Edge microstability of NSTX plasmas without and with lithium-coated plasma-facing components

Abstract

The pedestal structure in NSTX is strongly affected by lithium coatings applied to the PFCs. In discharges with lithium, the density pedestal widens, and the electron temperature (Te) gradient increases inside a radius of ψN ∼ 0.95, but is unchanged for ψN > 0.95. The inferred effective electron thermal and particle profiles reflect the profile changes: is slightly increased in the near-separatrix region, and is reduced in the region ψN < 0.95 in the with-lithium case. The profile shows a broadening of the region with low diffusivity with lithium, while the minimum value within the steep-gradient region is comparable in the two cases. The linear microstability properties of the edge plasma without and with lithium have been analysed. At the pedestal top microtearing modes are unstable without lithium. These are stabilized by the stronger density gradient with lithium, becoming TEM-like with growth rates reduced and comparable to E × B shearing rates. In the region ψN > 0.95, both the pre- and with-lithium cases are calculated to be unstable to ETG modes, with higher growth rates with lithium. Both cases are also found to lie near the onset for kinetic ballooning modes, but in the second-stable region where growth rates decrease with increasing pressure gradient.