					    Active EF/RWM control
- NSTX/MAST L-H	              Core, edge turbulence 	     	    NSTX/DIII-D similarity
- Fast ion profile	              PNBI vs PHHFW transport                            Dimensionless scaling in H-mode
- NSTX/MAST H-mode scaling     Electron ITBs (RS)		    NSTX/MAST/DIII-D pedestal
-                                                    Intra-machine R/a scaling                        Momentum transport
- SS Gas Injector 	              Boronization schemes
- Density control	              Edge turbulence
- Detached divertor	              Boundary characterization
- Li particle control, Low-z pellets
- Control system development     Long-pulse HHFW H-mode	    USN w/ Reversed BT
- High- LSN, DN	              Fueling during long-pulse H-modes
- HHFW/NBI compatibility
- H-mode during Ip  ramp

## A Collaborative Control Room Will Aid Run Productivity

## NSTX Has Developed a Run Plan to Address a Broad Spectrum of Scientific Issues

- Experiments support the near-term milestones of the Five Year research plan
- Experimental proposals will take advantage of significant new facility and diagnostic capability to probe the underlying physics
- Information will add to the ITPA effort and contribute to our understanding of toroidal physics
- 18 run weeks will allow us to address most of our goals

## Slide 34

## i  i, neo near core

- i  i, neo near core