JET divertor geometry and plasma shape effects on the L–H transition threshold

Abstract

Results from recent experiments to study the effects of divertor geometry and increased plasma shaping on the L–H transition threshold on JET are reported. Equivalent septum configurations run with the new septum replacement plate (SRP) in the MkII Gas Box divertor have shown that the presence of the septum lowers the L–H transition power threshold, Pth, by 20%. For X-point to virtual septum top distances of less than 6 cm, the SRP plasmas also demonstrate a significant decrease of the L–H Pth and pedestal electron temperature, Te with reduced X-point height. Although, the SRP plasma's Pth remains above that with the septum, there is no difference in the pedestal Te at the L–H transition. The influence of plasma shaping on the L–H transition has also been investigated for the first time on JET in a series of density scans at Ip/Bt of 2.5 MA/2.7 T. While keeping the lower triangularity, δlower, and divertor geometry constant, the upper triangularity, δupper, has been increased from 0.23 to 0.34 with no effect on Pth or the pedestal Te or Ti. In a separate edge ne scan, two configurations with different δupper/δlower values of 0.23/0.23 and 0.43/0.33 have been compared. A large difference in the transition threshold is observed at values of edge ne above 1.8 × 1019 m−3, with the higher δ plasmas characterized by Pth of up to 25% lower at the highest densities scanned. This is thought to be the result of lowered X-point and outer strike point heights with increased δ.