Validation of plasma shape reconstruction by Cauchy condition surface method in KSTAR

Abstract

Cauchy Condition Surface (CCS) method is a numerical approach to reconstruct the plasma boundary and calculate the quantities related to plasma shape using the magnetic diagnostics in real time. It has been applied to the KSTAR plasma in order to establish the plasma shape reconstruction with the high elongation of plasma shape and the large effect of eddy currents flowing in the tokamak structures for the first time. For applying the CCS calculation to the KSTAR plasma, the effects by the eddy currents and the ferromagnetic materials on the plasma shape reconstruction are studied. The CCS calculation includes the effect of eddy currents and excludes the magnetic diagnostics, which is expected to be influenced largely by ferromagnetic materials. Calculations have been performed to validate the plasma shape reconstruction in 2012 KSTAR experimental campaign. Comparison between the CCS calculation and non-magnetic measurements revealed that the CCS calculation can reconstruct the accurate plasma shape even with a small IP.